green mountain freemason, vol.31, issue 02

8/12/2019 Green Mountain Freemason, Vol.31, Issue 02

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WWW.VTFREEMASONS.ORG

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMASON 1 FALL 2010

Fall 2010 WWW.VTFREEMASONS.ORG VOL. 31 NO. 2


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CONTENTSProud To Be A MasonTHE GREEN MOUNTAIN

FREEMASON

Editor:Christopher B. Murphy

Contributors:Shawn Brewster, Joe Dion, Eric Gi-

nette, Cal Kyler, Scott McCalla, Cliff

Porter, Tobin Winters

Conversion Man:David R. Young

Grand Lodge Officers:M..W.. Grand Master Thomas JohnstonR..W.. Dep. Grand Master Philip W. MortonR..W.. Grand Senior Warden Roger L. CrouseR..W.. Grand Junior Warden Errol E. HintonR..W..Grand Treasurer Theodore G. CorsonesR..W.. Grand Secretary C. Robert AbbottR..W.. Grand Senior Deacon Richard BackusR..W.. Grand Junior Deacon Mitchell Holden

The Green Mountain Freemason is pub-

lished tri-annually by the Publishing

Board and is the only official publication

of the Grand Lodge of Vermont

You may contact the Editor atPhone (802) 447-3047Email: [email protected]: 147 Dewey StreetBennington, VT 05201

Publication OfficeGrand Lodge of Vermont, F. & A.M.

49 East Road-Berlin,

Barre, Vermont 05641-5390

Postmaster- Send address changesto:

Grand Lodge of Vermont, F. & A.M.49 East Road-Berlin,

Barre, VT 05641-5390

Publication Dates - Late-January,Late-June, Late-October. Please sub-

mit materials by the 1st day of the

month of publication, for considera-

tion.

Subscriptions- Green MountainFreemasonis mailed or e-mailed toevery member of this Masonic juris-

diction.

www.vtfreemasons.org

Photo Credits: Cover by R.E. Bartlett and Everitt Henry (while the degree struc-

ture of some appendant bodies has been modified since the original publication of

the Bartlett and Everitt design, Im a sucker for that image. Ed.)

FALL 2010

VOL. 31, NO. 2

The Great Masonic Apology

By Bro.. Cliff Porter of Enlightenment Lodge No. 198, AF&AM, G.. L.. of Colorado

Why We Should All Support the George Washing-ton Masonic Memorial

By Cal Keyler, P..G..M.., and member, Board of Directors of the

George Washington Masonic Memorial

DeMolay in Action

By Dad Shawn Brewster, Executive Officer of DeMolay, Jurisdiction of Vermont

Temple-Shaking News from the United Grand

Lodge of England

A major P.R. push decrees no secrets within the Craft

Founding Fathers

By Bro.. Joe Dion, Past Grand Historian

ARTICLES

Mouth to Ear

By W.. George Deblon, Grand Lecturer for the Grand Lodge of Vermont

Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Which Have

Influenced Modern Masonic Symbolism, part 2

Excerpts from Bro.. Manly P. Halls The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928), serialized in threeparts


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From The Grand East

Regular comments from our Most Worshipful Grand Master

From the Staff

19

17

20

DEPARTMENTS

E-Masonry

The best of Freemasonry on-line

Awards and RecognitionThe recipients of this years Barney Medals, and the Citizens

of the Year, as named in this years District Meetings.

The Grand Historian

Bro.. Eric Ginette provides a fascinating look into amysterious treasure of a Vermont Blue Lodge. Read more in

Travels

Bro.. Tobin Winters describes how the Young Masons LodgeNo. 111 provides wonderful opportunities for fellowship and

travel within the Green Mountain State.

Dear Brothers of the Mystic Tie,DO YOU WANT TO WIN

STUFF?!?!?

If so, then read on...

When, in the Spring/Summer

issue of your Green Mountain Free-

mason, it was reaffirmed that this is

a paper for Masons by Masons, Inever imagined a response would

come so quickly.

You, the Masons of Vermont,

have answered the call by the sub-

mission of your essays and papers.

They have been wonderful to receive,

and light the way to a bright future

for this, our Grand Lodge newspaper.To further inspire the partici-

pation of our Vermont Brethren, the

Committee for your GMF hereby in-

stitutes a regular drawing for prizes.

For every item that a Brother Mason

submits for consideration for publica-

tion, that Mason will have his name

entered into a drawing for a nifty Ma-

sonic prize. There will be one prize

awarded for each issue of the Green

Mountain Freemason.

Granted, none of us research,

write, read, or participate in our Ma-

sonry for the physical prizes, but for

the intellectual and spiritual reward;

we labor at our Speculative Craft for

the symbolic wages of a Master.

Still, prizes are nice, too.

Be well, Brothers.

Bro. . Chris MurphyEditor

4

12

MiscellaneousBits and pieces and odds and ends of

this and that from here and there.23

CONTENTS Proud To Be A Mason

What is your Lodge doing these days? Charting a new course? Instituting new programs?

Making facilities improvements? Whatever it is youre proud of, the staff of your Green Moun-

tain Freemasonwant to hear about it. Send us a letter or an e-mail, give us a call, orbest

yetwrite something up for possible publication in a future issue. Ed.


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he district meetings of 2010 have come to a successful close. I thank all the deputies for their ef-forts to make each meeting an individual success. I was particularly impressed with the unique ap-

proach taken by each Deputy to highlight and share the successes of their lodges membership. The

inclusion of family members and friends to witness award presentations was very rewarding to all in attendance.

I encourage the involvement of the public whenever feasible to share our successes. I thank all those brothers

from around the jurisdiction and the Grand Lodge officers for their unfailing support at all our district meetings.

My hat is off to Grand Lecturer George Deblon for his skills to organize and implement this years series of dis-

trict events.

I want to emphasize a few points discussed during the last few months. I encourage increased awareness on an

individual level of the branches of our Masonic family as they exist in Vermont. Becoming more familiar with ourrelated Masonic groups, more specifically their individual charities and causes allows us all to better function on

a united front. Shared information will offer our mutual memberships enhanced means to serve their communi-

ties. Together by pooling our resources of time, labor and capitol we can accomplish much more. Please consider

to include members of the Masonic Family in your events whenever possible and to invite them to offer presenta-

tions at your lodge educational sessions.

In my desire to better integrate the Masonic Families there will soon be available a universal calendar of events

for any interested parties. This calendar can be posted on any web site or Masonic Trestle board, at no cost to

you as the Grand Lodge will be assuming the cost. This electronic devise will allow each of us to better plan our

respective schedules by giving us instant access to all planned affairs for every group attached to the calendar.

Please contact me should you desire to enroll in this exciting program. There are also plans to host a Masonic

Fair to include all members of the Vermont Masonic Community in June of 2011. This event will provide a unique

opportunity to showcase each of our organizations to the general public at a common venue. I am looking for vol-

unteers and ideas from anyone interested to take part in what I anticipate to be an annual event.

Our Grand Lodge Web site is still sadly underutilized. The Web Master is currently providing some upgrades and

enhancements to allow better access and availability of information. What our site is lacking is the inclusion of

information from our individual lodges and brothers. Please do not hesitate to submit any information about

your activities whether it is in print or photographs. For our web site to be useful we need as much fresh infor-mation as possible, so we do rely on your contributions. This resource tool belongs to all of us as a means to share

our thoughts, and successes. Why not designate one brother from each lodge or at the very least from each dis-

trict to be the publications chairman who is responsible for the gathering and submission of information to the

web site as well as to the local press and to the Green Mountain Freemason.

I am pleased to announce that we will be printing a new copy of the Vermont Ritual book in the hard bound for-

mat, with the latest corrected revisions. The ritual committee has been hard at work to locate any errors in the

old versions prior to printing. This should be available in the next few months and you can obtain your copy by

contacting the Grand Lodge office.

I look forward to making visits to each of your lodges during the coming months. Please continue to keep me ap-

prised of your schedules of events so I can make the time to attend as many of these occasions as possible. I enjoy

any and all of your comments and ideas. Please feel free to contact me at any time by phone, letter or e-mail. I

also plan one visit to the Grand Lodge office on Wednesday or Thursday of each week and would welcome your

company.


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"The original and primitive inhabitants of Britain, at some remote period, revived and reformed their national institutes. Their priest, or instructor,had hitherto been simply named Gwydd, but it was considered to have become necessary to divide this office between the national, or superior,

priest and another whose influence [would] be more limited. From henceforth the former became Der-Wydd (Druid), or superior instructor, and[the latter] Go-Wydd, or O-Vydd(Ovate), subordinate instructor; and both went by the general name of Beirdd (Bards), or teachers of wisdom.

