THE BUILDER MAGAZINE
January 1917
volume 3 - number 1
TRAVEL SKETCHES -- THE LAND OF ROBERT BURNS
BY BRO. JOSEPH FORT NEWTON
"O come awa', O come awa'
Strang brither o' the West-lan',
Altho' we hinna meikle gear,
Yer welcome tae our best, man.
Auld Scotias bens an' glens cry oot
A greetin' tae the West-man,
An' honest herts an' frien'ly han's
But wish ye wad them test, man:
O come awa', syne come awa'
An' be our luckie guest, man."
THESE lines, written by an honored and beloved Mason, came
floating down to London-town from the Land of Robert Burns. How could any one
resist such an invitation; how could one ever forget such a welcome? And so I
went to Scotland, by the Midland route, up through rural farming England by way
of Bedford, the city of Bunyan; then over "the peak country" into Yorkshire,
with a glimpse of Lancashire; across the wide moorland district to Cumberland,
and the beautiful Eden Valley of "Merrie Carlyle" with its cathedral and
castles, of which Scott sang in The Lay of the Last Minstrel. Ten miles further
on we crossed the border at Gretna, now a great munition center, and another
twenty miles brought us to Dumfries and the Burns country.
Our first stop was at Glasgow on the Clyde, the commercial
and industrial capital of Scotland, the rival of Liverpool in shipping-trade and
of Manchester in its manufactures, and perhaps the foremost city in the world in
its solution of the problem of public utilities. Standing on the site of an
episcopal see founded by St. Mungo in 560 A. D., Glasgow has a long and
thrilling history, much of which is enshrined in its noble cathedral, which more
than any other building I saw in Briton gave me a sense of gray antiquity. But
my mission to Glasgow was Masonic, and for Masonic students its chief claim to
fame is that it is the home of Progress Lodge, and its distinguished guide,
philosopher and teacher, Brother A. S. MacBride, of whom all may read elsewhere
in this issue. He it was who wrote those lines of greeting and welcome, and all
that the poet predicted was more than fulfilled in fact.
Such a reception! Never in all his life has ye humble
editor enjoyed a hospitality more hearty and more happy, or a brotherly courtesy
more complete in its appointments or more exquisitely canny in its delicate
details. Truly, that was "The End of a Perfect Day," dross-drained and lovely,
and set like a gem in my heart forever. As I was led into Progress Lodge to be
introduced, a Brother stepped forward and took from beneath the Bible an
American flag, which he spread over the Altar, as the entire Lodge rose and
cheered. It was one of many such acts of thoughtful courtesy which marked the
evening, like so many stars. The Lodge was then opened in form, and I was
permitted, by the kindness of the Worshipful Master, to respond to the greetings
of the Brethren, to express appreciation of the work of Brother MacBride, and to
tell of the fame of Progress Lodge on this side of the sea. They were much
interested in my brief sketch of present tendencies in American Masonry, and of
the interest in Masonic Research among us.
Next day I was shown the city of Glasgow, its lovely homes,
its churches, its schools and university, its neat and well-kept
branch-libraries and its great central Library--where, in the safety vault, I
had a peep at old editions of the poems of Burns which made it hard ) obey the
law which commands us not to covet our neighbors goods. Then we visited the
homes in which Glasgow houses some fourteen thousand Belgian refugees, and found
them well-arranged and carefully kept, all under the management of a Past Master
of Progress Lodge. As we entered a home for children, whose parents are either
lost or killed, their little faces lighted up with greetings, each giving us a
fine military salute, saying "Good morning, and thank you." Some of those faces
haunt me still, with their curly locks and bright eyes--tiny waifs sent adrift
by the horror of war, and finding home and food and care in the lovely land of
Scotland.
In Glasgow, as everywhere in England and Scotland, the
squares and parks are adorned with statues and memorials of great men of war and
state, of science and religion, poets and prophets and soldiers standing side by
side. It is so in George Square, the finest open pace in the city, surrounded by
the spacious Municipal buildings-- in which there is a lovely staircase of
marble and alabaster--the Post Office, the Bank of Scotland, the Merchant's
House, and so forth. Walter Scott, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Sir John
Moore, Campbell, Clyde, Watt, Peel, Robert Burns, Livingstone and Gladstone, all
look down upon the passerby, reminding him of the fine issues to which human
life ascends. Great men grow where great men are honored, and the sons of old
Scotland go all over the earth, everywhere taking the lead in whatever field
they enter.
High Street, leading to the Cathedral, was the chief
thoroughfare in the old city of St. Mungo, and at "Bell o' the Brae," where it
sweeps to the right and begins to ascend, Wallace won a victory in 1300. The
Cathedral, as I have said, is truly a noble monument, its chief glory, perhaps,
being its Crypt, a finely proportioned structure, with a fine vaulting. Some of
its sixty-five pillars are crowned by exquisitely carved captals, and for a
Mason who has an eye for angles and arches it is a pure delight. What workmen
they were in those days of old! On the north side is the tomb of Edward Irving,
of whom a portrait appears, as St. John the Baptist, in the window above. The
Cathedral is frequently referred to in "Rob Roy," by Walter Scott, but the
classical description of it is, undoubtedly, that of Andrew Fairservice.
After lunch at the Liberal Club, we were off for a pin
about the city and down to Loch Lomond. It was crisp, clear, ideal day--even the
Weather Man, who does not always behave well in Scotland, seemed to have been
tipped or otherwise induced to be at his best. We had a glimpse of the Clyde
along the way, thronged with boats, bordered by vast ship-yards full of boats in
he building. At Renton we paused to see the monument to Smollet, and better
still for a visit to the Lodge Room of the Lodge Leven St. John, in which some
of the visions of Brother MacBride in respect of Lodge decorations and
arrangements have been worked out. Then there was a real and happy surprise.
Entering a quaint little shop, and climbing a winding stair, we found ourselves
in the presence of a stately old Highland gentlemen, clad in the garb of his
clan, waiting to receive us with all the eats and drinks of the olden days. It
was a peep back into the past, picturesque and unforgetable, for which I was
deeply grateful.
Down the valley we went, on one side the wooded hills, rich
in waving ferns, and on the other, presently, Loch Lomond--the while Brother
MacBride told the history and legend of the places we passed in suchwise that
one hardly knew where one ended and the other began. Loch Lomond is in some
respects the loveliest of the Scottish lakes. Seen on such a clear day, with the
majestic form of Ben Lomond towering beyond, having a crown of cloud upon his
head-- looking like Mount Sinai--it is a picture that can never fade. Returning
by Loch Long and Loch Gare, we hasten back to Glasgow to catch the train for
Edinburgh, where, for the first time in my life, I was arrested. But as Kipling
would say, "that is another story."
----o----
A PRAYER IN PROSPECT OF DEATH
BY ROBERT BURNS
“A prayer when fainting fits, and other alarming symptoms
of a pleurisy or some other dangerous disorder, which indeed still threathen me,
first put nature on the alarm.” (First Common-Place Book, under date August,
1784)
A manuscript in the Burns Monument, Edinburgh, has the
heading, “A Prayer when dangerously threatened with pleuritic attacks.”
There seems to be an uncertainty about the date ofthis
poem, for though assigned to 1784, the entry in the “Common-Place Book” above
noted proves it earlier than the August of that year. The poem was probably
written during the poet’s residence in Irvine, when, as would appear in a letter
written to his father, 27th December, 1781, he had the prospect of “perhaps very
soon” bidding “adieu to all th epains and uneasiness and disquietudes of this
weary life.” (Burns Poems, Cambridge edition.)
