Rosslyn Chapel Print Presented To The Supreme Council
Supreme Council For Finland Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Program Manager Of The Year
Quatuor Coronati Lodge From England Visits Civil War Lodge Of Research No. 1865 In Alexandria, Virginia
Colonel George F. Harrington, 32°, K.C.C.H. Installed National President, National Sojourners, Incorporated
Carlson School Of Management Opens At University Of Minnesota
Scottish Rite Junior ROTC Awards Presented in Atlanta, Georgia
Summer Reunion At Frankfurt, Germany, Masonic Center
High-Tech Fire Helmets Presented By The California Scottish Rite
Southern Jurisdiction States On "Generosity Index"
Masonic Building To Be Restored As Community Cultural Center
Rainbow Scholarships Awarded In Lubbock, Texas
A Family Joins Our Search For A Scoliosis Cure

Clarification of Donor Recognition Program


Heredom Delayed
The distribution of Heredom, Vol. 6, the Transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society, has been delayed. The editor, Ill. S. Brent Morris, 33°, hopes it will be sent out before Thanksgiving.

Rosslyn Chapel Print Presented To The Supreme Council

On June 23, 1998, Bro. Roderick A. Morrison, Director of The Rosslyn Chapel (Scotland) Special Project Award , and the artist who created the watercolor "The Gloaming at Rosslyn Chapel," visited with Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, in the House of the Temple. There, he presented (photo right) a signed copy (#4) of this print to the Museum of The Supreme Council. The print is being distributed throughout the world as a fund-raiser in support of awards for a summer program for post-graduate students and Masonic researchers studying the history and esoteric designs of Rosslyn Chapel. (For more on Rosslyn Chapel, see Journal Jan. ’95, p. 8 and June ’97, p. 33). The Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, is pleased to feature this print (see outside back cover) as part of our Order’s cooperation with the Rosslyn Chapel Trust.

The Chapel was built in 1446 by Sir William St. Clair, the last Prince of Orkney and the first Hereditary Grand Master of Masonry in Scotland. Aside from having the famous "Apprentice’s Pillar," it is a celebration of Celtic and other decoration related by many to Masonic and Templar symbolism. The early Earls of Rosslyn and Grand Masters are buried un-usually, in their armor plate, in the vaults below the Chapel, the plan of which is styled on Herod’s Palace in Jerusalem. According to Bro. Morrison, Rosslyn in 1307 was the first permanent encampment of Knights Templar, and Rosslyn Chapel survived at the hands of General Monk, during the reformation of the Church, due to his being a Freemason.

The sale of the print was launched on April 2, 1998, when His Royal Highness Prince Charles received print #1 after his visit to Rosslyn Chapel where he opened the new visitors center. Print #2 was presented to The Right Honourable The Lord Burton of Dochfour, Grand Master of Scotland, at Aberdeen City Temple on April 4 1998. The original watercolor hangs in the offices of the Great Priory of Scotland near Edinburgh. Those wishing to purchase prints from the first edition of 1,000 prints (image size 20"x14", sheet size 29"x20"; $45.00 U.S., shipping and handling included, 4 to 6 weeks delivery) may contact Morrison Art Publishing, 42 Thomson Street, Aberdeen, Scotland AB25 4QP. Payment can be by check payable to Morrison Art Publishing. For additional information, email: rod@thirtythree.demon.co.uk or visit an illustrated Internet site at: www.thirtythree.demon. co.uk.


