September
Ill. Don L. Helberg Appointed Deputy In New Mexico
Roy Clark Invested With K.C.C.H. In Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sharing Masonic And Medical Ideals With Romania
New Scottish Rite JROTC Program Gains Popularity
Revised Ritual Performed
Texas Brother Honored By City Of Jerusalem
The Royal Dynasty Of Magic And Freemasonry
Miami S. R. Center Declared "Exemplary Historic
Landmark"
World’s Largest Masonic Emblem
Massing Of The Colors At Louisville, Kentucky
Ill. Don L. Helberg Appointed Deputy In New Mexico
Effective July 1, 1998, Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, appointed Ill. Don L. Helberg, 33°, Deputy of The Supreme Council in the Orient of New Mexico, succeeding Ill. Monroe K. Alexander, 33°, who retired on June 30, 1998, after over 21 years of service to The Supreme Council, nine as Deputy and nearly 13 as S.G.I.G. in New Mexico.
Ill. Helberg became a commissioned officer of the New Mexico State Police on December 1, 1970, and has served the citizenry of New Mexico as a patrol officer in the communities of Roswell and Tatum. In 1973, at the request of Captain Monroe K. Alexander, the Chief of the State Police selected Officer Helberg to understudy Captain Alexander as Commander of the (then) Bureau of Criminal Identification in State Police Headquarters in Santa Fe, where he rose through the ranks to the position of Bureau Chief, Communications Management Bureau and Deputy Director of the Technical and Emergency Support Division with the rank of Major. He has served as a Fingerprint Expert, State Police Instructor, State Pistol Team Member, and Equal Employment Officer of the New Mexico State Police. He retired on December 31, 1994, at the rank of Major, after more than 24 years of service.
Ill. Helberg was raised a Master Mason in Montezuma Lodge No. 1, Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1974, serving as Master in 1978. He was District Deputy Grand Master, Second District, of the Grand Lodge of New Mexico, 1981–82, and is a member of Ballut Abyad Shrine Temple, Albuquerque. A member of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Santa Fe since May 8, 1974, Ill. Helberg has been active in numerous Degrees, the Masonic play "The Traitor," and as director of the 9th Degree. He was Venerable Master, Santa Fe Lodge of Perfection, in 1981; Wise Master, Santa Fe Chapter Rose Croix, 1986; and Master of Kadosh, Santa Fe Consistory, 1987. He was appointed an Assistant Personal Representative for the Valley of Santa Fe on May 24, 1995, and as Orient Personal Representative on October 15, 1997. Often cited for his enthusiastic and faithful service to Freemasonry, Ill. Helberg is sure to continue his outstanding Masonic record as Deputy of The Supreme Council, 33°, in the Orient of New Mexico.
Roy Clark Invested With K.C.C.H. In Tulsa, Oklahoma
On March 25, 1998,
Bro. Roy Linwood Clark, world-famous Country and Western entertainer, was
invested with the rank and decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honour
in a special ceremony held in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Scottish Rite Temple.
He spoke warmly of his pleasure at receiving this high honor and paused after
the investiture to visit personally with all the Brethren present. Also,
he was conducted though Tulsa’s Childhood Language Disorders Clinic
where he was very impressed with the facility and the work performed by
Tulsa’s speech-language pathologists.
Bro. Clark was raised a Master Mason in Jenks Lodge No. 497, Jenks, Oklahoma, on December 9, 1987, became a Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Tulsa on July 16, 1988. He was elected a K.C.C.H. at large on October 6, 1997, during the Biennial Session. This honor recognizes his many services as an ambassador for Masonic causes and charitable programs. A York Rite Mason, Shriner, and member of the Royal Order of Jesters, Bro. Clark is a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but hosts his own very successful theater in Branson, Missouri.
Sharing Masonic And Medical Ideals With Romania
Cezar Mihai Popescu, M.D., has the heart and soul of a healer. An international visiting doctor this year at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC), Dr. Popescu came from Romania to learn how the hospital’s vision, based on the humanitarian principles of the Masonry, could be taken back to Bucharest to heal his own people.
Dr. Popescu, a 32° Mason (Orient of American Military Scottish Rite Bodies, NATO Bases, S.J., U.S.A.) visited TSRHC during March to study the hospital in order to duplicate the principles of the hospital in his country. "This hospital is unique in all the world," Dr. Popescu said. "In Romania, there is no such hospital. I think it’s a good example of charity and volunteer work."
