St. Patrick's Day

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Number 216 – March 16, 2009

St. Patrick’s Day
By W.B. Mark Campbell, LEO of Cataract Lodge #2
Minneapolis, MN

We will shortly don our green, display our shamrocks and many will drink green beverages in celebration of St. Patrick. Why? How did this celebration of Irishness, Catholicism and all things green come to happen? Who did it and why?

The story of St. Patrick begins in 385AD in Wales when Maewyn a pagan worshipper was born. As a youth Maewyn was sold into slavery and became the slave of Irish Marauders. While in servitude, Maewyn converted to the Roman Catholic faith and after six years escaped to the European continent. He entered Marmoutier Abbey, a monastery at Gaul (Tours, France) and studied under St. Germaine for twelve years.

While at the monastery he came to accept his calling to convert other pagans to Christianity. He desired to return to Ireland – but was passed over in favor of Palladius, the first Bishop of Ireland. After two unsuccessful years Palladius was transferred to Scotland and as Patrick, Maewyn’s adopted Christian name, he became the second Bishop of Ireland.

Patrick traveled Ireland for thirty years, establishing monasteries, schools and churches and successfully converting the Irish to Christianity. His efforts angered the controlling Druid priests and resulted in frequent arrests and persecution. Patrick prevailed and retired to County Down where he died on March 17, 461 at the age of 76.

The anniversary of his death has been adopted as a catholic holiday since as was the custom prior to formal canonization by Rome. As such it was originally a religious holiday acknowledging his efforts and success in converting the pagan Irish clans to Christianity.

Many folk tales have been spread of St. Patrick but few can be substantiated. One tells of Patrick’s use of the three leafed shamrock to teach the holy trinity of Christianity – the Father, Son and Holy spirit. His followers adopted the wearing of the shamrock to celebrate their saint on his day.

How does a pagan youth become of interest to Freemasons in the 21st Century?
The first American instance of celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was in 1737 in Boston. Boston – then as now – had a large Irish population and they desired to celebrate their heritage. No regular practice of secular celebration was established outside the church until 1756.

Lt. Col George Washington attached to the British Army had pushed his troops to exhaustion during the French and Indian war. They had labored for days without rest or recreation, and Col Washington, recognizing the large numbers of Irish among the infantry, declared the holiday as a day of celebration to allow the troops rest. In 1756 a celebration and feast was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in New York.

As a secular holiday, the first recorded event was when General Washington issued a proclamation declaring March 17, 1780 a holiday for the Continental Army – then quartered at Morristown, New Jersey. This was reportedly the first holiday in two years and was designed to honor those troops of Irish ancestry. Washington is said to have remarked that the holiday was an “act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.” This may have led to adoption of the holiday as an act of Irish nationalism more than the honoring of a catholic saint.

In Modern Ireland, the holiday remained a largely Christian religious event until 1995. Up to that time, the religious nature of the day caused a law closing all pubs and bars on March 17 to allow proper time for prayer and contemplation. In the interests of promoting tourism, Irish law was changed and parades and pub focused celebrations were introduced to capture additional travel dollars.

Today, there are 33.7 million Americans of Irish ancestry, Catholic and Protestant together, nine times the population of Ireland at 3.8 million

So as masons, we have one more thing to thank General Washington for – the American adoption of an ancient druid celebration by a pagan turned Christian Bishop, to commemorate his success in converting the Druids and celebration of Irish-American troops efforts to achieve independence in the 18th century.

Erin go bragh!