As the system matured and augmented, the Bardic Order consisted of three classes, the Druids, Beirdd Braint, or privileged Bards, andOvates." (See Samuel Meyrick and Charles Smith, The Costume of The Original Inhabitants of The British Islands.)

The origin of the wordDruidis under dispute. Max Mller believes that, like the Irish wordDrui, it means "the men of the oak trees." He furtherdraws attention to the fact that the forest gods and tree deities of the Greeks were called dryades. Some believe the word to be of Teutonic origin;

others ascribe it to the Welsh. A few trace it to the Gaelic druidh, which means "a wise man" or "a sorcerer." In Sanskrit the word drumeans"timber."

At the time of the Roman conquest, the Druids were thoroughly ensconced in Britain and Gaul. Their power over the people was unquestioned,

and there were instances in which armies, about to attack each other, sheathed their swords when ordered to do so by the white-robed Druids. Noundertaking of great importance was scatted without the assistance of these patriarchs, who stood as mediators between the gods and men. TheDruidic Order is deservedly credited with having had a deep understanding of Nature and her laws. The Encyclopdia Britannicastates that ge-

ography, physical science, natural theology, and astrology were their favorite studies. The Druids had a fundamental knowledge of medicine, es-pecially the use of herbs andsimples. Crude surgical instruments also have been found in England and Ireland. An odd treatise on early British

medicine states that every practitioner was expected to have a garden or back yard for the growing of certain herbs necessary to his profession.Eliphas Levi, the celebrated transcendentalist, makes the following significant statement:

Illustration by Meyrick and Smith (1815)


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"The Druids were priests and physicians, curing by magnetism and charging amylets with their fluidic influence. Their universal remedies

were mistletoe and serpents' eggs, because these substances attract the astral light in a special manner. The solemnity with which mistletoe

was cut down drew upon this plant the popular confidence and rendered it powerfully magnetic. * * * The progress of magnetism will someday reveal to us the absorbing properties of mistletoe. We shall then understand the secret of the spongy growths which drew the unusedvirtues of plants and become surcharged with tinctures and savors. Mushrooms, truffles, gall on trees, and the different kinds of mistletoewill be employed with understanding by a medical science, which will be new because it is old * * * but one must not move quicker than

science, which recedes that it may advance the further. " (See The History of Magic.)

Not only was the mistletoe sacred as symbolic of the universal medicine, or panacea, but also because of the fact that it grew upon the oaktree. Through the symbol of the oak, the Druids worshiped the Supreme Deity; therefore, anything growing upon that tree was sacred to

Him. At certain seasons, according to the positions of the sun, moon, and stars, the Arch-Druid climbed the oak tree and cut the mistletoe

with a golden sickle consecrated for that service. The parasitic growth was caught in white cloths provided for the purpose, lest it touch theearth and be polluted by terrestrial vibrations. Usually a sacrifice of a white bull was made under the tree.

The Druids were initiates of a secret school that existed in their midst. This school, which closely resembled the Bacchic and Eleusinian

Mysteries of Greece or the Egyptian rites of Isis and Osiris, is justly designated the Druidic Mysteries. There has been much speculationconcerning the secret wisdom that the Druids claimed to possess. Their secret teachings were never written, but were communicated orally

to specially prepared candidates. Robert Brown, 32, is of the opinion that the British priests secured their information from Tyrian andPhoenician navigators who, thousands of years before the Christian Era, established colonies in Britain and Gaul while searching for tin.

Thomas Maurice, in hisIndian Antiquities, discourses at length on Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Greek expeditions to the British Isles forthe purpose of procuring tin. Others are of the opinion that the Mysteries as celebrated by the Druids were of Oriental origin, possibly Bud-

dhistic.

The proximity of the British Isles to the lost Atlantis may account for the sun worship which plays an important part in the rituals of Druid-

ism. According to Artemidorus, Ceres and Persephone were worshiped on anisland close to Britain with rites and ceremonies similar to those of Samothrace.There is no doubt that the Druidic Pantheon includes a large number of Greek

and Roman deities. This greatly amazed Csar during his conquest of Britainand Gaul, and caused him to affirm that these tribes adored Mercury, Apollo,

Mars, and Jupiter, in a manner similar to that of the Latin countries. It is almost

certain that the Druidic Mysteries were not indigenous to Britain or Gaul, butmigrated from one of the more ancient civilizations.

The school of the Druids was divided into three distinct parts, and the secret

teachings embodied therein are practically the same as the mysteries concealedunder the allegories of Blue Lodge Masonry. The lowest of the three divisions

was that of Ovate (Ovydd). This was an honorary degree, requiring no specialpurification or preparation. The Ovates dressed in green, the Druidic color of

learning, and were expected to know something about medicine, astronomy, po-

etry if possible, and sometimes music. An Ovate was an individual admitted tothe Druidic Order because of his general excellence and superior knowledge

concerning the problems of life.

The second division was that of Bard (Beirdd). Its members were robed in sky-blue, to represent harmony and truth, and to them was as-signed the labor of memorizing, at least in part, the twenty thousand verses of Druidic sacred poetry. They were often pictured with the

primitive British or Irish harp--an instrument strung with human hair, and having as many strings as there were ribs on one side of the hu-

Lost Atlantis


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man body. These Bards were often chosen as teachers of candidates seeking entrance into the Druidic Mysteries. Neophytes wore stripedrobes of blue, green, and white, these being the three sacred colors of the Druidic Order.

The third division was that of Druid (Derwyddon). Its particular labor was to minister to the religious needs of the people. To reach this dig-nity, the candidate must first become a Bard Braint. The Druids always dressed in white--symbolic of their purity, and the color used bythem to symbolize the sun.

In order to reach the exalted position ofArch-Druid, or spiritual head of the organization, it was necessary for a priest to pass through the sixsuccessive degrees of the Druidic Order. (The members of the different degrees were differentiated by the colors of their sashes, for all of

them wore robes of white.) Some writers are of the opinion that the title of Arch-Druidwas hereditary, descending from father to son, but itis more probable that the honor was conferred by ballot election. Its recipient was chosen for his virtues and integrity from the most learned

members of the higher Druidic degrees.

According to James Gardner, there were usually twoArch-Druidsin Britain, one residing on the Isle of Anglesea and the other on the Isle ofMan. Presumably there were others in Gaul. These dignitaries generally carried golden scepters and were crowned with wreaths of oak

leaves, symbolic of their authority. The younger members of the Druidic Order were clean-shaven and modestly

dressed, but the more aged had long gray beards and wore magnificent golden ornaments. The educational systemof the Druids in Britain was superior to that of their colleagues on the Continent, and consequently many of the

Gallic youths were sent to the Druidic colleges in Britain for their philosophical instruction and training.

Eliphas Levi states that the Druids lived in strict abstinence, studied the natural sciences, preserved the deepestsecrecy, and admitted new members only after long probationary periods. Many of the priests of the order lived in

buildings not unlike the monasteries of the modern world. They were associated in groups like ascetics of the FarEast. Although celibacy was not demanded of them, few married. Many of the Druids retired from the world andlived as recluses in caves, in rough-stone houses, or in little shacks built in the depths of a forest. Here they prayed

and medicated, emerging only to perform their religious duties.

James Freeman Clarke, in his Ten Great Religions, describes the beliefs of the Druids as follows: "The Druids

believed in three worlds and in transmigration from one to the other: In a world above this, in which happinesspredominated; a world below, of misery; and this present state. This transmigration was to punish and reward and

also to purify the soul. In the present world, said they, Good and Evil are so exactly balanced that man has the utmost freedom and is able to

choose or reject either. The Welsh Triads tell us there are three objects of metempsychosis: to collect into the soul the properties of all being,to acquire a knowledge of all things, and to get power to conquer evil. There are also, they say, three kinds of knowledge: knowledge of thenature of each thing, of its cause, and its influence. There are three things which continually grow less: darkness, falsehood, and death. Thereare three which constantly increase: light, life, and truth."

Like nearly all schools of the Mysteries, the teachings of the Druids were divided into two distinct sections. The simpler, a moral code, was

taught to all the people, while the deeper, esoteric doctrine was given only to initiated priests. To be admitted to the order, a candidate wasrequired to be of good family and of high moral character. No important secrets were intrusted to him until he had been tempted in many

ways and his strength of character severely tried. The Druids taught the people of Britain and Gaul concerning the immortality of the soul.

They believed in transmigration and apparently in reincarnation. They borrowed in one life, promising to pay back in the next. They be-lieved in a purgatorial type of hell where they would be purged of their sins, afterward passing on to the happiness of unity with the gods.The Druids taught that all men would be saved, but that some must return to earth many times to learn the lessons of human life and to over-come the inherent evil of their own natures.