O thou unknown, Almighty cause
Of all my hope and fear!
In whose dread presence, ere an hour,
Perhaps I must appear!
If I have wandered in those paths
Of life I ought to shun-
As something, loudly, in my breast,
Remonstrates I have done-
Thou know’st that Thou hast formed me
With passions wild and strong;
And list’ning to their witching voice
Has often led me wrong.
Where human weakness has come short,
Or frailty stept aside,
Do Thou, All-good - for suuch Thou art-
In shades of darkness hide.
Where with intention I have erred,
No other plea I have
But, thou art good; and Goodness still
Delighteth to forgive.
----o----
MASONIC EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA
BY THE GRAND LODGE COMMITTEE
TO the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of California:
Your Committee on Masonic Education, continued from last
year to formulate plans for research and study, beg to report as follows:
We feel it to be not only a duty, but a pleasure, to do our
full part in furthering the cause which should and will be of more and more
importance as the years roll by, notwithstanding the action of the Grand Lodge
last year in refusing to adopt our then proposed plan of lectures.
We are especially anxious that the Grand Lodge should give
its active and unqualified support to the cause of Masonic Education. Last year,
as indicated above, the essential portions of our report and recommendations
were referred to the Finance Committee and not reported back, thus leaving the
balance of little effect.
If ever there was a time in the history of our fraternity
when men need enlightenment and understanding, that time is now. They need the
understanding which shall help them to understand themselves. They need the
understanding which shall deepen their sympathies for their fellows. They need
the understanding which shall broaden their outlook in life. They need the
understanding which shall make them more kind and tolerant of all men,
particularly of those they call their brethren. The trend of events the past
year or so will verify all this.
In our Masonic Lodge rooms the great principles of human
brotherhood should be so sanely voiced that our members will see in them real
beauty, and understand that they can endure only when harmony prevails.
The basic principles for which we stand should be so
earnestly and eloquently impressed both on our candidates and our members that
all will be aroused by a mighty inspiration.
In our work, we should depend less on formalism and more on
enlightenment. We owe more to the candidates who knock at our doors than we
sometimes give them after they have crossed the portals. Mere ritualism alone
will not suffice--it is appealing so far as it goes--but it does not go far
enough; not every man is prepared to grasp its hidden meaning.
At the very outset of his Masonic career, the candidate
should be thrilled with the vital principles and purposes of the Fraternity, and
these should be made known to him as clearly as pure English can define them.
Nor should that interest be allowed to wane and become inactive through any
fault of ours.
We have among our members many men of ability who can aid
materially in accomplishing this work. How shall we go about it? Let us only
reiterate what we asked for last year, and with the hope that this time we will
receive the hearty co-operation of the Grand Lodge.
We therefore sum up this report by submitting the following
points for consideration, being the same four paragraphs that appeared in our
report last year, and as found on page 508 of the printed proceedings of 1915,
as follows:
First: That a Committee on Masonic Education, consisting of
three members, be appointed by the M. W. Grand Master to serve for the ensuing
year. That it shall be the duty of this Committee to exercise a helpful
influence toward all Lodges who desire their counsel and advice. That this
Committee shall foster and encourage throughout this jurisdiction the study and
research of Masonic tradition, history, literature, law, philosophy, and
dominant purposes of this Institution.
Second: That a series of lectures to be read in our Lodges
at stated periods, shall be prepared under the direction of such Committee; such
lectures to be submitted to the M. W. Grand Master for his approval, and
afterward printed; one lecture to be mailed each month to every Lodge in this
jurisdiction, but only on request.
Third: That a series of three lectures be prepared under
the direction of the Committee on Masonic Education, along exoteric lines,
appropriate respectively to the E.A., F.C., and M.M. degrees; such lectures to
be first approved by the M.W. Grand Master and afterwards printed. These
lectures to be placed in the candidate's hands after he has received each
degree. The lectures to be sold to the Lodges desiring them, at cost.
Fourth: That the formation of Study Clubs be encouraged,
and that this feature of the work follow a systematic and carefully conceived
plan.
Irving J. Mitchell, Alfred W. Bush, John Whicher,
Committee.
The report was adopted.
(This is an exceedingly wise and able report, and its
adoption by the Grand Lodge of California is a significant omen. Seldom have we
seen the need for Masonic education stated with more force and aptness, both
from the point of view of the efficiency of the Order and its influence upon
society, and the recommendations cover about all the methods so far tried albeit
keeping the whole program, and rightly so, immediately under the supervision of
the Grand Master and the Committee. The suggestion about the three lectures on
the first three degrees is most timely, for that it takes advantage of the fresh
impression in the minds of newly admitted Brethren, making use of an enthusiasm
and interest too often neglected and wasted. We note with deep interest the
encouragement given to the formation of study clubs, which promises to be so
important and delightful a feature of Masonry in the years to come.
Howbeit, we are minded to call special attention to the
suggestion to induce able and well-informed men of the jurisdiction to prepare
themselves for service as Masonic lecturers or instructors. There are any number
of such men in every jurisdiction, and we have the feeling that this will be the
final solution of the vexed problem of securing competent and reliable Masonic
lecturers. Why not have a Board of such lecturers, as we have in many
jurisdictions for the teaching of the ritual--what could be more delightful,
interesting and worth while both for the lecturers and for the young men whom
they inspire and instruct in Masonry? This is not meant to depreciate, in the
least, the services of professional Masonic lecturers, some of whom have done
most valuable work--although others are very disappointing and unsatisfactory,
often setting forth strange, fantastic eccentric notions in the name of Masonry.
All this is avoided by the recommendation of the California Committee, whose
suggestion is worthy of thoughtful pondering by every jurisdiction awake to the
necessity of Masonic education.-- Editor.)
----o----
A GREAT MASONIC TEACHER
BY BRO. JOSEPH FORT NEWTON
A. S. MACBRIDE
MASONRY had many great teachers in times past, men of the
first order of intellect who devoted their fine powers to the exposition of its
simple, wise and beautiful truth. Pike, Parvin, Mackey, Fort, Gould, Speth,
Crawley, Findel, Hughan, it is an honor to recall the names of such men, into
whose labors we have entered, and whose legacy of inspiration and instruction is
a priceless inheritance. Noble men, great Masons, tireless students, wise
teachers--our debt to them is beyond calculation. But reverence for the work of
men of other days should not make us forget our leaders today who are doing so
much to interpret Masonry and make it eloquent and effective for its high
purposes.
Masonry has great teachers today, many of them, but no one
more worthy of the honor of his Brethren of every land and rank than Brother A.
S. MacBride, of Lodge Progress, Glasgow. More than once we have said that his
lectures on "Speculative Masonry" is one of the best Masonic books ever written,
and we are ready any time to give a reason for the faith that is in us. First of
all, its style is the native speech of Masonry--simple, lucid, and aglow with
poetic light and beauty. There are passages that haunt you like noble music when
the book has been laid aside. Second, it is a book of vision, in which Masonry
is shown to be a wise, clear-seeing, practical Moral Idealism, touched with
spiritual meanings and taught in symbols, parables, emblems, and dramas. Third,
it is a book of careful, painstaking, reliable scholarship--three things which
make it one of the real classics of the Order, and we sincerely hope that it is
a fore-runner of other books of like spirit and quality.