Supreme Council For Finland Celebrates 25th Anniversary

On June 12, 1998, the Supreme Council for Finland began the celebration of its 25th anniversary with a classical music concert in the Temppeliaukio Church. The church’s dome is covered with copper and glass, but the most unusual feature of the church is that it is carved from a huge glacial rock formation. Sovereign Grand Commander Reijo Ahtokari, 33°, greeted the distinguished guests and their ladies and then presented the musical artists as he announced their selections. Following the concert, the entire party of local leaders and foreign guests were treated to an evening dinner-cruise of the harbor of Helsinki. The official reception of visitors was conducted in a very personal manner. Beginning at 11:00 am on June 13th, the Sovereign Grand Commander ceremoniously received each visiting delegation in a private audience. This reception provided an opportunity for the Grand Commander and the visiting delegations to exchange official greetings and to present gifts. Ill. H. Lloyd Wilkerson, 33°, Past Lt. Gr. Cmdr. and S.G.I.G. in North Carolina, represented Sovereign Grand Commander Kleinknecht and delivered for him a personal gift to Grand Commander Ahtokari.
Ill. Reijo Ahtokari, 33°, Grand Commander, Supreme Council of Finland (left) greets Ill. H. Lloyd Wilkerson, 33°, S.G.I.G. in North Carolina, who represented Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Supreme Council of Finland in Helsinki, Finland, on June 12, 1998.

As he received them, Ill. Ahtokari presented to each visitor a special medal struck to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of that Supreme Council. Following this reception and a delicious luncheon with the ladies, Grand Commander Ahtokari convened the Twenty-fifth Anniversary 30° meeting of the Grand Chapter, which was attended by 250 Brethren in addition to the foreign guests, and conferred the 30° on a class of 49 candidates. Before he adjourned the meeting, Ill. Ahtokari presented Honorary Membership Certificates in that Supreme Council to Sovereign Grand Commander Marcus Humphrey of Dinnet, 33°, from Scotland, Sovereign Grand Commander Wim F.K.J.F. Frackers, 33°, of The Netherlands, and Grand Master Børge Clausen of Denmark. The highest medal of honor of the Rite for Finland, the Golden Eagle, was presented to Deputy Grand Master Lars Erik Bottiger of Sweden and to Provincial Grand Master Erkki Wanninen of Finland.

At the evening’s festive banquet attended by the Brethren and their ladies, the Sovereign Grand Commander for England and Wales, the Reverend Canon R. Tydeman, 33°, eloquently described the introduction of Scottish Freemasonry in Helsinki in 1960 by a party from England. The Sovereign Grand Commander for Scotland, Ill. J. M. Marcus Humphrey of Dinnet, 33°, spoke on behalf of those receiving honorary membership in the Supreme Council for Scotland.


Program Manager Of The Year

Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, family man that he is, now has yet another reason to be proud of his children. On July 13, 1998, one of his sons, Bro. Henry F. Kleinknecht, 32°, K.C.C.H., Valley of Washington, D.C., was named Program Manager of the Year by the Department of Defense (DoD) for his "superlative job" as an Inspector General. In this position, Brother Kleinknecht reviews government contracts with private industry to see that all provisions have been fulfilled and that quality services or products are delivered.

A DoD memo of July 13, 1998, states: "Henry Kleinknecht managed three intensely controversial audits on prices being paid by DoD for aviation spare parts. Henry organized and led a complex analytical effort that convincingly demonstrated serious flaws in DoD acquisition practices that wasted tens of millions of dollars. His professionalism and command of the facts greatly impressed officials of several government agencies and Members of Congress, and resulted in legislative and DoD procedural initiatives to improve DoD procurement practices."

Remember, its your money, and it is good to know Bro. Henry F. Kleinknecht is dedicated to making every penny count!


Quatuor Coronati Lodge From England Visits Civil War Lodge Of Research No. 1865 In Alexandria, Virginia

On Friday, July 10, 1998, the Officers and Full Members of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 (QC), the first and most prestigious research Lodge in the world, began their formal visit to America. It was the first time Quatuor Coronati members ever came as a group from England to America. They were responding to an invitation from Bro. Paul M. Bessel, 32°, Master of the Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865 (CWLR), chartered just three years ago with the late distinguished Masonic author, Ill. Allen E. Roberts, 33°, as its first Master.