Before a candidate was intrusted with the secret doctrines of the Druids, he was bound with a vow of secrecy. These doctrines were imparted

only in the depths of forests and in the darkness of caves. In these places, far from the haunts of men, the neophyte was instructed concern-

Arch-Druid, by Knight (1845)


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ing the creation of the universe, the personalities of the gods, the laws of Nature, the secrets of occult medicine, the mysteries of the celestialbodies, and the rudiments of magic and sorcery. The Druids had a great number of feast days. The new and full moon and the sixth day of

the moon were sacred periods. It is believed that initiations took place only at the two solstices and the two equi-

noxes. At dawn of the 25th day of December, the birth of the Sun God was celebrated.

The secret teachings of the Druids are said by some to be tinctured with Pythagorean philosophy. The Druids had aMadonna, or Virgin Mother, with a Child in her arms, who was sacred to their Mysteries; and their Sun God was

resurrected at the time of the year corresponding to that at which modern Christians celebrate Easter.

Both the cross and the serpent were sacred to the Druids, who made the former by cutting off all the branches of anoak tree and fastening one of them to the main trunk in the form of the letter T. This oaken cross became symbolic

of their superior Deity. They also worshiped the sun, moon, and stars. The moon received their special veneration.Caesar stated that Mercury was one of the chief deities of the Gauls. The Druids are believed to have worshiped Mercury under the simili-

tude of a stone cube. They also had great veneration for the Nature spirits (fairies, gnomes, and undines), little creatures of the forests andrivers to whom many offerings were made. Describing the temples of the Druids, Charles Heckethorn, in The Secret Societies of All Ages &

Countries, says:

"Their temples wherein the sacred fire was preserved were generally situate on eminences and in dense groves of oak, and assumed various

forms--circular, because a circle was the emblem of the universe; oval, in allusion to the mundane egg, from which issued, according to thetraditions of many nations, the universe, or, according to others, our first parents; serpentine, because a serpent was the symbol of Hu, the

Druidic Osiris; cruciform, because a cross is an emblem of regeneration; or winged, to represent the motion of the Divine Spirit. * * * Theirchief deities were reducible to two--a male and a female, the great father and mother--Hu and Ceridwen, distin-

guished by the same characteristics as belong to Osiris and Isis, Bacchus and Ceres, or any other supreme god andgoddess representing the two principles of all Being."

Godfrey Higgins states that Hu, the Mighty, regarded as the first settler of Britain, came from a place which theWelsh Triads call the Summer Country, the present site of Constantinople. Albert Pike says that the Lost Word ofMasonry is concealed in the name of the Druid godHu. The meager information extant concerning the secret initia-

tions of the Druids indicates a decided similarity between their Mystery school and the schools of Greece andEgypt.Hu, the Sun God, was murdered and, after a number of strange ordeals and mystic rituals, was restored to

life.

There were three degrees of the Druidic Mysteries, but few successfully passed them all. The candidate was buriedin a coffin, as symbolic of the death of the Sun God. The supreme test, however, was being sent out to sea in an

open boat. While undergoing this ordeal, many lost their lives. Taliesin, an ancient scholar, who passed through the Mysteries, describes the

initiation of the open boat in Faber's Pagan Idolatry. The few who passed this third degree were said to have been "born again," and wereinstructed in the secret and hidden truths which the Druid priests had preserved from antiquity. From these initiates were chosen many of the

dignitaries of the British religious and political world. (For further details, see Faber'sPagan Idolatry, Albert Pike'sMorals and Dogma, andGodfrey Higgins' Celtic Druids.) (this serialized excerpt from Br. . Manly Halls The Secret Teachings of All Ageswill conclude next issue)

Belenus, Celtic sun god

Ceridwen, by Maxine Miller


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By Cal KeylerPast Grand Master

This last year it has been a great honor to represent the Jurisdiction of Vermont as a member of the Board of Directors of TheGeorge Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. Each of the twenty two directors serves a term of three years onthe board so I will be continuing to keep you informed of events at this great venue for our great brother and first president,George Washington.

At the last meeting of the board, the Memorials Director, Brother George Seghers presented the following paper describingwhy all jurisdictions and masons individually should support the memorial and strongly consider making donations to help main-tain this beautiful edifice dedicated to Washington and Freemasonry. I hope that all brothers will find the following interestingand educational:

It is very difficult to state a logical purpose for this wonderful Memorial, or for any memorial, monument, or museum. Al-though the Memorial cannot be explained logically it is something that touches a part of us that defies logic and reason. Wehonor and remember those human beings who have done great things to advance and benefit all of humanity. It is because weare all interconnected that the actions of those who do great deeds affect us on a level that is difficult to define and explain. InMasonry we understand that all of humanity exists under the fatherhood of God and that we are responsible for each other. It isimperative that the Memorial is supported and that it continues to be a reminder of the great man who did more for the ad-vancement of humanity than any other man in the history of western civilization.

The George Washington Masonic Memorial was conceived, financed, constructed and is supported and maintained by theFreemasons of the United States to honor the memory, character and legacy of the greatest American citizen, soldier, Freema-son and President that has ever lived. Such was Washingtons character from almost the day he took his Masonic obligation. He

was the same man in private that he was in public. Through his lifetime, in Masonic understanding, he became a perfect ashlar,a just and upright mason and a true Master Mason. Washington was indeed a living stone who remains the cornerstone of

American civilization. He is American Freemasonrys grand exemplar of which countless Freemasons seek to emulate in theirown lodges and their own communities.

At the second meeting of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association on February 22, 1911, President andBrother William H. Taft said: Brethren, every president of the United States feels heavy upon him the burden of followingGeorge Washington and being in his place and making himself in some slight way worthy of the first President, the Father of HisCountry no honor can be greater than to have a direct association with that great man, who, in every sense, was the founderof this republic and who exhibited, as President, as Man and as Mason, all the principles of morality, of patriotism, and of relig-

ion that we like to think is our highest ideal.

The mission of the Memorial for the 21stcentury is: To inspire humanity through education to emulate and promote the vir-tues, character, and vision of George Washington, the man, the Mason and the Father of our Country. The challenge all Free-masons must face this anniversary year is whether we as Masons are still striving to live the virtues Brother Washington exem-plified. Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania and President of the Memorial Association, Louis Watres articulated that challengeclearly in 1929: The Memorial will eloquently tell the world that Masons are builders; builders of individual character, and thatthe vital question of our time and our country is not how many adhere to any particular creed, but how many accept as theirstandard the stabilizing, constructive character of him in whose memory this temple shall stand throughout the coming years.

Our Masonic Forefathers joined together and created the only Masonic National Memorial in the nation. The Memorial was fi-

nanced through contributions from Freemasons, not one cent of public funds has ever nor will ever be received by the MemorialAssociation. The Memorial now belongs to and will ever belong to the Freemasons of the United States. It is our duty and it hon-ors us to support this magnificent Memorial to Americas Greatest Citizen and Freemason.

For your information, My Brothers of Vermont, Our jurisdiction some 100 years ago was one of the first 26 Grand Lodges toform the Association that Brother George Seghers has mentioned. In fact on November 1, 1923 President Calvin Coolidge as-sisted in the cornerstone ceremony at the beginning of construction. Grand Master of Vermont, George Whitney was in atten-dance.

This last year it has been a great honor to represent the Jurisdiction of Vermont as a member of the Board of Directorsof The George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. Each of the twenty two directors serves a term ofthree years on the board so I will be continuing to keep you informed of events at this great venue for our great brotherand first president, George Washington.

At the last meeting of the board, the Memorials Director, Brother George Seghers presented the following paper de-scribing why all jurisdictions and masons individually should support the memorial and strongly consider making do-

nations to help maintain this beautiful edifice dedicated to Washington and Freemasonry. I hope that all brothers willfind the following interesting and educational:

It is very difficult to state a logical purpose for this wonderful Memorial, or for any memorial, monument, or mu-seum. Although the Memorial cannot be explained logically it is something that touches a part of us that defies logic andreason. We honor and remember those human beings who have done great things to advance and benefit all of human-ity. It is because we are all interconnected that the actions of those who do great deeds affect us on a level that is difficultto define and explain. In Masonry we understand that all of humanity exists under the fatherhood of God and that weare responsible for each other. It is imperative that the Memorial is supported and that it continues to be a reminder ofthe great man who did more for the advancement of humanity than any other man in the history of western civilization.

The George Washington Masonic Memorial was conceived, financed, constructed and is supported and maintained bythe Freemasons of the United States to honor the memory, character and legacy of the greatest American citizen, sol-dier, Freemason and President that has ever lived. Such was Washingtons character from almost the day he took hisMasonic obligation. He was the same man in private that he was in public. Through his lifetime, in Masonic understand-ing, he became a perfect ashlar, a just and upright mason and a true Master Mason. Washington was indeed a livingstone who remains the cornerstone of American civilization. He is American Freemasonrys grand exemplar of whichcountless Freemasons seek to emulate in their own lodges and their own communities.