As will be seen from the accompanying sketch, Brother
MacBride was trained in the tradition and lore of the Craft by wise teachers of
the olden time, whose method was as thorough as their knowledge was profound.
For twenty-five years, or more, he has been a teacher of Masonry in the land of
Robert Burns instructing young men in the symbolism and ceremonial of the Craft,
and he has left a permanent impress upon the Masonry of his native land. His
artist-eye exquisite sense of the fitness of things, together with his rich
learning and sound common sense, make him an ideal instructor, and with these
are joined a fine enthusiasm. Whether in public printed lecture, or in the more
private teaching of the Order--examples of which lie before us in the form of
rituals of the first three degrees--his work has the same sagacious insight, the
same fine sanity, and the same delicate touch of poetry which mark him as a
truly great teacher of Masonry.
Such men are rare, and we wish the work of Brother to be
more widely known on this side of the waters, we present the following brief
sketch of his Masonic career, by one of the Past Masters of Lodge Progress, with
illustrations showing the new home of Lodge Leven St. John for which he did so
much and where he is so beloved. It is such a sketch as the too great modesty of
its subject would permit, interesting and valuable for its data, but conveying
but a very slight impression of a man of unmistakable distinction of character
of singular personal and intellectual charm, brotherly withal and winning; a
gracious gentleman of Scotland, to know whom is to have something to remember of
the finest tradition of his country and his race--a Mason to whom the world is a
temple, a poet to whom the world is a song.
Brother A. S. MacBride was initiated in Lodge Leven St.
John on the 13th July, 1866. On November the 19th, of the same year, he was
elected Secretary; and on November 22nd, 1867, he was elected Master. The Lodge
Leven St. John was constituted on April 9th, 1788, by several members of the
craft residing in and about the towns of Leven in Dumbartonshire. As stated in
the Charter, it was granted "for holding a Lodge in the said towns of Leven."
That is, it was a movable Charter, and the old minute books which are preserved
in fairly good order and which go back to the 6th November, 1788, show that
meetings were held in various places from the river Fruin on Loch Lomond side,
to the bridge over the river Leven at Dumbarton. These old minutes seem to
indicate the existence of an unchartered Lodge, previous to the existing Charter
from the Grand Lodge in Edinburgh.
It has been a practice from 1788 at least, as shown by the
Minutes of the Lodge, to appoint instructors to every newly initiated member;
and Brother MacBride in this respect had the good fortune to have as his
instructors two of the very oldest Masons in the Lodge. It is to the instruction
he then received that he attributes the enthusiastic interest with which he has
for fifty years studied the history and symbolism of Masonry. It was at one time
the universal custom in all Scottish Lodges to appoint these instructors (or
"intenders" as they were called) to newly entered brethren, and it is to be
regretted that this good old custom has been abandoned generally. It is still,
however faithfully observed in Lodge Leven St. John.
In the second year of his accession to the chair, Brother
MacBride introduced his system of lectures and instruction. He began, first oœ
all, with the office-bearers, and in a year or two with the members of the
Lodge. After seven years he retired from the chair, but still maintained a close
connection with the Lodge. In 1879, with some reluctance and only at the
unanimous and strong desire of the members, he once more accepted the position
of Master. He continued in office until 1884, and as Past Master continued
taking an active interest in the Lodge affairs. He was recalled again to the
chair in 1887, and was in harness until 1896.
During this period of nearly thirty years the Lodge
established a reputation for a high standard of "work," discipline and
enterprise, and its members became celebrated for their knowledge of Masonry.
The Lodges in Scotland generally, at that time, met in licensed premises; and
Leven St. John met in the Black Bull Inn, in the village of Renton. The higher
ideals of the craft, however, began to dominate the minds of the members, and
the incongruity of having solemn and sacred ceremonies in a hall devoted to the
worship of Bacchus determined them in 1891 to have a building of their own.
Although a country Lodge, whose membership was small in number and practically
composed of workmen, yet such was its vital energy and enthusiasm that, despite
many difficulties, a commodious Lodge Room was erected. In a few years the Lodge
building was not only completed free from debt but a new building fund was
formed of upwards oœ three-hundred pounds for extensions. These extensions have
now been completed and the building stands a monument to the enthusiasm and
loyal devotion of the members, for, with the exception of three brethren
belonging to other Lodges who unsolicited sent donations, all the expense
amounting to about three thousand pounds has been defrayed by them. The Lodge
Room presents some unique features which the accompanying photographs will
partly show, in its pillars, winding stair of three, five and seven steps, and
its middle chamber.
Sixteen years ago Brother MacBride removed to Glasgow and
there threw in his lot with Lodge "Progress," which had been established two
years previous. This Lodge is founded on temperance principles, a part of its
constitution being, "No intoxicating or spirituous liquors shall be permitted at
any meeting or communication of the Lodge, or held under the auspices of the
Lodge." This was in Brother MacBride's opinion a movement that deserved the
encouragement of every well wisher of the craft. Personally, he was not a total
abstainer, but the drinking customs in connection with many lodges had become
such a serious evil that some counterweight was greatly needed, and he therefore
joined Lodge Progress. His long experience gave him an early opportunity of
being of service to that Lodge; its members, while full of enthusiasm, being
practically inexperienced in the work of Masonry.
In November, 1900, he was elected Master, and during that
year he applied himself to the training of office-bearers in a knowledge of
their duties and of the "work" in connection with the various degrees. In the
succeeding year, and for fully ten years as a Past Master, he applied himself to
the work of instruction. Enthusiastic instructive Lodge meetings were carried on
for three or four months every winter. At these meetings lectures were delivered
by him which have been revised and printed in a work entitled "Speculative
Masonry." Besides this, various symbols and ceremonies were explained in detail
and the students attending were also given an opportunity of "working." The
result has been this: Lodge Progress stands out, not only as the strongest Lodge
in Scotland, but also as representing the highest ideal in its method of
"working." It is no boast, but a plain fact that these two Lodges, Leven St.
John and Lodge Progress, are models in the manner in which they "work" the
ceremonies of the various degrees, and in the knowledge possessed by their
members of the symbolism and principles of Masonry.
When residing in the province of Dumbarton Brother MacBride
took an interest in the proceedings of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Dumbarton.
He was Secretary for a number of years and filled the offices successively of
Provincial Grand Junior Warden, Provincial Grand Senior Warden, and Deputy
Provincial Grand Master. On removing to Glasgow he was asked to allow himself to
be nominated for office in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow but refused,
considering that his energies could be directed to better purpose in the Lodge
of Instruction connected with Lodge Progress. He, however, gave his services as
a member of Provincial Grand Committee for a number of years.
Brother MacBride has been a member of the "Quatuor Coronati
Lodge," London, since May, 1893, and has found the transactions of that Lodge of
immense value to him in the course of his Masonic studies He has always been an
advocate for reform in Lodge "working," and his criticisms of the coarse, vulgar
methods adopted in some lodges brought on him occasionally the condemnation of
his brethren, who, not having studied the symbolism of the craft, had very
little conception of its real beauty and significance. These controversies,
however, are all now things of the past, and he has been able to overcome, or
modify, the news adverse to his mode of "working," and to gain generally the
respect and esteem of those who at one time were his opponents.