Friday’s schedule included a two-hour tour of the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C., and a personally guided visit to the U.S. Capitol. At the House of the Temple, guides took small groups though the architectural masterpiece that houses the Mother Supreme Council, its Library, and several museums. The English Brethren were impressed with the assembled wealth of knowledge represented by these sources and concluded their visit with a delicious luncheon appropriately served in the International Room where Ill. S. Brent Morris, 33°, one of only two Full Members of Quatuor Coronati Lodge in North America, gave welcoming remarks.
Distinguished Brethren at the historic meeting of the Civil War Lodge of Research with visiting Quatuor Coronati officers and members in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 11, 1998, were (l. to r.) Bro. Paul M. Bessel, 32°, Master, Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865; Dr. John Greenwood, 33°, making a presentation to Bro. Mickey Ander, 32°, Past District Deputy Grand Master of Virginia Masonic District 54, and, looking on, Bro. Yasha Beresiner, Master, Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, English Constitution.

After the luncheon, Yasha Beresiner, Master of QC, expressed the thanks of all assembled for the marvelous hospitality. Then the Brethren, their ladies, and their American hosts were escorted to the United States Capitol where Bro. Bessel, an official U.S. Capitol Tour Guide, conducted a special tour that emphasized the many Masonic connections of the building.

On the following day, Saturday July 11, over 300 Brethren from QC, the CWLR, at least eight other research Lodges throughout the United States, and other Lodges in over 20 states assembled from 10:00 am to 4:00 am in the auditorium of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Alexandria, Virginia. That evening 169 Brethren and guests enjoyed a Festive Board in the Memorial’s large dining hall. During the morning meeting, some CWLR Brethren wore Civil War era uniforms complete with muskets, and the Lodge’s Master, Bro. Bessel, presented a research paper examining the Civil War from the viewpoint of Masonry’s moral lessons. What are the rights of the majority and the minority in Masonry, in our country, and during the Civil War era? Also, what does Masonry teach about dealing with immorality in society, issues such as slavery in the 1850s and racism and lack of brotherhood today? What lessons can we draw from studying the Civil War and Masonry to help us deal with the problems of race relations today and in the future?

During the afternoon meeting, QC Brethren explained, in a most interesting way and with demonstrations, their regalia and how they set up their Lodge rooms. QC Senior Warden, Aubrey Newman, spoke with a dry English professorial wit, and QC Secretary, John Ashby, explained exactly how the Lodge conducts its meetings. The highlight of the meeting, however, was the presentation by the Master of QC, Yasha Beresiner, of a brilliant research paper on Masonic ephemerae, items intended for short-term use. The following day, Sunday, the CWLR hosts took the QC Brethren to Mount Vernon where two guides who are Freemasons told the group about George Washington’s Masonic connections and where the British Brethren placed a wreath at the tomb of Washington.

A very warm fraternal spirit existed throughout the day and was especially evident during the toasts and responses at the Festive Board. There is already talk of QC inviting American Masons to visit England and thus continue this historic meeting’s fraternal spirit, Masonic education, and true brotherhood.


Colonel George F. Harrington, 32°, K.C.C.H., Installed National President, National Sojourners, Incorporated

Brother George F. Harrington, 32°, K.C.C.H., was installed as the National President of National Sojourners, Inc., during the 78th Annual Convention held in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, June 26, 1998.

A native of Killingly, Connecticut, Bro. Harrington, after attending the University of Connecticut, entered the United States Army, was assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program, and then was elected to attend the USMA at West Point in 1944, graduating in 1947. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Air Corps, which became the U.S. Air Force in September 1947.

He began his duties as a non-rated officer at Langley Air Base and served at many levels of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. He was assigned as Adjutant, Erding Air Base, Germany, during the Berlin Airlift and began a long association with personnel and associated responsibilities. Selected to attend Harvard University where he was awarded an MBA in 1957, he also attended Armed Forces Staff College in 1961 and was assigned to SHAPE, near Paris, France.