At the second meeting of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association on February 22, 1911, Presi-

dent and Brother William H. Taft said: Brethren, every president of the United States feels heavy upon him the burdenof following George Washington and being in his place and making himself in some slight way worthy of the first Presi-dent, the Father of His Country no honor can be greater than to have a direct association with that great man, who, inevery sense, was the founder of this republic and who exhibited, as President, as Man and as Mason, all the principles ofmorality, of patriotism, and of religion that we like to think is our highest ideal.

The mission of the Memorial for the 21stcentury is: To inspire humanity through education to emulate and promotethe virtues, character, and vision of George Washington, the man, the Mason and the Father of our Country. The chal-lenge all Freemasons must face this anniversary year is whether we as Masons are still striving to live the virtuesBrother Washington exemplified. Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania and President of the Memorial Association, Louis

Watres articulated that challenge clearly in 1929: The Memorial will eloquently tell the world that Masons are builders;builders of individual character, and that the vital question of our time and our country is not how many adhere to anyparticular creed, but how many accept as their standard the stabilizing, constructive character of him in whose memorythis temple shall stand throughout the coming years.

Our Masonic Forefathers joined together and created the only Masonic National Memorial in the nation. The Memo-rial was financed through contributions from Freemasons, not one cent of public funds has ever nor will ever be re-ceived by the Memorial Association. The Memorial now belongs to and will ever belong to the (continued on page 13)


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The Great

Masonic ApologyBy Bro.. Cliff Porter

In the 1820s Masonry was unfortu-nate enough to make the acquaint-ance of William Morgan. There is

no evidence that Morgan was evera Mason, what is certain is that heentered into contract to expose rit-ual from the Royal Arch, was ar-

rested in September 1826, was taken from his jail, and wasnever seen again. Three members of the Craft were later ar-rested in regards to related charges and served time. Thereare wonderful ups and downs in regards to the story, conun-drums wrapped in enigmas if you will and all go beyond thepoint of this article and my reasons for bringing up the affair

in the first place. My point in mentioning the affair at all, wasthat it created the catalyst that would be the cause for thedecline in Masonry even today. I am not speaking of the de-cline in membership that seems to be the discussion of manyof todays current membership, but the decline of the Masonicexperience overall. The Morgan Affair ushered in the GreatMasonic Apology and we have been apologizing ever since.

The Morgan Affair created in the collective Masonic psyche

aversions to secrecy, fraternity, and the actual philosophiesinculcated in Freemasonry. Masonry would recover in num-bers, and even swell during the era of fraternal organizations,but our halls were hollowed of their mystical teachings andwe would institute a tradition of placation and apology.

It might prove helpful to examine some of the changes thathave occurred in American Craft Masonry and Scottish RiteMasonry to better understand my statement.

Beginning with the Morgan Affair we eliminated the mysti-cism. As the anti-Masonic Party began its rise to power, theCraft hemorrhaged members. They flooded away for fear thatit could tarnish or destroy a political or Christian reputation.This occurred because of an earlier apology and small dose ofdangerous pride that allowed us to convince ourselves, in an

attempt to convince others, that we were not a secret soci-ety. We degenerated to the point that a lack of secrecy anddisclaimer is a common theme in apologies that still occur tothis day. We have many a website and have interviewed formany a television camera and tout the statement, we are

not a secret society, but a society with secrets. Sadly, if wewould worry less about public and profane opinion, we wouldnot have public awareness programs or anything of the sort.We should be a secret society whose charity is evident only insuch a way that whenever good men gather, the communitybenefits as a result. If we would have maintained the secretsof our membership and treated the society as such, then menwould not have had to flee from their associations with us forfear of their reputations.

The natural product of this loss of secrecy and membershipwas a desire to appease those who decided to point a fingeras we voluntarily declared and exposed our membership. Toappease these Victorian minded puritans who would usher ina number of successful programs such as the anti-MasonicParty and prohibition (if you caught the sarcasm it was com-pletely intentional) we would begin a ruin of the Craft in apol-ogy to deaf ears. We have apologized to a rather loud, bututterly unsuccessful, minority group of fundamentalist push-

ing an agenda that is counter to personal freedom andchoice. We have apologized to those we are sworn to defendagainst. We are the keepers of freewill, choice, and free con-science. We flung our doors open, hung our heads, and hereis the greatest of tragedies, we put to rest our mystical phi-losophy. So much so, that it has become the real lost word inour lodges. Our spiritualism and mysticism were so tuckedaway, that there are generations of men who would arguethat such liberal thoughts and ideas do not occur as part of

or as a result of Freemasonry.

This is the same group of people that have actually played arole in the drafting, in part, of a number of Masonic constitu-tions throughout the Grand Lodges in America. We decided aspart of and even prior to prohibition that the grown man withall his faculties should not consume alcoholic beverages. Wedecided that Masons could not be trusted to perform the du-ties of a Mason, that the Junior Wardens could not be ex-pected to fulfill their duties, that appendant bodies should fol-low suit, and we eliminated the grown mans ability to raise aglass and toast his Brothers at an Agape or Festive Board.Hypocrisy abounds with this particular apologetic. We havethe Shrine Clubs which have bars in them, we have hospital-ity suites at our Grand Lodge sessions, we drink at home andwith our friends, we just cant drink with our Masonic friends(continued on page 14)

I am not speaking of

the decline in mem-

bership...but the de-

cline of the Masonic

experience overall.


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many of you would go up to a perfect stranger and tell him his fly is down? Or tell a waitress that she has bad breath?Im sure that you may be concerned that it would embarrass them, but yet they would probably like to know about it sothey can remedy the problem. What if it was something more serious such as a brothers inappropriate Masonic con-

duct? It can be quite difficult to address some more important matters than ones zipper being down or someone having badbreath. You must also wonder how an individual would handle receiving such advice or constructive criticism. Would they con-sider what you have to offer, would they ignore what you have to say, or would they just get plain mad?

I know that at one time or another we have all paid for advice, such as our doctor advising us to exercise more or go on a diet, or

our dentist telling us that we need to floss more. How often have we actually followed that advice that we paying good moneyfor? Some of the best advice I have received was free, usually from a Brother Mason. Whether it is about a mispronounced wordI have been saying in the ritual, suggestions on how to conduct a meeting, lessons on how to use a computer, and even more per-sonal matters. All advice I have received from very knowledgeable brethren, and I greatlyappreciate these brothers taking their time to help me improve myself. After all, isnt that partof what being a Mason means, that we are to help, aid and assist one another? We are all

brethren, one of another in mutual depend- ence and support.

One of the five points of fellowship is Cheek to Cheek or Mouth to Ear, that we will everwhisper good counsel in the ear of a brother, and in the most friendly manner remind him ofhis faults, and endeavor to aid his reforma- tion, and will give him due and timely notice that

he may ward off all approaching danger.

We must keep in mind that when we receive advice or constructive criticism from a brother itis not meant in any way to ridicule, embarrass, or upset us, but is meant with best intentionsto help us improve ourselves. And when giving advice remember that presentation is every-thing. I have personally seen situations where mouth to ear would have been a much moreeffective means for delivering advice. I have known brothers to misinterpret informationshared between others which lead to unneces- sary discontent. Nor do we want a brother to feel

like we think, as advisors, we have all the an- swers and know it all. There is potential for fur-ther learning and improvement in each and every one of us. It was Harry S. Truman thatonce said: It is the stuff we learn after we know it all that is important.

Many large companies have and depend on advisory boards to make their business successful. Well, Masonry in a roundaboutway has advisory boards as well. When a lodge has a newly elected Worshipful Master he depends on the advice and support ofhis lodges Past Masters wisdom to help him be successful. Even our Most Worshipful Grand Master depends on advice from ourPast Grand Masters.

Whether you like it or not we are always going to be receiving advice from someone, not always good advice, or advice that wewant to hear, but I guarantee you that we will be receiving it. What you do with that advice is up to you. We as Masons, if wereally value our vows and responsibilities as Brothers, should always whisper in a Brothers ear good and truthful advice. There isno need to let anyone else know about it, or toot our own horn. The main objective is to help aid and assist a particular individ-

ual. We are all members of an organization that prides itself in making good men better.

Paying for advice is good, but whispering good counsel in the ear of a brother is priceless.

With that said my brothers, we will meet on the level.


