Scottish Rite Assists Rosslyn Chapel Restoration
Started in 1446 Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam-For the Greater Glory of God-by William St. Clair (Sinclair), the Earl of Orkney and Grand Master of Scotland, Rosslyn Chapel (pictured right) is one of the most intriguing Masonic sites in Scotland. Among its highly ornamented columns is the “Apprentice Pillar” which is often given a Craft significance, and some historians attribute a Knight Templar tradition to the Chapel. The Scottish Rite Journal (Jan. & Sep. 1995) featured articles about Rosslyn Chapel, and while in Scotland, many Freemasons have made pilgrimages to the building to view its cryptic mixture of imagery from the Bible and, apparently, Freemasonry.

Ill. Joseph O. Martin Jr., 33, S.G.I.G. in Tennessee, and Bro. Robert E. Baulch Jr., 32, Nashville Scottish Rite Bodies, and their wives, for example, visited the Chapel while on a trip to Edinburgh. When Inspector Martin recently noticed a newspaper article about the restoration of the building, he made special note of it to Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33, and suggested the Scottish Rite participate in supporting this good work. Earlier repairs of the Chapel’s roof left stifling layers of lead and asphalt. These have trapped water in the building’s porus sandstone and hastened its deterioration. Now, at a cost of $330,000, a huge canopy, secured to a steel scaffolding held by eight-ton concrete pegs, is being erected to allow proper repairs. This long-term program will include the installation of monitors to assist the roof’s drying process in a controlled manner as well as the refurbishing of the Chapel’s visitors center. The Supreme Council, 33, is pleased to support this important project and notes that the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, USA, is also contributing financially to the Chapel’s restoration. Brethren who also wish to contribute may send donations to the Chapel’s director: Stuart W. Beattie, Rosslyn Chapel Trust, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PU, Scotland.

Masonic Library And Museum Association To Meet In San Francisco
The Masonic Library & Museum Association will hold its Annual Meeting in San Francisco on Friday and Saturday, October 24-25, 1997. The meeting is being hosted by the Center for Masonic Studies at the Grand Lodge of California. All individuals interested in the stewardship of Masonic books and artifacts are welcome to attend.

The Masonic Library & Museum Association is an international organization of librarians, archivists, curators, and directors affiliated with Masonic institutions. The mission of the association is to assist and support, through education, facilitation of communication, coordination of effort and other means, those individuals charged with the collection, management, and preservation of the Masonic heritage.

The 1998 meeting has been planned tentatively for Dallas, Texas, in the first week in October. Meetings previously have been hosted by the Grand Lodge of Iowa, The Grand Lodge of New York, The Supreme Council, 33, N.M.J., The Supreme Council, 33, S.J., and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

For more information, or to join the association, please contact Paul M. Bessel, 32, the Secretary of the Association, at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22301. E-mail: paulb@cpcug.org

100 Points Of Light Celebrate Brother’s Birthday
Suddenly on March 25, 1997, there appeared in the entrance of the meeting room of the Grace Lutheran Church a golden light that filled the room with warmth and magnificence. No, it was not the Hale-Bopp comet, but rather 100 candles announcing the birthday of Bro. Fred Edward Wagner, a 40-year member of Riverside Lodge No. 112 and the Scottish Rite Bodies of Wenatchee, Washington. The centenarian honoree, accompanied by his wife Margaret, sat hale and hearty at the head table as he greeted all the celebrants with a firm handshake and bright smile. Debra Holterhoff, Director of Respite Care, organized the reception with the help of many of Bro. Wagner’s Masonic Brethren. Pictured left at the celebration are (l. to r.): Dr. Frank F. Allen, 32, Past Venerable Master, Wenatchee Scottish Rite, and current Master of Riverside Lodge No. 112; Bro. Fred E. Wagner, 32; and Bro. Steven L. Guffy, 32.

A Capital Idea!
Interested in Freemasonry and computers? The two come together in the first international conference of those active on Masonically oriented lists on the Internet. First titled “Listfest ’97,” the conference is now called “Freemasonry, A Capital Idea” and will be held July 24-27 in Washington, DC. The conference is open to any interested person. Various Masonic programs, panels, tours of our nation’s capital, and other special features relevant to Freemasonry are being planned.