Everywhere in the west of Scotland there has been of late
years a marked improvement in the "work" of Masonry. The atmosphere of the
lodges has been purified and elevated to a very considerable extent, and a
larger and closer knowledge of its symbolism has been diffused amongst its
members; and Brother MacBride rejoices at having been able in some degree to
have contributed to this beneficial result.
All of which is true as to facts and dates, but not all of
the truth, being a bare statement and far too conservative in its restrained
recital, needing an added touch of appreciation and estimate of a distinguished
service to the Fraternity. The work of Brother MacBride in behalf of Masonry may
be divided into three parts, as things Masonic are so often divided: First, his
genius as an expositor of the history, philosophy and symbolism of the Craft,
proof of which may be known and read by all in the book to which we have
referred. Second, his mastery of the ritual, and his poetic insight and literary
skill in making it not only more luminous, but more perfect as a medium through
which the spirit and truth of Masonry may be conveyed to the initiate. Of this
aspect of his work we may not write in detail, except to say that the ritual
prepared by him comes nearer to our ideal of what a Masonic ritual should be,
alike in accuracy, dignity and beauty of form, and depth and suggestiveness of
meaning, than any we have ever seen. It is an unalloyed delight to eye and ear
and heart--Masonry wearing a robe woven by a poet-hand, and worthy of its spirit
and truth.
And the third part of his labor is equally important --the
manner in which he uses the ritual, thus wrought out, not only to evoke the
Spirit of Masonry and to promote its fellowship, but to teach the truth it was
meant to teach. He is a teacher who trains teachers--following the teachers who
trained him--using the ritual, keeping close to the ritual, and through it
leading his pupils to the wider questions that grow out of it and are suggested
by it. Herein his method is sound, both Masonically and pedagogically, and it is
a hint to put those who would teach Masonry on the right track. Moreover, his
first care is to train the officers of the Lodge, making them leaders and
teachers of the Craft as they should be. Take, for example, the following "Hints
to Masters," which serve as a preface to the ritual of Lodge Progress:
1. The Master should not be Craftsman, laborer, and
everything. He should superintend and direct the work.
2. Have a meeting of the Office-bearers, as soon after the
election as possible, to arrange your work, and to encourage them to study and
enter upon their duties with an enthusiastic spirit.
3. Get each Office-bearer to learn the duties of the Office
immediately above his, so that he may, when required, be able to perform them.
4. Always remember it is the Master's work to plan, and to
draw out the plan of work. Treat your Office-bearers confidentially and show
them your plan, and then you may rightly expect them to work to it.
5. Give every encouragement to any one who wishes to work,
and get your Officers to do the same; but bear in mind that your own members
have the first claim on your assistance and encouragement.
6. Don't parade your authority, but prove yourself worthy
of the power placed in your hands, by using it as seldom as possible.
7. Remember the best Master is he who best serves the
Craft. 'Tis no wonder that such a method, used in a spirit of Masonic idealism
made effective by a fine practical capacity, has attested its worth and wisdom
in rich results. It was the rare pleasure of a lifetime to visit Lodge
Progress--of which we offer a brief account elsewhere in this issue to meet its
members, and to join with them in paying homage to one of the wisest Masonic
teachers of our generation whose work has won, and will continue to win
increasingly, the lasting and grateful honor of the Craft in all lands where its
gentle labors are known.
----o----
ON PRESENTING THE LAMB-SKIN APRON
By Fay Hempstead
Poet Laureate of Freemasonry
Light and white are its leathern folds;
And a priceless lesson its texture holds.
Symbol it is, as the years increases,
Of the paths that lead through the fileds of Peace.
Type it is of the higher sphere,
Where the deeds of the body, ended here,
Shall one by one the by-way be.
To pass the gates of Eternity.
Emblem itis of life intense,
Held allof from the world of sense;
Of the upright walk and the lofty mind,
Far from the dross of Earth inclinded.
Sign it is that he who wears
Its sweep unsullied, about him bears
That which should be to mind and heart
A set reminder of his art.
So may it ever bring to thee
The high resolves of Purity.
Its spotless filed of shining white,
Serve to guide thy steps aright;
Thy daily life, in scope and plan,
Be that of the strong and upright man.
And signal shall the honor be.
Unto those who wear it worthily
Receive it thus to symbolize
Its drift, in the life that before thee lies.
Badge as it is of a great degree,
Be it chart and compass unto thee.
----o----
JURISPRUDENCE STUDIES
BY BRO. WILDEY E. ATCHISON. A.S.S'T RR.n.'Y
I. AFFILIATION
THERE are many roads
of Masonic Research. And while perhaps the most logical beginning for Study
groups would be along the pathways bordered by the stories of the past, where
here and there might be found a memorial of some prehistoric "Men's House," yet
to many of us, a browse among the modern Masonic pastures is of equal interest.
And so, while Brother Clegg leads us far afield in the land of folklore and
mediaeval events which have a bearing upon the earlier aspects of this
Institution we call Freemasonry, let those who are interested in the present,
sit down in the ante-room for awhile, and consider the many-sided questions of
Jurisprudence, as they are exhibited for us in the Codes and Judicial Decisions
of our American Grand Lodges.
Let it be understood
at the outset that this is intended as no exhaustive treatise upon Masonic Law.
Nor will we attempt to codify the Statutes of our Grand Jurisdictions.
Manifestly, a Masonic Journal, even the Journal of a Society devoted exclusively
to Masonic Research, is no place for that. But just as many a man studies the
Law, not with the expectation of practicing it as a profession, but simply that
he may ask intelligent questions and thereby keep out of legal tangles, so will
we, as a matter of common information, make a careful, though somewhat limited
investigation into the books of Masonic law as they are. And all this to the end
that we may acquaint the Members of our Society with the fundamentals of our
American Masonic Jurisprudence.
We all study Civil
Government, that we may know something of our duties as a citizen in the State.
Our present purpose is to take up a few of the more important points of Masonic
citizenship, if you please. Let me repeat that I aim at no formal codification.
This effort is simply to portray, through the means of a brief tabulation, a
comparative statement of the legal machinery of Masonry, but comprehensive
enough so that the fundamentals will be easily understood.
There is ample excuse
for such a series as this will be, if excuse were needed, in the embarrassing
situations created among Brethren whose vocation keeps them traveling through
different States. It has been stated with cause, that many a Mason loses
interest, and becomes indifferent, if not a non-affiliate, because of his own
unfamiliarity with the common requirements regarding visitation. And again,
Brethren who contemplate a change of residence to another State, hesitate a long
time before affiliating with the Fraternity in their new homes, simply because
they do not know anything about the formal steps which must be taken. They feel
that to attend Lodge regularly in their newfound homes is an imposition upon the
very men who would be glad to greet them as Brethren; they feel that to attend
the banquets and functions of the Lodge without joining in the expense incurred
(as they would be doing if they paid dues) is demanding too much of Courtesy.
The constraint remains, often for a long period, before some good Brother of the
Lodge discovers the fact of membership, and brings the lonesome one into the
fold in the proper manner.
The present study
concerns "Affiliation." It will be followed, from time to time, by others. So
far as each table goes, it will embody the Codified Law and the Judicial
Decisions affecting the points considered, and we shall in every case endeavor
to have our brief statement of the proposition checked up by the Grand Secretary
of each Jurisdiction, that it may be accurate. If errors are found, we shall
welcome correction. And if, after reading the present table, the Brethren of the
Society believe that it will be worth while to reprint them (for we expect to
cover at least twenty or more of the important subjects), we shall be glad to do
so at the close of the series.