Upon return to the United States, he graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1967, and was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense until 1972. There he was awarded the Legion of Merit. He returned overseas to Wiesbaden, Germany, for one year as Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, and two years as Chief of Staff, United States Air Forces in Europe, for which he received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the highest non-combat award in the Air Force. He devoted his last two years of active duty as the Director for Security Assistance, J5, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired as a Colonel on August 1, 1977, having served nearly 34 years on active duty.

Col. Harrington began a second career with Beech Aircraft in 1978 and retired as Vice President in November 1985.

Brother Harrington was raised in Alexandria–Washington Lodge No. 22, Alexandria, Virginia, on August 4, 1980, and became a National Sojourner in January 1981. Other of his Masonic Affiliations include: Alexandria Valley Scottish Rite, Mount Vernon Royal Arch Masons No. 14; Virginia Council No. 12, Knight Masons; The Grand Council of Knight Masons; Washington & Lee York Rite College No. 93; Old Dominion Commandery No. 11, Knights Templar; Kena Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S.; Alexandria Court No. 162, Royal Order of Jesters; and Temple Forest No. 136, Tall Cedars of Lebanon.

Brother Harrington is also Past Master of Washington (Virginia) Lodge No. 78; a member of A. Douglas Smith, Jr. Lodge of Research No. 1949; the Scottish Rite Research Society; The Royal Order of Scotland; a life member of the Key Club Society, and the Philalethes Society. A holder of the Legion of Honor of the International Order of DeMolay, Colonel Harrington is also Vice Chairman of the Masonic Benefit Fund of Northern Virginia and Vice President of Collingwood Library and Museum on Americanism in Alexandria, Virginia.


Carlson School Of Management Opens At University Of Minnesota

After years of planning, the $45 million Carlson School of Management building opened for classes in January 1998 at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, campus. Ill. Curtis L. Carlson, 33°, Grand Cross, provided the greatest single contribution in money and public service to the University of Minnesota in 1986. The purpose of his $25 million gift was to help the university become one of the country’s top five public universities academically. Much of his gift was directed to the university’s School of Management.

Concurrent with this gift, Carlson also agreed to chair a three-year fund drive to raise $300 million to further ensure that the university reaches its goal of academic excellence. Under his leadership, the campaign reached an unprecedented $329 million, was accomplished in a little more than 2½ years, and exceeded $365 million at the end of three years.

In October 1986, the school was renamed the Curtis L. Carlson School of Management in honor of Ill. Bro. Carlson who graduated from the university in 1937. "It was there I was taught some of the most important lessons I would bring to my career," said Ill. Carlson, founder and chairman of the board of Carlson Companies, Inc. "My degree unlocked doors for me that might never have been opened without it. To say I owe an enormous debt to that institution may sound trite and sentimental, but I have said it often, and always from the bottom of my heart."

Ill. Carlson committed another personal gift of $10 million to the School of Management in 1993 to spark its drive to build the new, free-standing, state-of-the-art business school facility. The new building encompasses 243,000 square feet. It has a soaring central atrium with a 13-foot luminous sphere designed by artist Ed Carpenter to symbolize the Carlson School’s global connections. The facility has a 250-seat auditorium and a 180-seat lecture hall, 33 classrooms, 35 meeting rooms and five computer labs.

One of Ill. Carlson’s objectives for the Carlson School of Management is to make it a mecca for entrepreneurial studies. Led by Dean David Kidwell and the Board of Overseers, the school has pursued the goal of becoming a professional learning community. Strong leadership, extensive support from local businesses, friends and the community, and an entrepreneurial spirit have combined to create the Carlson School of Management, a shining new beacon at the University of Minnesota.


Scottish Rite Junior ROTC Awards Presented in Atlanta, Georgia

The Scottish Rite has a real success in the new Junior ROTC Education and Americanism Award. The Award is a winner because it recognizes young men and women who themselves are winners. Junior ROTC faculty and school administrators choose the recipients. These outstanding young people receive the award for academic achievement and for encouragement of Americanism through their active participation in extracurricular and community activities. They are tops in their Junior ROTC programs, their schools, and their communities.