With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus

Alabama Historian Address

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Number 102 – December 25, 2006
GRAND HISTORIAN'S ADDRESS
James L. Gossett Grand Historian Grand Lodge of Alabama 1993
Most Worshipful Grand Master, I wish to express my appreciation for my appointment as Grand Historian and to state that I have enjoyed serving as a member of the Grand Lodge.
The 1992-93 Grand Lodge Officers have performed the cornerstone laying of Carbon Hill Lodge No. 494 at Carbon Hill and the dedication of Littleville Lodge No. 881 at Littleville.
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest order in the world. Since Freemasonry is a society of friends and brothers, it fits the definition of a fraternity. For centuries, Masons have opposed preju­dice, spiritual abuse, and political tyranny. Masons have stood for integrity, freedom, and individual dignity. Freemasons take pride in the part which the Fraternity has played in the history of America. Masons have been prominent in government, science, sports, entertainment, and man's newest field of space exploration. Masons believe in a Supreme Being, in morality, and a practice of charity. Therefore, Masons welcome a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist or a Moslem.
One of Freemasonry's objectives is the making of better men. This is accomplished through teaching. Masonry tries to inculcate in the minds of those who come into it some of those virtues which are recognized as prerequisites for a better life. Its teachings include brotherhood, morality, justice, tolerance, citizenship, education and freedom of ideas, religious choice, and freedom of expression. The primary objective of a Masonic Lodge should be to train its members to understand the truths taught by its rituals and ceremonies. Brothers working individually and collectively toward the objective of Masonry can add much to the fraternity and leave the world in better condi­tion for our brothers of tomorrow.
Freemasonry came to America about the third decade of the Eighteenth Century. St. John's Lodge at Boston, Massachusetts, established in 1733, is the oldest Lodge on the North American Continent. Masonic qualities have been demonstrated by our brothers since the beginning of the fra­ternity. George Washington was proud of his Masonic Membership, saying, "The object of Freema­sonry is to promote the happiness of the human race." Washington's Masonic background was a significant part of his philosophy of life. In fact, when he took the oath of office as President, George Washington was serving as Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22. Despite his overwhelm­ing obligations as Commander of the American Army and later as President of the United States, Brother George Washington was an active member throughout his public life and into his retire­ment.
Freemasons laid the Cornerstone of the United States Capitol on September 18, 1793. Two hundred years later the Grand Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia reenacted this historic ceremony in Washington, D. C. to commemorate the bicentennial of the U. S. Capitol on September 18, 1993. Today, with many additions and remodeling, the United States Capitol is one of the most beautiful and widely recognized structures in the world. To the people of these United States it continues to symbolize life, liberty and happiness.
Masonic Light first came to Alabama with the establishment of Madison Lodge No. 21, under a dispensation issued by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky in 1811. Alabama was admitted to the Union in 1819. Madison Lodge No. 21 and Alabama Lodge No. 21 assisted in forming the Grand Lodge of Alabama in 1821 and were re-designated as Madison No. 1 and Alabama No. 2, respectively. The first Grand Lodge of Alabama Annual Communication was held at Cahaba on December 11, 1821. In 1822, Alabama No. 2 changed its name to Bethesda No. 2. In 1824, Madison No. 1 and Bethesda No. 2 combined to form the lodge that continues to exist as Helion Lodge No. 1, Huntsville, Alabama.
The Southern Baptist Convention of June 15 - 17, 1993, was attended by 17,886 messengers in Houston, Texas. Concerning Freemasonry, messengers overwhelmingly approved a Home Mission Board report that stopped short of condemning Freemasonry. This Home Mission Board report had been directed by The 1992 Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The report states: "In light of the fact that many tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are not compatible with Chris­tianity and Southern Baptist doctrine, while others are compatible with Christianity and Southern Baptist doctrine, we therefore recommend that consistent with our denomination's deep convictions regarding the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church, membership in a Masonic Order be a matter of personal conscience." The recommendation also urged Baptists to "prayerfully and carefully evaluate Freemasonry in light of the Lordship of Christ, the teachings of Scripture, and the findings of this report, as led by the Holy Spirit of God."
The real worth of a Mason can never be measured in the opinion of others or in the Masonic Honors he has attained. The standard by which a Mason must be judged is by his own evaluation of his conduct and by the principles which he knows to be unchanging. As you journey through life, you I will take your cue from the beat of the drum. This feeling has been well expressed by Brother Gordon T. Hallmark in the poem that follows:

The Beat of the Drum
Each life has a beat that it follows; We call it the beat of the drum, And once the rhythm has started, The melody's sure to come.
It may be the beat of another, It may be a beat of our own, It may be a high pitched frequency, Or it may be a lower tone.
And all through our lives we must follow the beat which has come to our mind, To give our lives cadence and meaning, Our purpose in life so to find.
For our purpose is life's direction, Our life's goal it would be for some; So listen as soul and you'll hear it, The beat, beat, beat of the drum.