Specific details are as yet incomplete regarding hotel location, conference cost, and the meeting’s program of events. If interested, please keep these dates open on your travel calendar. For the latest on the conference, keep apprized of developments by contacting Brother Art Hebbeler, General Chair of the Conference (e-mail address: hebbeler@erols.com) or Illustrious Gurnee Bridgman, 33 (gurnee@Vax1.bemidji.msus.edu).

See you there!

By The Grace Of God
It is a beautiful spring day in Kentucky, and as I write this letter, I am sitting on my patio behind my home. I am the Secretary of my Lodge (Harry R. Kendall, No. 750, Louisville, Kentucky), and my Lodge members refer to this place as my “office.”

Illustrious Brother John E. Moyers, S.G.I.G. in Kentucky, has just left, having delivered to me a check to give to our Lodge Master, a member of the Louisville Consistory, who a month ago lost everything he and his family possessed-home, furniture, clothing, automobile, and his business which he operated from his home-due to a record rainfall in a 24-hour period and resulting flash flooding in our area. By the grace of God, his family was uninjured.

This check came from money sent by The Supreme Council, 33, to Kentucky for flood relief. I have always been proud to be a Mason and a Scottish Rite Mason. Our Rite’s Childhood Language Disorders Program is very rewarding as is our doctorate program for adults wanting to further their learning and, eventually, to raise the level of our children’s education in Kentucky. But to be able to present this check next Tuesday at our Lodge’s Stated Meeting will be a special time for me. In conferring Degree work, we talk of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. As Lodge members, we are helping our Master to the best of our ability, and this most gracious act by The Supreme Council will greatly help our cause. Thank you very much!

Brother Herb Edwards, 32, K.C.C.H.
Valley of Louisville, Kentucky

Good Job!
Ill. Dennis E. Provencher, 33, Deputy of The Supreme Council, 33, in Okinawa and Guam, recently donated his 24th gallon of blood. That’s 192 pints! Ill. Provencher, who donates every 56 days, says, “I’d give more, but the American Blood Association won’t let me. It seems many people are afraid to donate blood. They think they may get HIV infection. Of course, that’s impossible.” Deputy Provencher began donating blood in 1951, and with the exception of a few times when he went on remote tours, he has never missed an appointment. “It’s something you can do,” he says, “that doesn’t hurt you, and it helps people.” Congratulations, Deputy Provencher, on this fine example of personal Masonic service to others!

Knoxville Brethren Award Music Scholarship
Recognizing the value of education, the Knoxville Scottish Rite Bodies have, since 1966, sponsored scholarships for persons from East Tennessee to obtain their college degree. The current level is twenty $1000 awards, including one in music at Milligan College.

This church-related school in the Appalachian region has a very good choral group, which, since 1971, has furnished the music associated with the Annual Awards Day Ceremonies at the Temple.

Shown on the left is Dr. John Campbell, Director of the Choir, receiving a check for $1,000 to be awarded to a deserving Milligan College student. Presenting the award (right) is Dr. Anthony Hussey, 32, a member of the Knoxville Valley Scholarship Committee.

IN MEMORIAM
Illustrious Allen E. Roberts, 33, 1917-1997
On March 13, 1997, Illustrious Allen E. Roberts, 33, passed away in Richmond, Virginia, in the presence of his family and beloved wife Dorothy (Dottie). Described by Illustrious John J. Robinson, 33, as “the most prolific author, perhaps in all of Masonic history,” Illustrious Roberts wrote, among other books, House Undivided: The Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War, Key to Free- masonry’s Growth, The Craft and Its Symbols, G. Washington: Master Mason, Brother Truman, Freemasonry in American History, The Search for Leadership, Seekers of Truth, The Mystic Tie, Masonic Trivia (and Facts), and House Reunited.