Necessarily these
tables will overlap one another at many points - that is inevitable. But we
shall do our best to keep the lines as clearly drawn between them as possible,
and shall welcome your suggestions which will make the presentation more
practical, more timely, or better calculated to fill the need.
The February subject
will be "Advancement." Other topics on the way are "Demits," "Visitation,"
"Qualifications," etc. Occasionally we hope to be able to vary this program with
discussions of these questions from the viewpoint of Grand Lodges outside of
America.
It was found necessary
to restrict the subdivisions of the subject to the number given in the chart,
not only for conservation of space in THE BUILDER, but to avoid digression, as
the subject of Affiliation is intimately connected with others such as
Balloting, the Masonic standing of unaffiliated Masons, etc. Neither has it been
practical to quote the exact wording of the various Codes in the narrow space
allotted to the different headings. But the attitude of each Grand Lodge has
been stated in as few words as possible, and in a uniform manner where possible,
ignoring certain peculiar linguistic forms which, while officially adopted in
the various Grand Jurisdictions, are immaterial from the point of view of this
study. But we believe our members will have no difficulty in grasping the
important features of the problems involved.
**********
----o----
A CENTRAL AFRICAN MYSTERY
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD
IF any reader will take the trouble to consult a modern map
of central South Africa, he may see a vast block of territory bounded, roughly
speaking, by the Zambesi on the north and the Transvaal on the south, by
Barotseland and Bechuanaland on the west, and by Portuguese East Africa on the
east, measuring perhaps six hundred miles square.
Scattered over this huge expanse are found ancient ruins,
whereof about five hundred are known to exist, while doubtless many more remain
to be discovered. These ruins, in spite of certain late theories to the
contrary, it would seem almost certain--or so, at least, my late friend,
Theodore Bent, and other learned persons have concluded--were built by people of
Semitic race, perhaps Phoenicians, or, to be more accurate, South Arabian
Himyarites, a people rendered somewhat obscure by age. At any rate, they
worshiped the sun, the moon, the planets, and other forces of nature, and took
observations of the more distant stars. Also, in the intervals of these pious
occupations, they were exceedingly keen business men. Business took them to
South Africa, where they were not native, and business kept them there, until at
last, while still engaged on business, or so it seems most probable, they were
all of them slain.
Their occupation was gold-mining, perhaps with a little
trading in "ivory, almug-trees, apes and peacocks" --or ostriches--thrown in.
They opened up hundreds of gold reefs, from which it is estimated that they
extracted at least seventy-five million pounds' worth of gold, and probably a
great deal more. They built scores of forts to protect their line of
communication with the coast. They erected vast stronghold temples, of which the
Great Zimbabwe, that is situated practically in the center of the block of
territory delimited above, is the largest yet discovered. They worshipped the
sun and the moon, as I have said. They enslaved the local population by tens of
thousands to labor in the mines and other public works, for gold-seeking was
evidently their state monopoly.
A VANISHED PEOPLE
They came, they dwelt, they vanished. That is all we know
about them. What they were like, what their domestic habits, what land they took
ship from, to what land returned, how they spent their leisure, in what
dwellings they abode, whither they carried their dead for burial--of all these
things and many others we are utterly ignorant.
But Mr. Andrew Lang, with that fine touch of his, has put
the problem in a little poem that once he wrote at my request for a paper in
which I was interested at the time, so much better than I can do, that I will
quote a couple of his verses:
Into the darkness whence they came,
They passed; their country knoweth none.
They and their gods without a name
Partake the same oblivion.
Their work they did, their work is done,
Whose gold, it may be, shone like fire,
About the brows of Solomon,
And in the House of God's Desire.
The pestilence, the desert spear,
Smote them; they passed, with none to tell
The names of them that labored there;
Stark walls and crumbling crucible,
Strait gates and graves, and ruined well,
Abide, dumb monuments of old;
We know but that men fought and fell,
Like us, like us for love of gold.
The thing is strange, almost terrifying to think of. We
modern folk are very vain of ourselves. We can hardly conceive a state of
affairs on this little planet in which we shall not fill a large part; when for
practical purposes, except for some obscure traces of blood, our particular
race, the Anglo-Saxon, the Teutonic, the Gallic, whatever it may be, has passed
away and been forgotten. Imagine London, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, and those who
built them, forgotten ! Yet such things may well come about; indeed, there are
forces at work in the world, although few folk give a thought to them, which
seem likely to bring them about a great deal sooner than we anticipate.
As we think today, so doubtless these Phoenicians, or
Himyarites, or whoever they may have been, thought in their day. Remember, it
must have been a great people that without the aid of steam or firearms could
have penetrated, not peacefully, we may be sure, into the dark heart of Africa,
and there have established their dominion over its teeming millions of
population.
UNDER THE CONQUERORS
Probably the struggle was long and fierce--how fierce their
fortifications show, for evidently they lived the overlords, the taskmasters of
hostile multitudes; yes, multitudes and multitudes, for there are great
districts in Rhodesia where, for league after league, even the mountainsides are
terraced by the patient, laborious toil of man, that every inch of soil might be
made available for the growth of food. Yet these fierce Semitic traders broke
their spirit and brought them under the yoke; forced them to dig in the dark
mines for gold, to pound the quartz with stone hammers and bake it in crucibles;
forced them to quarry the hard granite and ironstone to the shape and size of
the bricks whereto they were accustomed in their land of origin, and, generation
by generation, to build up the mighty, immemorial mass of temple fortresses.
When did they do it? No one knows, but from the orientation
of the ruins to the winter or the summer solstice, or to northern stars,
scholars think that the earliest of them were built somewhere about two thousand
years before Christ. And when did they cease from their labors, leaving nothing
behind them but these dry-built walls--for, although they were proficient in the
manufacture of cement, they used no mortar--and the hollow pits whence they had
dug the gold, and the instruments with which they treated it ? That no scholar
can tell us, although many scholars have theories on the matter. They vanished,
that is all. Probably the subject tribes, having learned their masters' wisdom,
rose up and massacred them to the last man; and in those days there was no
historian to record it and no novelist to make a story of the thing.
Solemn, awe-inspiring, the great elliptical building of
Zimbabwe still stands beneath the moon, which once doubtless was worshipped from
its courts. In it are the altars and the sacred cone where once the priests made
prayer, or perchance offered sacrifice of children to Baal and to Ashtaroth.
THE PEOPLE OF THE SUN
On the hill above, amidst the granite boulders, frowns the
fortress, and all round stretch the foundation blocks of a dead city. Here the
Makalanga, that is, the People of the Sun, descendants without doubt of the
Semitic conquerors and the native races, still make offerings of black oxen to
the spirits of their ancestors - or did so till within a few years gone. The
temple, too, or so they hold, is still haunted by those spirits; none will enter
it at night. But of the beginning of it all these folk know nothing. If
questioned, they say only that the place was built by white men "when stones
were soft"; that is, countless ages ago.
What a place it must have been when the monoliths and the
carven vultures, each upon its soapstone pillar, stood in their places upon the
broad, flat tops of the walls, when the goldsmiths were at work and the
merchants trafficked in the courts, when the processions wound their way through
the narrow passages, and the white-robed, tall-capped priests did sacrifice in
the shrines !