More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,
Ed Halpaus

Anzac Day

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Number 68 – April 24, 2006
Anzac Day
By Ed Halpaus, MPS, life

April 25th of each year is Anzac Day.

Anzac Day is a day set aside in Australia and New Zealand to honor the Anzac Forces who fought and died on the Gallipoli Peninsula in the First World War. “Anzac” stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The Anzac forces landed on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 where they engaged the enemy, and that campaign carried on in battle for Eight Months; the actual battle lasted eight months.

The casualties were 33,000, including 8,000 New Zealanders and 7,000 Australians. Out of the 10,000 New Zealanders who fought at Gallipoli 3,000 were killed and 5,000 were wounded, there were also over 7,000 Australians who were killed or wounded: All this in an Eight-Month Battle. So you can see why April 25th is set aside as Anzac Day to honor the Veterans of that battle.

April 25th was first recognized as Anzac Day in 1916. I’m, told a typical Anzac Day
Service would begin with Hymns and Prayers, it would include an address by someone on the history, and significance of what Anzac Day is commemorating, the Laying of Wreaths, and the singing of the National Anthem. Not unlike the services put on in the U.S.A. by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars for Memorial Day, and Veterans Day.

Back in June of 2002 I got an informative E-mail from Most Worshipful Brother Donald M. Severson, Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Minnesota in 1978-79 the following is some of what he wrote to me:

“In 1979, during my year as Grand Master, I had the opportunity to represent The Grand Lodge of Minnesota at an International Masonic Festival held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ”Needless to say, there were many exciting and educational events held during this ten day event, including the dedication of a new Masonic Temple in downtown Sydney, preceded by a huge, grand procession through the streets of downtown Sydney. Thousands of Masons in full regalia; What a magnificent sight!!! Eighteen sitting Grand Masters along with the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales led the procession.”A highlight was the occasion of being personally introduced to an elderly Brother of a local Lodge, that was visited in a group, as part of the Grand Lodge program. I had noticed earlier in the evening that he was treated with great deference and respect. I inquired as to his status: Past Master; Past Grand Officer? - None of the above. I was then escorted to him by the W.M. of the Lodge and formally introduced. He was a veteran/survivor of the Battle of Gallipoli!!! I was astounded and humbled at the opportunity to meet this Brother. It was like meeting and shaking hands with General John J. Pershing or President Theodore Roosevelt, going back in time so to speak.
”Australian and New Zealand veterans are held in very high esteem in their respective countries.”It was 23 years ago this last March, [March 2002] and I still look back on my year and this event with great pleasure.”[i]

The last of the original members of the Anzac Forces to die was Albert Edward Matthews. He was called Ted. He was born November 11, 1896 and died December 09, 1997 at the age of 101; he was the last original member of the Anzac forces who landed on Gallipoli on April 15th 1915.
Ted Matthews was quoted on his 101st Birthday as saying that he left school at 14 to become a carpenter. When he was 17 it was his knowledge of Morse Code that got him an early entry to 1st Division Signals. "I signed up when I was young and impulsive and stupid" Mr. Matthews said. He was 18 when he landed at Gallipoli, and he would not have seen his 19th birthday if he had not been carrying a thick pocketbook his mother gave him. “It bore the brunt of Turkish shrapnel in the chest a few hours after landing.”[ii]

“Not only was he one of the first ashore at Gallipoli but he was one of the last to leave after the aborted eight month campaign that left 11,410 Anzacs dead. He saw out the entire four years of WWI later serving in France and Belgium.”[iii]Out of the Battle of Gallipoli came something that is called “Anzac Biscuits.” The Anzac Biscuit was a cookie that the Soldiers of the Anzac Forces had for snacks; it was something sweet and nourishing they could carry with them while on the line and in camp. There are a couple of stories on how these cookies came to be.