Dr. Popescu is proposing to set up medical centers in Romania similar to TSRHC. He plans to duplicate the hospital’s management and support structure through charity and volunteer services, and to concentrate on treating adults with a wide range of illnesses. "In Romania, there are very few social centers, and they’re mostly directed to supplying food and clothing, not medical services," Dr. Popescu said. "The initial concept is to have ambulatory clinics in at least six major Romanian cities that will provide services free of charge. The clinics will be staffed by volunteer health professionals. The first patients to benefit from these clinics will be elderly Masons and their families. Then they will care for the very poor, most of whom suffered during communist oppression, as well as widows and children of whose who died in communist camps."
Dr. Popescu rotated through a different department at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children every two days. He studied TSRHC functions, including its mission and principles, financial support, the management of inpatients and outpatients, and how research impacts the work of the hospital. "There is keen interest in this type of social project in Romania," he said. "The need is very high."
Not only does
Dr. Popescu heal the bodies of his fellow countrymen, he also works to heal
their souls. "After December 1989, things changed dramatically in Romania,
both politically and economically. Every Romanian asked himself how he could
contribute to improving society as quickly as possible—not only for
himself and for his family, but for the entire society."
Dr. Popescu’s contribution was to help found a cultural society, now called the New Youth Foundation for Universal Culture. He directs the production of the group’s review, titled Logos, which includes articles about culture, religion, law, poetry, history, and interviews relevant to these subjects. Logos is now considered the most important cultural review in Romania, according to both Dr. Popescu, and the review’s editor, Constantin Toiu, one of Romania’s greatest living writers.
"I think you cannot be a good doctor if you are not a person of culture," Dr. Popescu said. "You must have contact with culture to be a complete person."
New Scottish Rite JROTC Program Gains Popularity
Since November 5, 1997, when The Supreme Council established a new youth program to honor students enrolled in Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) for their scholastic excellence and demonstrated ideals of Americanism, 798 requests (as of June 22) have been received and processed.
Each award consists of a certificate and a medal as well as a ribbon to be worn on the JROTC uniform. Often the Cadets, who are selected by local JROTC units, receive the awards at a Scottish Rite function, or a Scottish Rite Brother attends a ROTC event to confer the award. In either case, our Order is given high positive profile for its recognition of youth, service, and patriotism. It is a win/win situation for all.
Requests for the Scottish Rite award, available only in the Southern Jurisdiction, should be channeled through the Scottish Rite Valley nearest the locale of the Cadet recommended for this honor. If the location of the nearest Valley is not known, information is available from The Supreme Council headquarters. Either call 202–232–3579, or fax your request to 202–387–1843, or write to: The Supreme Council, 33°, 1733 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009–3103.
| On May 7, 1998, at the Elks Lodge No. 2227 of Westminster, Colorado, on the occasion of the Annual Air Force Junior ROTC Awards Banquet, Brother Bruce E. Gros, 32°, Valley of Denver, presented the Scottish Rite, S.J., JROTC Education and Americanism Award to Cadet Kristin M. Liekhus, age 15, of Westminster. |  |
On June 20, 1998, as part of their spring Reunion, the Scottish Rite Bodies of Richmond, Virginia, performed the 18° of the new revised Pike ritual. The new 18° took one hour and ten minutes to perform at the Richmond Scottish Rite Center, and it received a very positive critique by both the Reunion’s candidates and by seasoned Brethren, many of them expert ritualists.
Ill. David Kruger, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Virginia and Grand Secretary General of The Supreme Council, had established some guidelines which, given the success of the Degree, appear to have been very beneficial: (1) no Brother who had previously performed in the same Degree could be a member of the new Degree (2) younger members and members who had never been in a Degree were selected for the new Degree. Both guidelines were carefully followed, and the result was a letter-perfect, crisply performed, and very effective Degree.
Once all the Mandatory Degrees have had trial runs in selected Valleys, as approved by the Ritual and Ceremonial Forms Committee, the draft Degrees will be reviewed and, as necessary, revised. Then final proposed copies will be submitted to The Supreme Council for official acceptance or additional revision.
Texas Brother Honored By City Of Jerusalem
Bro. Gershon
Canaan, 32°, K.C.C.H., Valley of Dallas, Texas, was recently honored
to receive the Jerusalem City Medal. In a letter of March 19, 1998, accompanying
the medal, Ehud Olmert, Mayor of Jerusalem, wrote to Brother Canaan saying:
"As we approach the 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel, it gives
me great pleasure to recognize your lifelong activities for the State of
Israel in general, and the City of Jerusalem in particular. The birth of
the state of Israel is a result of our strong collective memory. The State
of Israel came into being because of efforts of people such as yourself,
who have stood at the helm of leadership, and in the battlefields of the
pre-state years. On the eve of our 50th Anniversary celebration and on behalf
of the citizens of Jerusalem, I am pleased to award you the Jerusalem City
Medal in recognition of your past achievements. I am sure you will continue
to do your utmost for our city, the heart of the Jewish people and Israel’s
eternal capital."