Where did they bury their dead, one wonders. For of these,
as yet, no cemetery has been found. Perhaps they cremated them and cast their
ashes to the winds. Perhaps they embalmed them, if they were individuals of
consequence, and sent them back to Arabia or to Tyre, as the Chinese send home
their dead today, while humbler folk were cast out to the beasts and birds. Or
perhaps they still lie in deep and hidden kloofs among the mountains.
----o----
THE FINE SOULS
We have a debt to every great heart, to every fine genius;
to those who have put life and fortune on the cast of an act of justice; to
those who have added new sciences; to those who have refined life by elegant
pursuits. 'Tis the fine souls who serve us, and not what is called fine
society.--Emerson.
----o----
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY
Dec. 18-19, 1773
In seventeen hundred seventy three
Three ships left Albion's docks with tea.
They little dreamed of what destiny planned
As they sailed away to the western land,
For to Boston harbor they were bound
Where the proud old world got turned around.
Now the Colonist loved his tea to sip
'Twas the stamp thereon made him "bite his lip."
And he vowed that there would trouble be
If the King sent on the stamp taxed tea.
So the local Masonic Lodge, you see,
Planned to have a "party" when came the tea.
And the secret they kept till it came in,--
Now soon the festivities would begin.
The communication to order came
And outlined the details of the "game."
The Junior Warden from labor, then
Called to refreshments the waiting men.
And soon they went out as Indians red,
And the chief, the Junior Warden, led.
And the whoops that rang in the streets that night
Were the signals that started the Colonies right.
And on and on to the wharf they flew,
And no sentry or watchman their errand knew.
Their torches flared that December night,
And their hatchets gleamed in the sombre light.
And they brushed the sailors aghast aside
And consigned the tea to the ocean's tide.
And as o'er the railings the chests were flung
They were smashed with the hatchets deftly swung.
And those "reds" ceased not till the cargoes three
Were "brewing" away in the "salted sea."
And back to the Lodge they swiftly sped
As Revere, the Junior Warden, led.
And SOME things were said that had the ring
Of eternal defiance to the King!
No tax, not agreed, will we ever pay
On the goods of the realm sent to Boston Bay!
And the Lodge was closed in its due form
As the gray in the east foretold the morn.
* * *
So it was that this way of "serving the tea"
Set the fires that made the Colonies free.
And from this time on till victory came
The Masonic Colonist was "in the game."
And the Nation should ever its tribute pay
To the "party" that night in Boston Bay.
--L. B. Mitchell, Mich.
----o----
THE EMPTY BOATS
Why do I see these empty boats, sailing on airy seas ?
One haunted me the whole night long, swaying with every
breeze,
Returning always near the eaves, or by the skylight glass:
There it will wait me many weeks, and then, at last, will
pass.
Each soul is haunted by a ship in which that soul might
ride
And climb the glorious mysteries of Heaven's silent tide
In voyages that change the very metes and bounds of fate--
O, empty boats, we all refuse, that by our windows wait!
-Vachel Lindsay.
----o----
CORRESPONDENCE CIRCLE BULLETIN---No. 4
Edited by Bro. Robert I. Clegg, Caxton Building, Cleveland
Ohio
FREEMASONRY AND MONASTICISM IN THE MIDDLE AGES
BY R.I. CLEGG
THERE are some old documents known to us, as the Ancient
Charges. These show that the Freemasons of the middle ages possessed a curious
tradition peculiar to themselves. This tradition dealt with the origin of
Masonry and the invention of geometry, that branch of the liberal arts and
sciences that enters so largely into the practice of the craft whether operative
or speculative. Conder, in his book. "The Hole Craft and Fellowship of Masons,"
says that "this tradition was without doubt largely due to the clerical
influence exercised over their calling."
Not only is this very probable but there is internal
evidence to indicate that the oldest of these Ancient Charges was written by one
holding office in the Church.
This contact of the Lodge and the Church is not surprising.
From the most remote antiquity Masons have built structures to house the
worshipers of the Deity. At all stages of the work they have been associated
with the priesthood. They were also intimately allied with those religious
orders affiliated with the Church.
This fact is of itself sufficient to account for the
semi-religious body that the Masons became. It explains the moral teaching and
the curious traditions found embedded so intimately within the Masonic
organization which has so freely drawn upon the sacred books of the Church and
from legendary history.
Brother Conder says further: "Undoubtedly such was the
fact. It is therefore without surprise that about the end of the fourteenth or
early in the fifteenth century we find a document, evidently founded on a much
earlier one (or on remote oral traditions) which recites the supposed history of
the Fellowship of Masons, and lays down rules for the guidance of its members;
at the same time inculcating a behavior and conduct, which if not a gratuitous
insertion is as regards ordinary workmen greatly in advance of the spirit of the
time, and far beyond that practiced by the other trades. No doubt this was to
support the craft in maintaining its ancient worthy position, and in order that
its members might continue to hold their ancient and honorable station."
"As the beauty of the so-called Gothic architecture
advanced under the wing of the Church, schools of Masonry, wherein the elements
of Euclid were taught to the higher classes of operative masons, became attached
to certain religious houses and from time to time efficient workmen left these
schools for work further afield."
Not only in their structural designs but in the decoration
of their buildings the old craftsmen made liberal employment of the principles
set forth by the great geometrician, Euclid. In the construction of the
equilateral triangle entering into the very first proposition of Euclid's famous
"Elements" there was shown to the Master Mason a new form for the arch, a
suggestion for the familiar trifoil representative of the Trinity, and by the
intersection of the circles he was symbolically shown "the Deity ever present
where the eternity of the past overlapped the eternity of the future, who was,
and is, and is to be."
"If we follow the details of Gothic architecture, we shall
see that the triangle and the circle form the keystone to that ornamental
tracery for which this style is noted. This symbolical language of Masonry,
together with the use of the Mason's square and compasses, would doubtless be
used by the ecclesiastics as an object lesson to the workmen engaged on the
sacred edifice and so become incorporated in the traditions of their gild. The
Masons at the cathedrals and other large ecclesiastical buildings were attached
to the monastery, and often a technical school of Masonry was founded by the
monks who in teaching the craft would not forget the higher or symbolical
meaning to be derived from the geometrical figures used in tracing sections,
etc." Thus far I quote Brother Conder.
How far is this vision borne out by the facts ? To my mind
it has a very reasonable foundation. Let us take but one of the old monastic
orders and compare it with Freemasonry. I will not now take the time or space to
go carefully into a comparison of the Ancient Charges or any part of them with
the rules and regulations laid down by any order of monks. Such a comparison
while interesting is largely unnecessary because for all practical purposes the
monitorial charges of today are similar to those given in the old charges. You
may therefore compare for yourselves what I may say of any monastic institution
and determine how far it resembles the Freemasonry that is known to you by its
distinctive charges and ceremonies, by our authorized and familiar monitor and
ritual.
We will, if you please, consider then the order of St.
Benedict. That great lawgiver, dying in the year 542, saw one night in a vision
the whole world gathered together under one beam of the sun. So states Gregory
in the following century and the tale has come down the long years. In the light
of this very suggestive illumination his followers had great breadth in
religious convictions.