The idea of such an award was suggested in late 1997. The Supreme Council readily accepted it and received the approval of the U.S. Department of Defense, the awards to become available for presentation for the first time in the 1998 school year. The Executive Committee of the Valley of Atlanta, Orient of Georgia, leaped at the opportunity to recognize educational excellence and leadership in our youth. Contacting Junior ROTC administrators through-out the north Georgia area, Ill. John B. Modling, 33°, Valley Secretary, offered the award to all schools willing to select an honoree from the Corps of ROTC cadets. Eighty-four schools accepted. Certificates, medals, and ribbons were ordered from The Supreme Council and sent to the various schools.
LTC Curtis L. Jones, Jr. (USA Ret), Senior Army Instructor, presented the Scottish Rite’s JROTC award to Cadet Staff Sgt. Blake D. Locke, at a May 21, 1998, Awards Night ceremony at Griffin High School, Griffin, Georgia. Cadet Locke received one of 84 JROTC medals, ribbons, and certificates awarded by the Valley of Atlanta, Georgia, this year. In a letter to Ill. John B. Modling, Secretary, Valley of Atlanta, LTC Jones expressed the gratitude of all participating in the Scottish Rite program: "Thank you for your support of this program. My conversations with cadets revealed this event to be THE event of the year in their view. And I know I could not have made it so without your support." Note: requests for the 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 national headquarters. Either call 202–232–3579, or fax your request to 202–387–1843, or write to: The Supreme Council, 33°, 1733 Sixteenth St., NW, Washington, DC 20009–3103.

Scottish Rite Associations throughout the Valley of Atlanta got an opportunity to visit the schools and present the awards. In several cases, two or three Scottish Rite Masons were present to accept the salute of these excellent cadets and to present them their beautifully designed medals suspended from classic purple ribbons. Each school inscribed its certificate in a manner suitable for framing and display. Michael Lee Wells stepped front and center to receive his Naval Junior ROTC award at McEachern High School with a military bearing that would be the envy of the Naval Academy. The reasons for his selection were obvious. They were further confirmed when, later in the award ceremonies, he was appointed Regimental Commander.

Awards for the Air Force Junior ROTC at Wheeler High School were low key. Joshua Carvalho got good-natured ribbing from the ROTC instructors as he received his medal from two members of the Valley of Atlanta. North Atlanta High School held a parade for its Army Junior ROTC awards ceremony. Presenters, as well as other visiting dignitaries, took the reviewing stand and received the salutes of the Corps of Cadets. The Scottish Rite medal and certificate were presented to Cadet Nery Rocco who was also recognized as the outstanding Company Commander for the year.

Cadet Ronald Mendez received his medal from three Scottish Rite Masons following an awards dinner at Lassiter High School. Ceremonies were held in the auditorium with award winners being called to the stage. Hearing Cadet Mendez named as recipient of the Scottish Rite award, the entire audience rose in spontaneous applause. A spaghetti dinner preceded the festivities at Sprayberry High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC awards. There were several senior Air Force officers present and a distinguished guest speaker. Two Scottish Rite presenters called a surprised Cadet Joseph Wenzler to the podium to present him his recognition. He was as gracious in his acceptance as were his parents and his sister, a fellow cadet, in their compliments for the Scottish Rite’s new Education and Americanism Award. These few examples clearly demonstrate that outstanding young men and women are wearing the new Scottish Rite medal. The Valley of Atlanta is most proud to have participated wholeheartedly in this first year of the award. The Executive Committee has appointed a chairman and begun planning for next year’s presentations. There will be many opportunities in the coming years to show the citizens of north Georgia that the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry honors the principles displayed by these fine young people.