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Bud

Godin

~2 0 1 0~

Mike Reed

R. .W. .Michael Reed was Raised to the Sublime Degreetwenty-two years ago at Dorchester Lodge No. 1. Despite serv-

ing for four years as Secretary of his Blue Lodge, becoming the

Worshipful Master of the same in 2001, being named as Dis-

trict Deputy in 2006, serving as Grand Junior Deacon two

years later, and most recently being the aide to our Most Wor-

shipful Grand Master, Bro. .Mike names his elevation to theThird Degree as the part of his Masonic career of which he ismost proud.

When asked for his description of Freemasonry, Bro. .Mikeoffered this wisdom: I think it is a great fraternity and broth-

erhood. I know they mean the same, yet are really quite dif-

ferent.

JOHN BARNEY

MEDALRECIPIENTSMasonry is about integrity, self-esteem, and honesty with

everyonenot just our Brothers, and certainly not just on

meeting day. So goes the partial definition of the Craft pro-

vided by R. .W. .Bud Godin. In his nearly thirty years as aFreemason, Bro. .Bud has served the Craft in a number ofways, in a number of appendant bodies: current Junior War-

den in Mystic Lodge No. 56, Past Grand Senior Deacon for

the G. .L. .of Vermont, P. .D. .D. .G. .M. .for District 13, PastEminent Commander of Mt Zion Commandery.# 9, Past Dis-

trict Deputy of O.E.S. District No. 6, andthe role of which

he is most proudPast Worthy Grand Patron of The Order of

the Easter Star.

Belonging to a group that has a common goal , to make this

a better place to live and helping others, is a good feeling.


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Mitchell

Holden

A hearty congratulations to the following men, our Masonic Brothers, named as the Citizens of the

Year of their various Masonic Districts. We should all be proud to have these men within our ranks.

District 1 Kevin J. Anderson

District 2 Joseph Lanny Sendra

District 3 Robert W. Fuller

District 4 Emmett E. Thomas

District 5 Caroll E. Towne

District 6 Gerald M. Maynard

District 7 Arthur W. Webb

District 8 Harold E. Newell

District 9 Robert J. Donnelly,

Jr.

District 10 Michael J. Ladd

District 11 William F. Drude,

District 13 Leslie C. Pike

R..W.. Mitchell Holden, the current Senior Deacon ofVermont Lodge No. 18, and Grand Junior Deacon of our

Grand Lodge, was raised twenty-one years ago. When

asked how he would define Freemasonry, Brother

Mitchell answered, When the Senior Deacon explains

the meaning of the points of the Compasses in the Third

Degree, that says it all.

Brother Mitchell attends all meetings and functions of

Vermont Lodge No. 18, as well as a number of Masonic

District No. 1 (of which being District Deputy Grand

Master was Bro. Mitchells most rewarding experience

within the Fraternity), and Grand Lodge functions. He

treasures the friendships ushered in by his role in the

Craft, and noted that the recognition he receives is truly

amazing to a humble Vermont country boy.

(Washington, cont from p.9) Freemasons of the United States. It is our duty and it honors us to support this magnificent Memorial to Amer-icas Greatest Citizen and Freemason.

For your information, My Brothers of Vermont, our jurisdiction some 100 years ago was one of the first 26 Grand Lodges to form the Associa-tion that Bro. Seghers has mentioned. In fact, on November 1, 1923 President Calvin Coolidge assisted in the cornerstone ceremony at the be-ginning of construction. Grand Master of Vermont, George Whitney was in attendance. I encourage all Masons to strongly consider Vermontsparticipation in this important Memorial by considering a tax deductable donation to help maintain it. Your gift or your Lodges gift can besent to The George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr., Alexandria, VA 22301. Please mark it from the Jurisdiction of Vermont.For more information, contact Cal Keyler, [email protected]. A new DVD showing the latest events and the 100-year dedication ceremony isavailable for you to show at your next Lodge meeting.

WWW VTFREEMASONS ORG


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(continued from page 10) without sneaking it like we were 15years old and tipping a sip of our fathers favorite scotch.Nonetheless, listen to the cries of the young men who simplywant to toast a fellow Brother, enjoy a great glass of winewith good food as part of the Masonic experience, actually

hoist a drink during the Feast of Tishri, and exercise their freechoice and freewill. They will tell you that their attempts tooverturn this ridiculous, hypocritical, and outdated apologyhave meant with impassioned speeches of doom and destruc-tion. Well, we are Masons; we study the liberal arts and sci-ences, do we not? Lets look at Freemasonry in the rest of theentire civilized world and see what effects allowing a man toconsume an alcoholic beverage with his Brother have had.We would find refined scotch tastings, ladies festivals filled

with fine wine and dancing, and fellowship spent over a pintof the local brew. No doom and gloom. No destruction. As amatter of fact, Masonry is doing better in many of thoseplaces. Oh and lawsuits. Yes, if a man has a beer the Frater-nity will get sued if he crashes or the like. Really? Site someexamples please. I am looking at the barsand liquor stores in existence and wonder-ing why they have not met this miserablefate. Why havent they, because it is bunkand the ramblings of those who espouse

bureaucratic and legal fallacy while know-ing little of actual facts?

The fundamentalist, the evangelical Chris-tian community with an anti-Masonicslant, the self proclaimed moralist do notlike Freemasonry because it encourages free thought, freespeech, and freedom of religion. They are never going to likeMasonry, they are never going to stop fighting the aims of

such groups. It is not in their best interest to do so. Theywant an uninformed class of members with zealous faith thatis based on devotion and not study and reasoned thought.We are, in essence, enemies. We owe them no apology. Weshould pride ourselves that they consider the Craft a threat totheir aims and abolish every foolish addition to Masonic con-stitutions or sets of by-laws ever created in apology to them.

Allow me to address, what I consider, the strangest of apolo-gies. The apology to the POTENTIAL candidate. Prior to the

man ever becoming a member we bow our heads and divertour gaze and offer the following apologies.

1. Sir, we are sorry that it cost money to be a member. Allowus to keep our dues artificially low and under fund the infra-structure and programs of the Craft. Allow us to reduce andremove any quality education, travel, and ritual experience

for our members because we have no money to do so. Allowour buildings and temples to fall into disrepair and dilapida-tion so that we never need charge a reasonable fee for thedegrees or the dues that follow. Sir, who might be interested,Masonry is cheap. Its real affordable. Please sir, we are sorry

that we even have to charge, please become a member.

2. Sir, we are sorry that it takes time. We have removed therequirements for memory work, for proficiencies, for partici-pation in lodge even. All we need is about one afternoon ofyour time and you are a Brother. We are sorry that we usedto ask for even the slightest commitment. If we can just havethe paltry fee that we discussed and already apologized forabove, we will get you rushed through, you will not have to

learn anything, as a matter of fact, you wont learn anything,and we can issue this dues card and get you on the books.

If the aforementioned antics of the present state of apologydont manage get me a bit riled up, then the apologies we

make to the public at large certainly do.The Scottish Rite is suffering greatly fromthese as we speak and if we dont wrestlethis beautiful and mystical system fromthe grasp of the Great Apology she will

die. She will be a shell of her formal selfand she will die.

For instance, so that you might better un-derstand me, Scottish Rite petitions usedto require a signature of the future candi-

date proclaiming the following certain ideology with the fol-lowing phraseology, The entire separation of church andstate and opposition to every attempt to appropriate public

moniesFederal, state, or localdirectly or indirectly, for thesupport of sectarian or private institutions. Several petitions,including those presently available for download from the Se-attle Scottish Rite website have only, THE SUPREME COUN-CIL REQUIRES ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING FUNDA-MENTAL PRINCIPLES: THE INCULCATION OF PATRIOTISM,RESPECT FOR LAW AND ORDER, UNDYING LOYALTY TO THEPRINCIPLES OF CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. DO YOU AP-PROVE OF THESE PRINCIPLES? ________ YES ________NO.

It would not be reasonable to believe that the removal of thewording was arbitrary. Are the ideas of the separation ofchurch and state no longer valid belief systems important fora free government run by its populace and not by its church?Are the ideas of theocracy and despotism somehow more ap-pealing than they used to be and less of threat? I think not.

Masonry would recover in num-

bers, and even swell during the

era of fraternal organizations,

but our halls were hollowed oftheir mystical teachings and we

would institute a tradition of

placation and apology.