Said the Venerable Bede: "You know, my brother, the custom
of the Roman Church in which you remember you were bred up. But it pleases me
that if you have found anything either in the Roman or the Gallican, or any
other Church, which may be more acceptable to Almighty God, you carefully make
choice of the same, and sedulously teach the Church of the English, which as yet
is new in the Faith, whatsoever you can gather from the several Churches. For
things are not to be loved for the sake of places, but places for the sake of
good things. Choose therefore from every Church those things that are pious,
religious, and upright, and when you have, as it were, made them up into one
body, let the minds of the English be accustomed thereto." Such were the
instructions of Gregory to Augustine.
Newman has given us in the Mission of St. Benedict to
Europe an estimate so richly colored by his affectionate regard for the brethren
that it reads with extravagant force.
"Silent men were observed about the country, or discovered
in the forest digging, cleaning, and building; and other silent men, not seen,
were sitting in the cold cloister tiring their eyes and keeping their attention
on the stretch, while they painfully deciphered, then copied and recopied, the
manuscripts which they had saved. There was no one that contended or cried out,
or drew attention to what was going on; but by degrees the woody swamp became a
hermitage, a religious house, a farm, an abbey, a village, a seminary, a school
of learning, and a city. Roads and villages connected it with other abbeys and
cities which had similarly grown up; and what the haughty Alaric or fierce
Attila had broken to pieces these patient meditative men have brought together
and made to live again. And then, when they had in the course of many years
gained their peaceful victories, perhaps some new invaders came, and with fire
and sword undid their slow and persevering toil in an hour. Down in the dust lay
the labor and civilization of centuries- -churches, colleges, cloisters,
libraries --and nothing was left to them but to begin all over again; but this
they did without grudging, so promptly, cheerfully, and tranquilly, as if it
were by some law of nature that the restoration came; and they were like the
flowers and shrubs and great trees which they reared, and which when ill-treated
do not take vengeance or remember evil, but give forth fresh branches, leaves
and blossoms, perhaps in greater profusion or with richer quality, for the very
reason that the old were rudely broken off."
Of Dunstan, whose work in the restoration after the ravages
of war was notable, Newman recites: "As a religious he showed himself in the
simple character of a benedictine. He had a taste for the arts generally,
especially music. He painted and embroidered; his skill in smith's work is
recorded in the well-known legend of his combat with the evil one. And, as the
monks of Hilarion joined gardening with psalmody, and Bernard and his
cistercians joined field work with meditation, so did St. Dunstan use music and
painting as directly expressive or suggestive of devotion. 'He excelled in
writing, painting, moulding in wax, carving in wood and bone, and in work in
gold, silver, iron, and brass,' says the author of his life in Surius, 'and he
used his skill in musical instruments to charm away from himself and others
their secular annoyances, and to raise them to the theme of heavenly harmony,
both by the sweet words with which he accompanied his airs and by the concord of
the airs themselves.'"
We are told that when a young man desired to enter the
monastery of St. Augustine he had to remain for some time in the guest house as
a postulant. When the day was fixed for the admission, or as it was called, the
"rastura," the shaving of his head, the prior gave him notice that three days
before he was to dine with the abbat. The abbat would then call the prior and
two of the seniors, and they appointed the novice-master who was charged to
instruct him in all that was necessary for his state, and to supply all his
wants. The abbat, then, after some kind words, left the youth in the hands of
the master, who examined him and found out if he had everything he wanted for
the time of his probation.
The postulant was then warned to cleanse his soul by
confession if necessary, and was then instructed in the rudiments of monastic
ceremonial. These instructions were spread over the intervening days on one of
which the postulant dined with the prior.
On the day appointed the postulant attended divine service
and made an offering after the reading of the Gospel. His master then took him
to the chapel and there prepared him diligently for the ceremony.
When the hour arrived he went with his master into the
chapter house where the brethren were assembled and prostrated himself before
the abbat.
He was then asked what he desired and he replied in the
usual form. He was then bidden to arise, and was told by the abbat how hard and
trying was the life that he desired.
Then he was asked if he was freeborn. Was he in good health
and free from any incurable disease ? Was he ready to accept hardships as well
as pleasant things, to obey and bear ignominy for the love of Christ? To these
questions he replied "Yes, by the grace of God."
Continuing the examination the abbat asked if the postulant
had ever been professed in any other stricter order; whether he was bound by any
promise of marriage, and was he free from debt and irregularity.
On receiving an answer in the negative the abbat granted
his prayer; and he was forthwith taken by the novice-master to have his head
shaved and be invested with the monastic habit.
Gould gives us the essentials of the initiation into the
order of St. Benedict as "The vow was to be made with all possible solemnity, in
the chapel, before the relics in the shrine, with the abbat and all the brethren
standing by, and once made it was to be irrevocable."
He further points out the relation of the ritual to
darkness as connected with death and initiation. Upon the matter of the
ceremonial he had the advantage of quoting directly from a communication sent to
him by an eyewitness, and which was given in the following terms:
"St. Pauls without the walls of Rome is a basilica church,
and in the apse behind the high altar another altar had been fitted up. The head
of the Benedictines is a mitered abbat. On this morning the abbat was sitting as
I entered the church, with his miter on his head and crozier in hand. Soon after
our entrance a young man was led up to the abbat who placed a black cowl on his
head. The young man then descended the steps, went upon his knees, put his hands
as in the act of prayer, when each of the monks present came up and, also on
their knees, kissed him in turn. When they had finished, a velvet cloth, with
gold or silver embroidery on it, was spread in front of the altar; on this the
young man lay down and a black silk pall was laid over him. Thus, under
semblance of a state of death he lay while mass was celebrated by the abbat.
When this was finished, one of the deacons of the mass approached where the
young man lay, and muttered a few words from a book he held in his hand. I
understood that the words used were from the Psalms, and were to this effect:
'Oh thou that sleepest, arise to everlasting life.' The man then arose, was led
to the altar, where I think he received the sacrament, and then took his place
among the Brotherhood."
The significant numbers three, five and seven are curiously
found to be employed by the Benedictines. There were "three voices" to be
recognized among the brethren in the chapter. These were the ones of the
accuser, the answerer, and the judge.
Another "five voices" were those of him who presided, the
guardians of the order; the precentor and succentor; the brothers charged with
keeping the silence, "because silence is called the key of the whole order"; and
then the almoner and sub-almoner. These five in their order were the first to
proclaim any one who through their respective offices they knew had infringed
the rules. The monk so proclaimed had to go out into the center of the chapter
and prostrating made confession of his fault, and saying "Mea culpa" (I have
done wrong) and promising amendment then received penance and rebuke.
Every one who had ceased to be under ward had a right to
speak in the chapter on "three points"; defects in the public worship, the
breaking of silence, and the distribution of alms. On all other subjects he must
ask leave to speak.
In processions there was to be preserved a distance of
"seven" feet between each of the monks.
But sufficient has been pointed out to serve our purpose.
These extracts will be found highly suggestive to the thoughtful Mason and will
recall much that is bound up in his own experience.
HINTS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
The two preceding issues of the Bulletin have had a number
of references for the study of Freemasonry in the middle ages. To these I may
add the two volumes entitled "The Black Monks of St. Benedict," by E. L.
Taunton, and published by John C. Nimmo of London, and Longmans, Green and Co.,
New York. Free use of this work has been made for presenting the above facts.
KEYSTONE KRAFTSMEN KLUB
In response to your "Get Together" letter of September, let
me present "Keystone Kraftsmen Klub" as a new member of the Correspondence
Circle.