Summer Reunion At Frankfurt, Germany, Masonic Center

On June 20, 1998, at the Frankfurt, Germany, Masonic Center, 13 candidates were invested Masters of the Royal Secret during the Summer Reunion of the Orient of American Military Scottish Rite Bodies (AMSRB), NATO Bases. Four candidates came from as far away as Rota, Spain. The work was masterfully done and was followed by a "cold sands" Ceremonial conducted by the European Shrine Club. Refreshments were served by the local Order of DeMolay, and after the work, Ill. Robert W. Woodward, 33°, Deputy, AMSRB, congratulated everyone for the successful Reunion and presented a very interesting summary of current events in European Masonry. The next AMSRB Reunion takes place in Vicenza, Italy, on October 10, 1998.


High-Tech Fire Helmets Presented By The California Scottish Rite

One of the biggest problems facing fire fighters is their inability to see through thick, black smoke to search a burning building for victims. Even with oxygen tanks and breathing apparatus, a fireman cannot see his hand in front of his face in a smoke filled room. Until recently, the method of searching a room for victims was by crawling on the floor and feeling around the room for objects. Chances of locating a victim in a room were very remote.
Oakland, California Assistant Fire Chief, Don Parker, 32°, K.C.C.H., thanks Lt. Grand Commander, Ill. H. Douglas Lemons, 33°, for the high-tech helmets (see photo below right) presented by the California Scottish Rite Foundation during a press conference in Oakland, California

A new product on the market solves this problem. A high-tech fireman’s helmet has been developed which enables a fire fighter to enter a room and see right through the thick smoke to locate victims. A small infrared video camera is attached to the side of the helmet, and the image is projected onto a small screen which is mounted on the front of the helmet.

A fire fighter can look around the room and see people, furniture, and other objects and quickly search a building for victims. It is a major breakthrough in saving lives, but the problem is that his new equipment is very expensive and does not fit in the budget of most fire departments. The helmets cost $25,000 each so very few fire departments have them.

This problem was recognized by Ill. H. Douglas Lemons, 33°, S.G.I.G. in California and Lieutenant Grand Commander of The Supreme Council. He realized that this was an opportunity for the Scottish Rite to make a major contribution to the welfare and safety of the community by providing this equipment as a public service of the California Scottish Rite Foundation. Two of these helmets were purchased by the Foundation. One was presented to the Long Beach Fire Department and the other to the Oakland Fire Department. An additional helmet was provided for the Oakland Fire Department by the members of Live Oak Masonic Lodge No. 61 of Oakland.

A press conference was held in Oakland where Assistant Fire Chief, Bro. Don Parker, 32°, K.C.C.H., accepted the gifts from the Scottish Rite Foundation and Live Oak Masonic Lodge on behalf of Major Elihu Harris. Following the press conference, a demonstration of the new helmets took place at the Oakland Fire Department Training Facility where members of the press were invited to try out the helmet in a real smoke-filled room. The first in line to try out the equipment was Ill. Lemons himself who put on a fireman’s coat, strapped on an oxygen tank and breathing apparatus, donned the new high-tech helmet, and proceeded into the dark, smoky room where he could actually see dummies placed in the room to simulate victims. On his exit from the training facility room, he proclaimed the helmet to be a great success and wished the Oakland Fire Department well in its use of the new equipment. We know that in the near future we will be reading news articles about heroic rescues and many lives being saved by the use of these new high-tech fire helmets which were provided by the Scottish Rite.

John D. Beringer, 33°, General Secretary
Oakland, California, Scottish Rite Bodie
s


Southern Jurisdiction States On "Generosity Index"

The August 27, 1998, issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy provides a state-by-state list based on income and giving to non-profit, tax-exempt organizations. Interestingly, the top 20 states listed in this "generosity index" are all in the Southern Jurisdiction! This fact confirms the gratitude of the national Scottish Rite headquarters for the great support received by the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., Inc.; The House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc.; and the 47 separate local Scottish Rite charitable foundations within the Southern Jurisdiction. Congratulations, Brethren, on this outstanding and continuing demonstration of Masonic Charity and Relief!