In addition, he produced many films promoting Masonic leadership, was a long-time leader of the Philalethes Society, encouraged the establish- ment of one of the earliest Masonic computer bulletin boards (the Computer Cornerstone Chapter), and founded the Masonic Leadership Center now housed in The George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

All this activity was complemented by an active Masonic career in Babcock Lodge, No. 322, Highland Springs, Virginia, where he was raised in 1948 and served as Master in 1955. Made a Master of the Royal Secret in the Valley of Richmond, Virginia, in 1963, Brother Roberts also affiliated with the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite where he received the Degree of Inspector General Honorary in 1995.

In addition, he had dynamic leadership roles in such fraternal groups as Virginia Research Lodge No. 1777, the Allied Masonic Degrees, Philalethes Society, and Virginia Craftsmen, a Blue Lodge Degree team that wore Confederate uniforms. In all these positions, his talent as a public speaker made him one of Freemasonry’s most sought-after lecturers.

Brother Wallace McLeod, in an eloquent memorial article, correctly declares “Allen was consistently in the forefront in urging that Freemasonry should, without giving up any of its traditional landmarks, move with the times.” Illustrious Allen E. Roberts’ time in Freemasonry is now over, but his presence will be felt and appreciated forever.

Doubling Up In Arizona
For the second time in the Masonic history of the Grand Canyon State, two members, both Past Masters of the same Lodge, Temple Lodge No. 51 of Oracle, Arizona, are currently serving as Grand Master and Potentate for 1997. By chance, both attended a January 2, 1997, Stated Meeting of Temple Lodge, and Bro. J. Steve Balogh, Temple Lodge’s current Master, captured the moment in the photo to left. Pictured (l. to r.) are: M.W. C. A. (Al) Metcalf, 32, Grand Master of Masons in Arizona; Bro. George E. Steiner, 32, K.C. C.H., Potentate of Sabbar Shrine Temple in Tucson; and W.M. J. Steve Balogh. The Brethren of Temple Lodge are extremely proud of these Brethren for benefiting our Masonic Family by continuing their careers in the Craft and reaching these leadership positions.

Appeal For Aid Of Red River Flood Victims
Following closely on the heels of the destructive tornadoes and floods in the eastern part of the country, a new disaster has occurred in the Upper Midwest where Red River floods in Minnesota and North Dakota and multiple fires in Grand Forks, North Dakota, are displacing thousands of victims.

A report from Ill. John H. Ramlo, 33, S.G.I.G. in North Dakota, indicates extensive flooding in the kitchen, dining hall, and caretaker’s quarters of the Grand Forks Masonic Temple, a large three-story stone edifice containing Blue Lodge rooms, Kem Temple (Shrine) offices, and Scottish Rite facilities. Thankfully, the building sustained no fire damage.

To assist these victims, kindly send donations from Almoner’s funds, Valley funds, and/or personal funds to the SCOTTISH RITE FOUNDATION, S.J., U.S.A., INC., 1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103. All donations will be forwarded, on a proportional basis, to the Active Members in Minnesota and North Dakota where the need is greatest.

A donation of any size would help. With the trustees’ approval, The Supreme Council will forward $5,000 for this purpose from the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc.

A Mason Of Many Words
Bro. Robert W. Shields, 32, Yankton, South Dakota, writes, and writes, and writes. For 25 years, he has kept a daily journal, writing down notes almost constantly and spending about four hours a day transcribing them into a diary that now has over 38 million words-more than six Bibles! At age 78, this Brother has enjoyed several careers. They include minister, teacher, editor, ghost writer, novelist, and poet. A Past Master of Lodge No. 26, Dayton, Washington, he points out that his grandfather, a Chief Justice in Indiana, was also a Mason.

Since 1972, Bro. Shields has filled 81 cardboard boxes with typescript from four typewriters scattered throughout his home some 120 miles south of Spokane, Washington. Each box is labeled and indexed. In the 1980s, Bro. Shields donated $100,000 to Washington State University in exchange for the school’s promise to store his diary after his passing. Bro. Shields admits his writing is obsessive. Yet what must be the world’s longest diary has to have some use to future historians and is, perhaps, as legitimate a bid for earthly immortality as any. Several newspapers, including a 1994 article in the National Enquirer, have profiled Bro. Shields, and, minimally, one has to agree with his personal assessment of the matter: “I’m doing something that no one else has ever done in the history of the world.”