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Clearly, the wars and conflicts of the world that are based onreligion and the beliefs systems of those fanatical followerswho would attempt to enforce their belief system as form ofgovernment are evidence enough that the concept is stillneeded and not out dated. So, if separation of church and

state is still a necessary component of free government, freespeech, and freewill, then why have we removed it? Let mehypothesize that it was form of apology. Someone some-where decided that the general public, the profane, mightfind such a statement as politically incorrect or somehow of-fensive. I find the logic behind this line of thinking similar tothe statement that the New Testament of the Bible is anti-Semitic and telling the story of the Nazarene is of a similarvein. Hogwash! This is the same idiotic thinking that would

allow someone to claim a German bias and hatred of the Ger-manic people for telling the story of the holocaust. We havemany a religious man in our ranks, so must we remove thisstatement for fear that he is a fundamentalist Christian insupport of theocracy to ensure that he is comfortable. In-credible as it may seem, this might be yet another apology inaction. It is likely an apology to the fundamentalist, whosephilosophies are in opposition to those the Rite. No worriesBrother. Although your particular philosophies are in directconflict with those teachings of the Scottish Rite we will re-

move these offensive writings for you. We will remove theimportant teachings inculcated within the Rite. We willchange the petitioning process so that you, a man with nointerest in promoting and participating in our present philoso-phies, can gain entry. I hope I am not alone in recognizingthe absolute absurdity of this.

I would like to address another apology of the Rite apparentlyto the general public or no one in particular. Maybe we should

classify this one as a preemptive apology. We apologize be-fore anyone is offended in the event that someone might beor could ever be offended. This apology comes in the form ofremoving different parts of the degree ritual exemplifications.For instance, in symbolism that man should never allow aman to sit in despotic rule over the masses guised as God onearth, claiming his personal orthodoxy as divine will, thereused to be a certain stomping on or walking upon a symbol ofsuch a system. No more, nope, gone in many jurisdictions.

Many symbols of the Craft have gone the wayside of this be-fuddling preemptive apology. Theskull and cross bones as a symbolof mortality and the price oneshould be willing to pay to keep hisintegrity. The skeletons upon across in the 18th degree symbolism

have suffered similar fate. It is still listed within the script ofthe Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction, but how many consis-tories utilize it? Not many.

I was privy to recent discussion of Masonic favoritism in the

work place. The statement was made that as Masons weshould be careful not to give any other Masons special con-sideration for employment or services because it might beperceived poorly by those outside the Craft. That someonemight legislate against the Fraternity for these unspeakableacts of good ol boyism. Again, I am forced to ask really?Really? So, the famous Aggies, Air Force Academy grads,alumni of the various Greek clubs, do not participate in suchactivities? They do and they are unapologetic. The Aggies

boast that this is a benefit of graduating from the university.They have alumni clubs that network in hundreds, if notthousands, of cities across the United States. But we mustnever take a man, whom we believe to be of a high calibermorally and ethically and use this as a good starting placewhen choosing employees or picking service provider? Theidea that we should not is repugnant and flies in the face ofcommon sense. We ought to guard the gate like it was in-tended to be guarded and then utilize the membership as afoundation for good decision making because Brothers are

automatically understood as a the crme of the crop when itcomes to integrity and fairness.

Brothers, to whom do we owe the obedience of our obliga-tions? To one another. We owe the Craft and our Brothers. Iam encouraging the Craft as a whole to put aside our desiresto make the Freemasonry all things to all men. It is notmeant to be such vehicle and it never will be. If you try tobend it and shape it as such, you will kill it, and you are kill-

ing it in many ways given its present condition.

Stop the apology. Freewill, free thought, free religion, freeconscience; they are all laudable pursuits. We do not need toapologize for them. We do not need to apologize for the deepand meaningful way that the philosophies of the Craft im-prove its men and make them better. We do not need toapologize to anyone except our current membership for let-ting our guard down and apologizing to those who were notentitled to such for wrongs that were nonexistent. This, by

itself, would progress the Craft and heal it more than anycatchy slogan or membership driveever will.

(Brother Cliff Porter is the Worshipful Masterof Enlightenment Lodge No. 198, under theGrand Lodge of Colorado)



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Well, as the DeMolay summer events come to a close and the young men of the jurisdiction return to school, I finda little more time to spend at the keyboard in order to put together a summary of the activities that have taken placethroughout the season. For those of you that have either been present at or participated in any of the events thathave transpired through the past several months, please allow me to continue in my ramblings and try to give those

who were fortunate enough not to have taken part in the hectic pace, that was set forth by the madman that runs thisjurisdiction of fine DeMolay, an overall picture and feel for the success that has evaded the young men for so long.

The past months have truly been the most exciting Vermont DeMolay has seen in a very long time! The CecilBrown Chapter in Bennington has initiated 12 members into their ranks in just over a month and have 2 advisors tobe trained on Sept. 11. They have also just elected and appointed officers for the chapter and will begin opening on

Sept. 03. The Carlos Otis Chapter of Brattleboro has 4 affiliated Members and 1 new member with 4 to be initiatedon Aug 30, which will be the first meeting for that chapter in over four years. There are also 4 advisors that will betrained on Sept. 18thfor this Chapter. The Charles B. Adams Chapter held their first formal meeting in over a dec-ade and they are bringing new members in at the first September communication. The Fred A. Doubleday Chapterin Woodstock has initiated one new member and have 3 advisors to be trained on Sept. 11. As exciting as all of thismay seem it just keeps getting better. With all of the new members joining the various chapters I am very pleased toannounce that Vermont DeMolay has achieved positive growth for the first time in 10 years. But wait, it gets better

still! I have just this minute signed the Resolution of Sponsorship for the reinstituted Wilbert E. Thompson Chapter in Hardwick, VT and it is to my un-derstanding that there are currently 7 candidates waiting to take their degrees and 2 Advisors needing to be trained! Ladies and gentlemen this is truly the

year for Vermont DeMolay. Congratulations to all members of Vermont DeMolay on a very successful year thus far!

The first Conclave in five years has just come to a close and what a time we had. From Midnight Degree work, to Ritual Competitions, to outdooractivities; a great time was had by all. The young men of Vermont DeMolay as well as DeMolay from two other jurisdictions came together to make thisall happen. Sixty DeMolay congregated at the Womens Relief Corp Building in N. Calais, VT for three days of DeMolay Related activities. Friday eve-ning gave officers from the three jurisdictions the opportunity to perform both degrees on nine candidates, eight of which were for Vermont DeMolay.The M.W.G.M. Thomas Johnston IV took time from his hectic schedule to come join in the activities on Sat. afternoon and since he is an advisor forthis jurisdiction attempted to help all of the other advisors in the tug of war competition, but this was a futile effort as the DeMolay outnumbered theadvisors 6:1! A great time was had by all and Vermont DeMolay can mark this as a success and the staff members are already planning next years con-clave.

I would be remiss if I were not to announce the following appointments that have occurred over the past few months. Brother Tyler Lemmer of

Fred A. Doubleday Chapter was installed as State Master Councilor in March; Brother Christopher Craig of Charles. B Adams Chapter was appointed asState Senior Councilor in August, and Brother Tucker Lemmer Fred A. Doubleday Chapter was appointed as State Junior Councilor in August. Thissuite will continue the path that has been set forth for the jurisdiction and brig us to even greater heights in 2011!

On a more solemn note; I feel that I should address an issue that continues to plague the members of Vermont DeMolay. As donations for theyoung men of Vermont DeMolay continue to dwindle, we have had to become much more self sufficient; having to turn our focus towards fundraising inorder to provide the members of Vermont DeMolay with the activities and competitions that make DeMolay the unique organization that it is. Now, I amby no means stating that Vermont DeMolay should not have to worry about raising monies to fund their activities, but I would like to state that what welike to term as The DeMolay Experience cannot be had or found by continually working to support a jurisdiction that struggles to pay insurance from

year to year. I have been diligently working to develop other means and resources for jurisdictional income and I am pleased to say that Vermont DeMo-

lay and the Walter Childs Magic Show have come together to assist the jurisdiction in this matter. Though we are excited about this, it is by no means acomplete solution to our dilemma. With that said I would like to announce the return of the Uncle Fund, a very economical way for Brother Masons andthe Members of OES to contribute to Vermont DeMolay. Simply fill in the form provided below and return it with just $1.00.YES THATS RIGHT

JUST A BUCK! The young men of Vermont DeMolay will thank you. [see page 23 Ed.]

Well, If space allowed I would continue to ramble in much more vivid detail, but I should be gracious and allow others their time. So, until nexttime: For God, for Country, for the purposes of DeMolay.

Jacques DeMolay


17/24



18/24



James Sellecks well done History of Union Lodge of Middlebury, he mentioned an oil painting called The Masters Carpet done

by Rev. Thomas Tolman in 1797. In Ancient Craft Masonry in Vermont brother Tillotson notes that a valuable painting of 1797

was destroyed when the building of Union Lodge burned in November of 1880. Naturally I wondered, given the date, if there was a

connection between this Masters Carpet and the one at Morning Flower.