The Royal Dynasty Of Magic And Freemasonry
Responding to the article by Ill. S. Brent Morris, 33°, titled "Howard Thurston, Master Mason and Magician," a 32° Brother of the Oakland, California, Scottish Rite Bodies, Bro. Merill Lee Grabeel (stage name Lee Grabel) wrote to the Scottish Rite Journal regarding "The Royal Dynasty of Magic." Bro. Harry Kellar, America’s premier magician from 1887 to 1908, selected Bro. Howard Thurston as his successor. Before his death in 1935, Bro. Thurston selected Dante as his successor. In turn, Bro. Dante (Harry Jansen) selected Lee Grabel who, similarly, selected Lance Burton in 1954 to continue "The Royal Dynasty of Magic." Although, Burton is not a Mason, he is donating the profit from a retail magic store next to the Lance Burton Theatre in the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Thus the honored traditions of Masonry and of classical Master Magicians continues into the 21st Century.
Miami S. R. Center Declared "Exemplary Historic Landmark"
The Miami Scottish Rite Masonic Center earned recognition as an "exemplary historic landmark" when the Dade Heritage Trust held its annual meeting and preservation awards ceremony. The May 21, 1998, event was well attended at the downtown Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, a historic theater that was also honored.
Exemplary historic landmarks awards are a new program whose first recipients included such facilities as the Cape Florida Lighthouse, Villa Vizcaya, and Hialeah Park and Race Course. All ten winners were cited for retaining and preserving their original architectural fidelity. The Scottish Rite, along with nine other organizations, was presented with an ornate ceramic plaque, received at the ceremony by Ill. Dale I. Goehrig, 33°, of the Miami Center’s Executive Board. Following the presentation, Ill. Goehrig and Ill. Irwin Kirby, 33°, Chairman of Public Relations and Publicity, Valley of Miami, attended a reception sponsored by Union Planters Bank in the beautifully restored second-floor lobby of the Alfred I. DuPont Building. The Dade Heritage Trust continues its efforts to revitalize the riverfront Lummus Park and has held organizational meetings in the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, which towers on the northern rim of the park. The award noting the Miami Center’s induction into the "Preservation Hall of Fame" is prominently displayed in the lobby of the Miami Scottish Rite Masonic Center.
World’s Largest Masonic Emblem
Approximately 60 feet wide by 70 feet long, the emblem will rest at a 33° angle on an earthen berm located between the twin curved sidewalks that extend down from the terrace of the Memorial to Callahan Drive and King Street. It will be constructed of reinforced concrete, colored and textured to resemble the New Hampshire pink Conway granite of the Memorial building. A dedication plaque will be mounted at the base of the emblem and will include a list of those who have contributed significantly toward its construction.
There will be a clear view of the emblem from the main street of Alexandria which extends from the Potomac River to the Memorial. From the air, the emblem will be visible to travelers from the many airplanes flying in and out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Please send any inquiries or contributions to: The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, VA 22301.
Massing Of The Colors At Louisville, Kentucky
On May 30,
1998, a massing of the colors was co-sponsored by the Scottish Rite Valley
of Louisville and Jefferson County (Kentucky) Government. May 30 was the
date of the original Memorial Day observance before the U.S. Congress changed
the legal holiday to the last Monday of the month. Thirty-seven color guards,
including units from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, with the M.W. Ronnie G.
Bell, Grand Master, participating; the Louisville Scottish Rite; the York
Rite; and the Order of DeMolay were present to honor those who have died
in the service of our country.
The massing of the colors is a patriotic ceremony which dates to the World War I era. The Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) has, for many decades, assumed responsibility for presenting it. The Louisville Chapter of MOWW is led by Major General USAF (Ret.) and Bro . Carl D. Black who organized this event. Brother Black is a K.C.C.H. in the Valley of Louisville. A special feature of this observance was the presenting of a Memorial Perpetual Membership in the Military Order of the World Wars to the widow of Navy Lt. Com. John J. Magda, the leader of the Navy aerial acrobatic team the Blue Angels who perished in combat during the Korean conflict. Lt. Com. Magda is buried in Louisville’s Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
The ceremony began with a fly-over by F-16s from the South Carolina Air National Guard. Music was provided by the brass band of Kosair Shrine Temple and the 113th U.S. Army Band, stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The Valley of Louisville’s participation was directed by its American Heritage Committee, chaired by Ill. C. Brown Allen, 33°, and Ill. John E. Moyers, P.G.M. , 33°, S.G.I.G. in Kentucky took an active role in the ceremony. Ill. Moyers summed up the significance of the event in these words: "Although we can never repay those who died that we might have freedom, we can honor their memories and draw inspiration from their sacrifice."