At the March 4, 1997, meeting of Mithras Lodge of Perfection in the Valley of Washington, DC, Ill. John Greenwood (center) was one of four District of Columbia Scottish Rite Masons who received honorary plaques from the Grand Lodge of Israel in recognition of their support of that Grand Lodge’s Charity Fund. Also receiving plaques were Ill. Bros. Jerold J. Samet, 33, Personal Representative of the S.G.I.G. in Washington, DC, (left) and Hugh Y. Bernard, 33 (right). Because of illness, Ill. Bernard E. Shultz, 32, K.C.C.H., could not be present to receive his plaque.

He is also Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of the state of Israel near that of the District of Columbia and was named a Special Representative of Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33, on the occasion of the recent installation of Ill. Leon Zeldis, 33, as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Israel Supreme Council.

In 1996 the Grand Lodge of Israel appealed for financial support for its Charity Fund from its own constituent Lodges and particularly members of the Lodge of the Holy Land No. 50, composed mainly of Brethren of Lodges outside Israel. Brethren responding were recognized by the issuance of a plaque, especially commissioned for this purpose, commemorating the Jerusalem anniversary and embodying a silver bas-relief sculpture, the work of the distinguished sculptor Marc Chagall. The plaques include also an appropriate quotation from the prophet Isaiah and the Seal of the Israeli Grand Lodge which embodies the sacred symbols of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths, all of which are harmoniously represented in the membership of Israeli-chartered Lodges.

History For Lunch
When it comes to Masonry, Ill. Robert Gordon Hibbs, 33, is not backward in coming forward. As the Historian of Iowa City Lodge No. 4 and an active member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Davenport, Iowa, he has versed himself regarding Masonic history in the “Hawkeye State.” Furthermore, he is sharing that know- ledge with the general public as a guest speaker in the spring 1997 “History for Lunch” series co-sponsored by the Johnson County Historical Society, the Iowa City Public Library, and the Heritage Museum of the Public Library in Coralville, Iowa.

On March 6, 1997, for instance, Coralville’s local newspaper, The Advertiser, noted the theme of Ill. Hibbs’ presentation as follows: “Iowa’s identity is interwoven with the mission of Masonry throughout our state’s 151-year history. Find out more about the fascinating fraternal order of Masons and the role Masons played in settling and governing Iowa.” After the free program, a question-and-answer period revealed there is plenty of interest in Masonry, if we tell the public our story.

“Family Lodge” Begins Work
On March 18, 1997, M.W. George Jurgich, 32, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Washington, issued a dispensation to Frank S. Land Lodge, U. D., to begin work. It was conceived by several Senior DeMolays who are now active Freemasons. They were concerned that not enough of their peers were making the transition from DeMolay to Freemasonry, and they set about to do something about it. Frank S. Land Lodge is intended to be a magnet Lodge to attract young men with activities and programs for that age group. The Lodge’s bylaws call for quarterly all-member meetings with administrative stated meetings in the intervening months. Fellowship activities will be of prime importance, with a special focus on family-oriented events. Baby-sitting will be provided for dinner and theater outings, while attendance at Mariners, Sonics, and Seahawks games will be arranged around family schedules so moms and kids can participate.

The first candidates for Frank S. Land Lodge, U. D., a “Family Lodge” made up of former DeMolays, included Past State Master Councilor (S.M.C.) Doug Haughton and two formerly active DeMolays, Wayne Peterson and Jim Mendoza.

Pictured (l. to r.) are: Treasurer Chuck Kent; Secretary (Past S.M. C.) Dave Compton, 32; candidate (Past S. M.C.) Doug Haughton; Junior Warden (Past DeMolay Grand Master) Don Wright, 33; candidate Jim Mendoza; Senior Warden Drew Baker, 32; candidate Wayne Peterson; and Worshipful Master (past S.M.C. and Past Master of Fairweather Lodge No. 82) Jeff Brunson, 32, Brother Jeff is also 1st Lt. Commander of the Tacoma Council of Kadosh.