Thomas Tolman was a very interesting early Vermont Mason. He was present at the convention which created our Grand Lodge in

Rutland in 1794. Evidently an artist of great talent, he was known for his beautiful penmanship and in this capacity was asked to

engross the first Constitution of the Grand Lodge, which manuscript was then signed by the delegates of the five lodges assem-

bled, including the signature of Thomas Tolman. He was then voted to be our first Grand Secretary.

I cant digress upon brother Thomas too much, but he does hold a special interest for me because in later years he left his Middle-

bury home and journeyed north to Greensboro, which was the original home of my own symbolic lodge, Meridian Sun. It was

brother Tolman who petitioned Grand Lodge to grant this lodge a charter in 1800.

I cant help but wonder how many Masonic Carpets Thomas Tolman painted. There is evidence he was an artist in oil paint, and

how many painters in oil of Masonic tracing boards could there have been in Vermont at that time? Obviously, very, very few-

maybe one. However, I have been unable to find any evidence that proves his connection to the mysterious carpet of Morning

Flower Lodge, so it must remain an enticing, but unfounded, premise.

I then turned my attention to the one piece of evidence I had, Helen Bromley. Who was this woman and why did she leave the

Lodge this treasure? How did she come by such an artifact? She turned out to be as interesting as Thomas Tolman. For this infor-

mation and for the photographs of the tracing board I am entirely in the debt of brother Myron Waite, DDGM of District #2, and a

fine Mason. Working with Melissa Clarke of the Pawlet Historical Society the few known facts of Helens life and family roots

emerged. My most heartfelt thanks goes out to these associates, without whose efforts mine would have been in vain.

Helen M. Bromley was born in Pawlet in 1839 to Amos Bromley and Laura B. Robinson Bromley. Her mothers father was Jona-than Robinson, who was himself the son of Captain Nathaniel Robinson. Capt. Nathaniel was a veteran of the Revolutionary War,

famous for his humor and wit. He traveled with his family from MA to VT around 1812, settling in Pawlet. In a book entitled

Pawlet for One Hundred Years Heil Hollister describes his son Jonathan Robinson as a great reader and a man of uncommon in-

telligence, and that he stood high in the Masonic fraternity. Jonathan died in 1862 at the age of 85, and his effects, including, ac-

cording to Hollister, some of the belongings of his father, Capt. Robinson, were passed down to Laura and Amos Bromley- Helens

parents. For me, it is very tempting to jump to the conclusion that Captain Nathaniel Robinson was a part of the Fraternity in

Massachusetts, since membership was so often passed down from father to son and we know his son Jonathan was a Mason. Was

he a Mason in Vermont? I have not yet solved that question. Morning Flower Lodge was not chartered until January of 1866, so it

was not there. He would have been a member of one of the Lodges prior to the great Anti-Masonic upheaval of 1820-40 in Vermont.Many of these lodges went dark forever, but some old records exist. If any brother reading this has knowledge of the Masonic life of

Jonathan Robinson, please contact me. If I were to allow my fantasy to run away with me, I might suppose that in the final days of

his lodge, whichever lodge it was, the thoughtful Jonathan took home the great treasure of his lodge room: the Masonic Carpet

painting! Perhaps he hid it until the mighty storm that railed against Masonry and all artifacts of the Fraternity had died away.

One thing is certain: the Morning Flower painting is one of only a handful of items now in the possession of our Society known to

date back prior to the Anti-Masonic upheaval.

Helen Bromley- Miss Helen, as the brass plaque states, was the only daughter and had two brothers. The Bromley family were

consistently notable in the business life of the growing town of Pawlet. So we can surmise that she grew up in a relatively prosper-

ous family noted for high intelligence and learning. I picture her growing up amid refined culture and a large old library- a librarythat could well have featured the old Masonic tracing board. That she was intelligent herself and well educated we know because

when the Glenwood Ladies Seminary in West Brattleboro opened in 1860, she was listed as one of ten instructors. She taught

Higher Mathematics and Astronomy- obviously a thoughtful, involved lady well ahead of her time. In 1880 the U.S. Federal Census

shows her still living at home with her widowed mother, aged 40. She is described as an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher. Per-

haps she continued to live in the home where she grew up while her brothers married and moved away. And perhaps she carefully



19/24


cared for the curious painted heirloom of her father all her life.

Later on Dorthy Offensend in Pages from my Pawlet Scrapbook wrote In 1896 there was a 12 week school in the Town Hall in

Pawlet VillageHelen M. Bromley served as Superintendent of the Pawlet and West Pawlet schools.

So the image is clear of a very bright woman dedicated to education and furthering the lives of the residents of Pawlet. As she grew

older, she must have looked at the beautiful painting she had inherited and often wondered what to do with it. That she did not

pass it over to the Masons until the end of her life certainly shows she valued it as a family heirloom, and probably loved it herself

for its mystery and beauty. Finally, perhaps because she had no family to pass it on to, and perhaps no other part of the family

would cherish it or cared about it, she decided to return it to a Masonic Lodge room, after its journey of some 85 years in private

hands.

I would love to have some record or mention in the archives of Morning Flower Lodge of the occasion of her giving it to them. Did

she do so personally? Was there a formal ceremony? All I know now is that on March 22nd, 1912, just as a new spring was awaken-

ing, the ancient Carpet came home into the bosom of the Fraternity. Helen was to live only six more years, passing away in 1918 at

the age of 78. She took with her whatever she may have known of the history or origin of the painting.

And yet, and yetI do hope there is someone, a family member who knows an old story, a brother who recalls a minute reference,

who can dispel the dark mystery of Morning Flower Lodge. Do we indeed have here the only surviving tracing board of our first

Grand Secretary, Thomas Tolman? Or did it travel up to Vermont after the Revolutionary War, a beloved heirloom even then, with

a story now forgotten?

The Vermont Young Masons Lodge #111 received their charter at the GrandLodge Annual Communication in July of 2009. The mission of the Young Masons Lodge has three-fold importance: the Vermont Masonic ritual, Masonic education, and fellowship. Each of these areasare equally important to a balanced Masonic experience and we try to place the same empha-sis upon each area. The Young Masons Lodge gives young Vermont Freemasons a place to go withother young Freemasons to spend time with his peers, and share ideas to grow in all of these areas.

While the Young Masons Lodge is open to all Master Masons in good standing, the officers of thelodge, with the exception of the Treasurer and Secretary, are required to be under 45 years of age.Brothers over the age of 45 can join as associate members

The Young Masons Lodge is a traveling lodge. Tying it to any one geographical location would limitthe number of Brothers able to attend. By having six meetings per year, it is possible to reach everyarea of the State. Members are asked to wear a dark dinner suit. Each meeting consists of a greatdinner followed by a meeting, including ritual and Masonic education.

Because the Young Masons Lodge is not intended to replace any lodge within the Grand Lodge ofVermont, degrees on new members for the lodge are not held, but the Young Masons Lodge isworking to be proficient in all degrees so that we may travel to lodges and confer degrees for lodgesin need.

As a young Freemason of Sharon Lodge #105 it has been my sincere pleasure to be a member of

this lodge. I've had the opportunity to travel and meet brothers from across this great state. We'vehad some truly great meetings and I look forward to the future.

You can follow our events and view upcoming events on the VT Young Masons blog, contact theSecretary, or download a petition at: http://www.vtyoungmasons.com/

Tobin Winters, Secretary, Young Masons Lodge No. 111

The Valley of Brattleboro is invit-ing every Vermont Mason, theirfamily, and any guests to a road

trip to Lexington, MA to visitthe Scottish Rite Supreme Coun-cil Headquarters and the North-

ern Masonic Jurisdiction Mu-seum - this is every Mason's

museum.

Date: Saturday, Nov 13th, 2010.

Departure: 9:00amfrom theBrattleboro Temple

Cost: Entrance fee: FREE!!

Lunch: $9-$11, or BYOL

Please RSVP to Robert Faggeat [email protected] (802)

348-7221, by Wednesday, Nov10th



20/24


TEMPLE-SHAKINGNEWSFROMTHEGRANDLODGEOFENGLAND

There

are

no

secrets

in

Freemasonry,

says

Grand

Lodge

spokesperson.

The Grand Lodge of Englandthe U..G. .L..E..gearing up efforts for its 300thbirthday in 2017, has engaged the services of a Public Relations firm, Bondy

Consulting, to clarify and reframe the image of Freemasonry in the United

Kingdom. The message emanating from this PR push will have ripples

throughout their Grand Lodge, and possible throughout Masonry every-

where.

In essence, the new face of Masonry in the U.K. is one of total openness: As

stated by the head of Bondy Consulting, There are no secrets in Freema-

sonry. For a more definitive take on that sentiment, consider U. .G. .L. .E. .Grand Secretary Nigel Browns assertion, It would be intolerable for any Ma-

son to say, Im sorry, I cant tell you that.