Masonic Building To Be Restored As Community Cultural Center

On April 18, 1998, the Grand Lodge offices of Oklahoma gathered in Enid, Oklahoma, to place a commemorative stone with full Masonic ceremonies (photo above). There was nothing unusual in that; the Oklahoma Grand Lodge lays between 20 and 30 cornerstones and commemorative stones on public buildings each year. But there is quite a story behind the Enid commemorative stone.

In the 1920s, the Lodges, York Rite Bodies, Eastern Star Chapters, Youth Orders, and other Masonic organizations decided to build a major temple in Enid. The result was a beautiful facility known since the late 1940s as the Knox Building. Masonry occupied the top two floors, the lower floors being rented to businesses. The lobby of the Masonic floors was Egyptian in motif. The Blue Lodge room was enormous, a full two stories high, with beautiful painted decorations and a ceiling of rolled, tucked silk between ornamented beams. Large pilasters with highly ornamented capitols supported the beams. There was a very large York Rite room, complete with a stage, and also a full auditorium with stage and lighting, built with a mind to the future staging of the Scottish Rite Degrees. A banquet room, with a dumbwaiter to bring food up from a kitchen below, and various other meeting rooms completed the impressive structure.

Because of financial reverses, the Lodges lost the building in the 1940s. The owner simply closed off the rooms. Over time, windows were broken, rain and snow blew in. The floors warped, and the silk ceiling hung in rags. But much of the beauty remained. Often no one entered the rooms for years at a time. Even during the oil boom in Enid, when space of any kind was at a premium, the Masonic floors were kept closed. The owner, a Mason himself, was unwilling to have them converted to other purposes.

A few years ago, the members of Garfield Lodge No. 501 in Enid looked at the building, hoping that they might be able to renovate it and return it to its former use. But the expenses were simply too great. Then, about two years ago, Bro. Greg Smith, 32°, K.C.C.H., was talking with Maestro Doug Newell, the Director of the Enid/Phillips Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Newell was exploring the idea of doing a concert version of Mozart’s Masonic opera, The Magic Flute, at the Temple in Guthrie. Bro. Greg asked if Mr. Newell had seen the old Masonic Temple in Enid and took him to see the building. It was love at first sight.

Mr. Newell conceived of the two Masonic floors of the building as a new Cultural Center for Enid. The Lodge Room is being converted into a symphony hall large enough to hold a full orchestra and still seat more than 400 people. Only minimal changes will be necessary to produce a concert hall with the best orchestral acoustics in a multi-state area. The symphony has hired an Education Director and is planning a major and continuing outreach to children and adults in an area covering several counties. Ultimately, the space will contain classrooms, an art gallery, and facilities for education in all the various arts.

Total costs of renovation will be around $2 million, and about two-thirds of this sum has already been raised. An expert in decorative painting techniques is teaching a master class in restoration using the rooms as the class project. The many shades of blue, the 24-karat gold leafing at the tops of the pilasters, and the restoration of the painting in the Egyptian lobby will result in a space of remarkable beauty.

Also, the first-floor entrance will feature a Masonic museum and display area. Garfield Lodge No. 501 has pledged to raise $35,000 over the next five years toward the project. Instead of featuring themselves in the museum area, however, the Lodge will feature Masonry in Northwestern Oklahoma and a display showing famous composers who were Freemasons.

The day the Commemorative Stone was dedicated with full Masonic ceremonies also featured a series of receptions and two hard-hat concert performances of the first act of The Magic Flute in the unfinished symphony hall. The entrance of the three ladies of the court of the Queen of Night, wearing orange hard hats and carrying tools, will be long remembered. In October, when restoration of the concert hall is complete, the second act of The Magic Flute will be performed in full costume. Symbolically, it is perfect, for it is in the second act that the hero, Tamino, enters the Masonic Temple for the first time.

Tens of thousands of men, women, and children will use the new Enid Community Cultural Center each year, and each will learn a little about Freemasonry as they revel in the great creative works of the human spirit. Well done, Brethren.