One version is that the women “Back Home” would make them and sell them to raise money for the assistance of the veterans when they returned home. However, when they were purchased many of the cookies, if not most of them, were sent to the Anzac Troops by their Families.

Another version is that the Army Cooks invented them out of the materials they had on hand in camp to make something like dessert for the Anzac troops. One thing that both versions of the legend of the Anzac Biscuits have in common is that the Anzac Biscuit is a ‘tough cookie’ that is made out of simple ingredients.

Being that the Anzac Biscuit was a ‘Tough Cookie,’ it could be packed and shipped from
“home” to the front and get there in fairly good shape even if the package was not handled to gently. Also, for the other version of the story is that, being a ‘Tough Cookie’ made from simple ingredients that an Army Cook would have on hand; a Soldier could put some of the Anzac Biscuits in his pocket or his pack and carry it with him in battle and when time permitted he could have a snack of something that would still be intact, and taste good.

Well, no matter which story of the origin one might have a preference for, the Anzac
Biscuit is a Great Cookie that is enjoyed by all.

The recipe is not complicated and it uses ingredients that are found in most kitchens. Because of the lack of space here I wont include it, but you can find it on my Recipe Site at http://wwwrecipecircus.com/recipes/Leo When you get to the site, click on Cookies then printout the recipe for Anzac Biscuits and also for Cane Syrup; Cane Syrup is needed for the Anzac Biscuit Recipe. You might want to explore the site; there could be other recipes you’ll like too.

There is time to make the Anzac Biscuits to have to commemorate Anzac Day and when you do you will be enjoying some of the same ‘good eats’ the men of the Anzac Forces had on Gallipoli in 1915. So you have a good recipe to try and a little information about Anzac Day.

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally, Ed Halpaus
[i] E-mail 06/04/02 Donald M. Severson Sr.
[ii] http://www.ozbird.com
[iii] ibid

Theodore Roosevelt

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Number 59 – February 20, 2006

From “Four Minute Essays” by Dr. Frank Crane – Volume 9 – 1919

In honor of President’s Day here in the United States a short Essay on Brother Theodore Roosevelt.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT
By Dr. Frank Crane

THEODORE ROOSEVELT is dead.
He has stepped from the midst of controversy and taken his place among the immortals, against whom no man can speak.
For the moment, the conflict ceases, friend and foe stand with bared heads to do homage to a great and valiant soul.
There is a sudden and loyal silence throughout all the hosts. For no man has ever been more a part of every man in the United States than Theodore Roosevelt.
His friends will rush no more quickly to speak his praise than his enemies.
For he was a man's man, and it was a joy to fight him, as well as to agree with him.
His spirit was a fierce and beautiful flame.
His opinions were simple, and always avowed with the wholeness and self-abandon of a true believer.
He would have made a wonderful knight in the days of Charlemagne, a fair and worthy companion to Roland.
He conceived of life, of duty, and even of love in terms of conflict. His make-up was militant. But his conceptions were al­ways sincere.
His chief characteristic was courage. Whatever may have been charged against him in the extravagances of dispute, his bit­terest foe must confess that he was to the last a warrior unafraid.
And that quality of fearlessness, that in­domitable bravery, when lodged in this weak humanity, is always a thing of beauty, a little spark of God. We love it. We re­spect it just for itself. It is the great worth­while thing in an immortal soul.
So he was a friend, conceived of as a friend, in a passionate and personal way, as no other statesman of American history, except Lincoln.
He was very near to the American heart. And even in the stormy days of these vast issues that have swept beyond him, the tribute of respect that this people pays to him will be honest and profound.
He had a public mind and gave himself to the service of the people with a singleness of purpose that will be an inspiration to American youth.
He was thoroughly human. He was frank, overfrank sometimes, but we love the man whose heart outruns him.
Kings may pass and be followed to their graves with "the boast of heraldry, the pomp of power." Presidents and premiers may die and their statues be set up in halls of fame; but none will go from the midst of the living and leave a sense of deeper personal loss than this splendid man, this impetuous companion, who has been snatched by death from the intimate affec­tion of a great people. The Bull Moose has made his last charge.
The Rough Rider has led his last assault.
Bwana Tumbo, the mighty hunter, is back from this perilous expedition we call Life, and is gone home.
Friends and opponents, with equal earnestness, cry out, "God rest his soul!"
Upon his tomb there can be inscribed an epitaph, than which there can be no nobler, no prouder, no truer tribute,
"Here lies a real American."