In a June 17thU.K.Timesarticle, Grand Secretary Brown, who enjoyed the three evenings a year Masonic events took up prior to his appointmentto his current office, related that he was selected as the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England because they wanted somebody who

would run it as a business and open Freemasonry up so that people would realize what it was all about rather than what they thought it would be

about. The basis of his hire came to fruition, based on his statement quoted in the June 23rd

e-issue ofprweek.com, Freemasonry is now run as amodern business and it is important our communication reflects this. Thus, the hiring of Bondy Consultants.

Jessica Bondy, founder of the P.R. firm, stated, We have been appointed to combat common misconceptions including those of secrecy there are

no secret handshakesthis is one of the myths.

Amidst the blogosphere, there was swift, and largely negative, reaction to the U. .G. .L. .E. .announcement. W. .Br. .Chris Hodapp, author and guestspeaker at the most recent Session of the G. .L. .of VT, stated in his Freemasons For Dummies Blog, I admire UGLE for trying to shape the messagegoing out to the street. But they havent considered what that message needs to be. Other on-line sources for comment and commentary de-

nounced the move as an unfair distillation of the Craft to just another charity.

By Chris Murphy

Celebrating the best of the Craft on the Internet:

The Sanctum Sanctorum Forum: Visit www.thesanctumsanctorum.com for one of

the best interactive Masonic message boards available. T.S.S. provides a tyled on-line

forum for the discussion of all aspects of Freemasonry, from the esoteric, to the his-

toric, to the social, to the philosophic, to the aesthetic, to the humorous.

Lodge of Education: An easy-to-follow, menu-style web layout allows users to

swiftly find the areas of interest to them. For info on the deconstruction of symbolic

meanings in the craft, or insight on how to run a proper investigation of a Petitioner,

or to test your Masonic knowledge against a series of Degree-level quizzes, check out

www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com

Freemasons for Dummies: This is the blog of Masonic author, and guest speaker

at our most recent session of Grand Lodge, Chris Hodapp. For articles and essays on

the intricacies of Masonry in the past as well as the present, visit Bro.. Chris at

www.freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com.



21/24


I am sure we have all heard of them, Washington, Franklin, Hancock, Knox, Revere. The whole country can take pride in them for who

they were and what they did. As Masons, we can be doubly proud because these men were also brothers.

A largely forgotten fact is that Vermont was a country once. Until Vermont joined the Union in 1791 as the fourteenth state, it was

the Independent Republic of Vermont. As such, it had its founding fathers, too and it is no surprise that most were Masons. As I start

this paper, let me state right up front that Ethan Allen, the Father of Vermont, was not a Mason. Just as national historians would

love to make Thomas Jefferson a Mason, we in Vermont would like to make Ethan Allen a Mason. No evidence exists that proves ei-ther man was.

IRA ALLENIra Allen, Ethans brother, definitely was, however. He had much to do with early Vermont and was the main

force and architect behind the founding of the Republic of Vermont. He is considered the Godfather of Ver-

mont. He was a Green Mountain Boy. He was a very large landholder through his Onion River Land Com-

pany. He believed in education for the masses not just rich mens sons and in keeping with this thinking hefounded the University of Vermont.

Lodge Affiliation- Vermont Lodge

SETH WARNERWarner came to Bennington from Connecticut at age 22. He was a Green Mountain Boy and was closely associated with Ethan Allen.

He was with Allen at the taking of Fort Ticonderoga and was in charge of the siege at Crown Point. He commanded the American

forces at the Battle of Hubbardton, the only Revolutionary War battle fought on Vermont soil. After the Revolution he became a lead-ing citizen of Bennington.

Lodge affiliation- St. Johns Lodge No. 3 in Connecticut, and later Union Lodge No. 1 of Albany.

THOMAS CHITTENDENThis self-made man also played key roles in the early days of Vermont. During the American Revolution he

was Chairman of the Vermont Committee of Safety. He served as Governor for 13 of the 14 years that Ver-mont was an independent republic. When Vermont joined the Union as the 14thstate, Chittenden was Gover-

nor for the first seven years.

Lodge affiliation- he was Raised in Vermont Lodge the same night as Ira Allen. Later he served as the first

Master of Dorchester Lodge.



22/24


COLONEL JOHN CHIPMANChipman was the first settler of Middlebury. When war broke out he immediately joined the patriots and was also at Fort Ticonder-

oga. He rose to Captain and saw service in Canada. He was present when Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga. After the war he

served as the sheriff of Addison County.

Lodge affiliation- Charter Member of both Dorchester and Union Lodges; was the first Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge and

served for 3 years. In 1797 he was elected Grand Master and served until 1814.

DR JONAS FAYOne Stephen Fay came from Harwick, Massachusetts and established a tavern in

Bennington where the Green Mountain Boys often met. That was not his only

contribution, as he sired several sons that had much to do with establishing early

Vermont and also Freemasonry within its borders.

Our immediate Past Grand Master, Calvin K. Keyler, can be doubly proud of the

Fays, as he is a direct descendant of this family. Jonas Fay fought in the French

and Indian War. He participated in the Battle of Lake George, which ended the

French and Indian War to the benefit of the English.

When the land grants disputes erupted he became a Green Mountain Boy. He

was with Allen at Fort Ticonderoga as a surgeon. He was a member of the con-

vention that wrote the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Vermont.

He also served as Secretary of the Vermont Constitutional Convention and the

Vermont Committee of Safety. Later he served as a Supreme Court Judge. He

helped form and was the lead of the first medical society of Vermont.

Lodge affiliation- Entered- Master Lodge, Albany, NY; Passed-Vermont Lodge, Raised- Temple Lodge

JUDGE DAVID FAYJudge Fay was the brother of Jonas Fay. He fought in the Battle of Bennington at age 16. He went on to a brilliant law career. He

served on the Vermont Supreme Court and Thomas Jefferson appointed him U.S. District Attorney for Vermont. He was most active

in the formation of Grand Lodge in 1794. He served many years as its Secretary and firmly established this important office.

Lodge affiliation- North Star Lodge, Charter Member of Temple Lodge, and Master in 1796, 1797, and 1799

The above men were our brothers. Just look at what they did to establish this brave, little state of Vermont and to establish our be-

loved Fraternity with it. These men who went before us have made it easy to be Proud to be a Mason.

Your Green Mountain Freemason requests that you submit photos of interesting, ornate, beautiful,and/or otherwise captivating Masonic headstones of our Vermont brethren. The symbolism of our

Ancient Institution is often found decorating the final markers of the deceasedmuch more than

any other philosophic or social organization, and second only to strictly religious emblemsand

living in Vermont, we are fortunate to have some grave markers that predate even our own Na-

tion. Your G.M.F.will be spotlighting these stones in an upcoming issue, and we need your help.

Please submit your photos to your Editor, Chris Murphy, using the contact information found on

page 2. Thank you.



23/24


The Young Masons

Lodge, No. 111 will

hold its next Communi-

cation on November

29th at Franklin Lodge,

No. 4 in St. Albans.

Dinner will be served at

6:30, with labors to

commence at 7:30.

Secretary Tobin Win-

ters can be reached at

[email protected]

for further details.

The Winter

Communica-

tion of the

Edward J.

Wildblood

Jr. Vermont Lodge of

Research No. 110 is

tentatively scheduled for

February 15th, 2011.

Please contact R..W.. BobSenn at [email protected]

for further details.

The District 5 Poker Tournament, held on August 18th, at the Burlington Masonic Cen-ter, raised money for the Hinesburg Food Shelf, as well as provided an excellent inter-Lodge competition in the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship, described Bro. ChrisMcCalla, J..W.. Of Patriot Lodge No. 33, in Hinesburg. Bro. Chris continued, PatriotLodge originated this game as a challenge to the Washington Lodge to play cards fora gaudy trophy. The two Lodges working together turned it into a larger tourna-ment, where all Master Masons, regardless of lodge, are invited and welcome. Wor-shipful Master J.T. Henley of Patriot Lodge and Brother Chris Allen of Washington Lodgewere most influential in making this a very outstanding event.

The Brethren in Hinesburg are happy to lend their expertise to other Lodges looking to

set up similar poker tournaments, and Bro. Chris McCalla can be reached at 802-779-1413, or via e-mail at [email protected] for further details.

R..W.. Phil Morton, Geoff Grove, Marty BranchSUMMER 2 11: MOUNT ANTHONY LODGE NO. 13 HILL DEGREE & BENNINGTON MASONIC

TEMPLE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION !!



24/24


GREENMOUNT

AINFREEMASON

Non-ProfitOrg.

U.S.PostagePaid

Brattleboro,VT

05301

PermitNo.110

Publishedby

theGrandLodge

OfVermont

green mountain freemason, vol.31, issue 02

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