This is the beginning of an earnest, active society of
Craftsmen who desire to know why and how they are known as Masons.
The announced purposes are given as "the attainment of
greater efficiency in degree work, a practical knowledge of the various lectures
and a better understanding of the tenets and philosophy of Masonry."
An invitation was extended to all Master Masons residing in
this vicinity as well as to the members of Keystone Lodge No. 153, F. & A. M.,
upon the regular monthly Lodge notice.
Permanent organization was perfected on Tuesday evening
November 7, the brethren present including the Master, Junior Warden, Senior
Deacon and a Past Master. At this meeting it was decided to follow Masonic usage
rather than an elaborate code of by-laws for the government of the sessions.
The presiding officer is to be the Master of Keystone Lodge
if he be a member of the Klub. If he is not a member, a vice president will take
the chair. The purpose of this is many sided as you will see. In the first
place, we are sure of the "brightest" Mason being in the chair, that we shall
have him handy for information as to what he desires in the Lodge during his
administration, that he can see that his staff of officers is efficient in their
work, and also see that nothing but good Masonic subjects are studied. He is not
expected to take an active part in the preparation of papers unless he so
desires.
The Chairman of the Program Committee, who chooses one
assistant, will assign all topics for papers, by and with the advice of the
President. He will assist the members in the preparation of papers, advise them
as to where to find the information desired, if possible, and act as Librarian
of the Klub.
The Treasurer will also be the Chairman of the Membership
Committee. He and his assistant will pass upon all applications for membership,
collect the dues, issue membership cards, which are to be signed by the
President, and keep the funds, paying them out by check.
The Secretary, then, has but his minutes and correspondence
to handle
For the present our dues are $2.00 per year, payable in
advance.
Meetings will be held on the second and fourth Wednesdays
of the month, except during June, July and August. The second meeting in June is
to be used as a "Pilgrimage" to some place of Masonic interest.
It is proposed to secure speakers on special topics from
time to time, and issue special invitations therefor.
One of the first benefits to be secured is a standard
course of instruction for candidates, and an established school of instruction
for the officers, in floorwork as well as the lectures. The floorwork to be
exemplified in the Lodge room.
We shall be pleased to be put in touch with other clubs
through the "clearing house" you have established, and to receive suggestions at
any time.
The Keystone Kraftsmen Klub will thoroughly enjoy the
articles published in "The Builder," and Keystone Lodge will receive as much
benefit from this club as it will agree to hear.
With best wishes for success in your great work, T. George
Middleton, P. M., Chairman Programme Committee.
This excellent plan should fully fill that long-felt want
of which I am hearing so much. A skilfully planned administration it is, hinging
as it should upon close contact with Lodge authority and making excellent
progress. An ideal arrangement truly from many points of view and cannot but be
richly successful. Say, Brother Middleton, when you arrange that "Pilgrimage" in
June, please do not fail to let me know of it. If within easy reach of the
possibilities I shall gladly join you. And in the meantime kindly continue to
keep me in touch with your doings.
NEW WORK FOR THE FELLOWCRAFTS
I was a little surprised to see a portion of my letter some
time since printed in THE BUILDER of November. Your offer to help start me off
is timely and good.
There is connected with Adelphi Lodge an organization
called the Fellow-craft Club whose primary aim is to keep the Brothers in line
so that we may have a full, well-drilled floor team. It appealed to me that I
could put the proposition of a Study Club up to the F. C. club and if they took
it up it would help me in getting the study idea going in New Haven.
I met with them last evening and the idea was taken up more
enthusiastically than I dared hope. I told them briefly what I hoped to do and
asked them to think it over until next meeting one month hence--my idea being
that I would rather drop the whole thing than have to be and make all the
enthusiasm myself. They voted to subscribe for THE BUILDER and next month I am
to address them on the modest subject of "Masonic Law" and at that time present
a modus operandi.
This is where you come in. I have my organization place and
time of meeting. Our idea is to use perhaps an hour of the club's meeting time
in this way. I should like some advice as to program and methods of conduct. For
the good of the Craft in general and Adelphi Lodge in particular I want to make
a success of it. Our club has 72 members on the list and there was an attendance
of 13 besides myself last evening and this was normal for no one but the
secretary-treasurer knew what I was about to propose.
I apologize for writing so long a letter but I wished to
show my proposition from all sides thinking also that it might help some other
Brother to know of the F. C. Club and perhaps organize one which would combine
study with actual Lodge service as ours will if we succeed.
Julius H. McCollum, Sec'y Adelphi Lodge No. 63, New Haven,
Conn.
Suppose you try out the Keystone Kraftsmen Klub as
explained by Brother Middleton in this issue. When you run out of papers
prepared by any of your members, try one of mine. In every issue of THE BUILDER
I aim to publish a paper on some question of interest to my Brother Masons. If I
don't happen to take such lines of study as in your judgment may seem most
desirable, kindly let me know. But your situation is so closely akin to that of
Brother Middleton's that I wish you would put into practice as far as possible
and let us know the results. too, have something to do with a Masonic Club,
being President of a Masonic Temple Association of considerable size. To many of
us your experience will be of the greatest interest and consequence.
LODGE IS A SCHOOL
In late issue of THE BUILDER many writers are stressing the
importance of making the Lodge a Study Club. Really if we had taken second
thought, that is what a Lodge is, and always has been, a place where "Masons
meet," where the "Worshipful Master gives good and wholesome instruction," etc.
It is a hopeless task to try to get up anything new in Masonry. All that is best
for man physically and spiritually, and the sanest, simplest way of doing it,
has been culled from the wisdom of ages, so that all that remains for him to do
is to put in practice the beautiful system, to the end that life on earth may be
sane, normal, easy to live and full of intense enjoyment. By all means revive
the ancient practice and make the Lodge a study club. A. K. Bradley, Tioga,
Texas.
True enough ! A Lodge is the place for work and for study.
Just as a diamond reflects all rays of light with added glory in color and in
brilliance so has the Lodge, to the seeing eye, to the informed intellect, to
the awakened mind, a message of grouped facts and instruction borrowed from the
near and the remote past. Converging in that geometrical crystal of history that
we call the Lodge, our priceless heritage should there be turned into glowing
radiance of service, a truly perfect reflection in new uses of old tenets, the
ancient made modern. You do well to remind us that the Lodge is a School. Would
that our hearts are ever open to its teaching.
PUTTING IT UP TO GEORGE
We had a meeting for the starting of a Study Club on
Wednesday last, in the Scottish Rite Club Rooms of our Temple. There were but
five men present--discouragement enough for any five men. However, we have come
back like Antaios, doubly determined that by our own endeavors and your
assistance we shall receive further light in Masonry.
Accordingly we have set a second meeting for Thursday
November 23, at the same place and for the same purpose. We have set it far
enough into the future that we can have opportunity to communicate with all
Brethren possible. Fraternal Lodge No. 37 has nobly come to our assistance and
instructed its Secretary to send a postal card notice of this meeting to all its
members. Our own lodge, Trinity No. 208, has a notice of it published in its
monthly Bulletin. We further intend to have it noticed on all bulletin boards,
and in the City papers.
We are especially interested in the closing paragraph of
your letter in which you offer your valued assistance in preparing by-laws and
organizing. Will you kindly send me what you have on this so that I can present
a plan of organization at the meeting ? Albert Block, 310 City Hall, Davenport,
Iowa.
In response to your letter | 