Adapted from The Oklahoma Mason, June–July 1998


Rainbow Scholarships Awarded In Lubbock, Texas

The Grand Assembly of Texas, International Order of Rainbow for Girls, presented two scholarships at the recently completed Grand Assembly Session held in Lubbock, Texas, on June 14–17, 1998. Sarai Sanchez received the $2,500 Victor C. and Martha Marie Whitfield Scholarship, and Sharon Henss received the $500 Past Grand Officers Scholarship.
Pictured at left (l. to r.) are Mrs. Marlene Dibrell, Grand Committee, The Victor C. and Martha Marie Whitfield Scholarship Fund and the W. Mark Sexson Loan Fund; and Miss Sarai Sanchez, Duncanville Assembly No. 339, International Order of Rainbow for Girls.

The selections for the scholarships were based on scholastic record, financial need, and Rainbow service. They are intended to make a significant financial contribution to a graduating senior who can demonstrate that she will be a good student in the degree program she selects and will, at all times, be a good representative of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls. Applicants were subjected to a rigorous review and thoughtful evaluation. In 1998, the selection committees were faced with a rugged task because of the number of truly qualified and needy applicants. These two recipients were selected because of their excellent qualifications, extraordinary Rainbow service, and well-defined financial need.


A Family Joins Our Search For A Scoliosis Cure

Robin Tuley remembers her mother regularly checking her back for signs of scoliosis. "She would come up behind the table and poke me in the back so that I would sit up straight," Tuley says. "She just always looked for it." Her mother, Judy Worthington, knew to look for signs of curvature of the spine at a young age because she, too, suffered from scoliosis in her youth. Worthington understands having a straight back is a blessing. After undergoing three painful surgeries on her back and enduring a body cast for a year, Worthington has focused on protecting her family from a similar ordeal. Now her concern and commitment to her own family eventually will help others as the researchers at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC), Dallas, Texas, search for the gene responsible for scoliosis.

The Worthington family clan is cooperating with researchers at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas, in the effort to find a cure for the devastating disease of scoliosis.

This spring, three generations of women from this same family came to the TSRHC to participate in a study introduced in the spring issue of Rite Up by TSRHC chief of staff, Tony Herring, M.D. When Worthington read about the study to find the genetic cause of scoliosis, she called to sign up her entire clan. Her granddaughter Aubrey Tuley is a member of the third generation being tested. Joining the study with her mother and the rest of her family is Robin Tuley’s way of checking her own daughter’s back, while helping pave the way to a possible cure for scoliosis. According to Carol Wise, Ph.D., who serves as the study’s lead researcher, "This is what a geneticist dreams of, finding a family that is large enough and interested enough to participate in the study. And this family is both."

Our hope is that other families will step forward to participate in TSRHC’s search, bringing us closer to a cure for this devastating disease.


Clarification of Donor Recognition Program

The Supreme Council’s two foundations utilize a successful donor recognition program that includes several ways of expressing gratitude. Special gifts have been designed and reserved only for donors to the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., or the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation. Cast bronze tableaux have been installed in the House of the Temple to accommodate the names of all donors at levels between $10,000 and over $1 million.

There are 47 separate Scottish Rite charitable foundations within our Southern Jurisdiction. We offer to support these foundations at the Orient or Valley level by including the names of local donors in the Gold Book (donation level of $500 and above) kept on display in the Library at the House of the Temple, or, if appropriate, on the bronze tableaux as identified above. This policy is meant to supplement donor recognition procedures. We will continue to offer that service at Supreme Council cost as a way to enhance the prestige of Scottish Rite foundations everywhere. We cannot, however, provide individual gifts for donors at the local foundation level. We apologize if there has been some misunderstanding about The Supreme Council’s donor recognition policy. It is a matter of budgetary constraints, not spirit, that prohibits The Supreme Council’s support of local fund-raising campaigns.

If a donor qualifies in local program for national recognition, we will be happy to inscribe his or her name in the appropriate place of honor at the Scottish Rite headquarters in Washington; that was our original intent, and we hope it is now easier to understand.