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3’, in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,
Ed Halpaus

Booker T. Washington

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Number 58 – February 13, 2006


Brother Booker T. Washington, (the ‘T’ stands for Taliaferro,) was made a Mason at sight by the Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Brother Washington graduated from Hampton Institute in 1875, and received honorary degrees from Harvard and Dartmouth colleges. He founded Tuskegee Institute in 1884 and was its President. As a nationally know writer, educator, leader and speaker he authored many books and spoke widely on racial and educational subjects. He was steadfast in his efforts to improve economic independence through improvement in the education of African Americans. At times his methods were the subject of debate among his peers. It is because of everything he did to improve education and the economic well-being of African Americans that he is so-well remembered today.

In Brother Washington’s essay “Industrial Education for the Negro” he said in part: “Many seem to think that industrial education is meant to make the Negro work as he worked in the days of slavery. This is far from my conception of industrial education. If this training is worth anything to the Negro, it consists in teaching him how not to work, but how to make the forces of nature – air, steam, water, horse-power and electricity – work for him. If it has any value it is in lifting labor up out of toil and drudgery into the plane of the dignified and the beautiful. The Negro in the South works and works hard; but too often his ignorance and lack of skill causes him to do his work in the most costly and [unproductive] manner and this keeps him near the bottom of the ladder in the economic world.”

In one of the speeches he gave in his lifetime he told this story:

“A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal, ‘water, water; we die of thirst!’ the answer from the friendly vessel at once came back ‘cast down your bucket where you are.’ A second time the signal ‘water, water; send us water!’ ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered, ‘cast down your bucket where you are.’ And a third and fourth signal for water was answered, ‘cast down your bucket where you are.”

“The Captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh water from the mouth of the Amazon river.”

“To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in a foreign land or who underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the southern white man who is their next door neighbor, I would say: ‘Cast down your bucket where you are’ – cast it down in making friends in every manly way, of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded.”

Sources: Denslow’s 10,000 famous Freemasons: Tidbits, North Metro edition Twin Cities; The Complete Idiot’s Guide to African American History.

“Our people have made the mistake of confusing the methods with the objectives. As long as we agree on objectives, we should never fall out with each other just because we believe in different methods, or tactics, or strategy.” Malcolm X

“To be a champ, you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will.”
Brother “Sugar Ray” Robinson, member Joppa Lodge 55 PHA New York, city, NY

“I, myself, being one who was lost and dead, buried here in the rubbish of the west, in the thickest darkness of sin and ignorance, (hoodwinked by the false teachings of the slave-master,) am able to stand upright today; perpendicular, on the square with my God, (Allah,) and my own kind; raised from the ignorant death.” El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz: Born Malcolm Little in 1925 --- Malcolm X

“How far you go in life depends on you’re being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and strong: Because someday in life you will have been all of these.” George Washington Carver.

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3’, in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Brother Nelson A. Miles

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Number 54 – January 16, 2006
From a now unknown source on the internet, and Denslow’s 10,000 Famous Freemasons.

Brother Nelson Appleton Miles
(August 8, 1839 - May 15, 1925)
Called a "brave peacock" by Masonic Brother & President Theodore Roosevelt toward the end of his service, General Nelson A. Miles no doubt felt he had cause to be proud of his accomplishments in a career that had lifted a volunteer infantryman to the office of commander of the army.

Born on his family's Massachusetts farm, Miles was a clerk in a crockery store when the Civil War broke out. He joined the army as a volunteer and fought for the Union in some of the war's most crucial battles, including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and the Appomattox campaign. Wounded four times, he rose in rank to become a major general of volunteers and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his personal bravery at Chancellorsville.
After the Civil War, Miles played a leading role in nearly every phase of the army's campaign against the tribes of the Great Plains. In 1874-1875, he was a field commander in the force that defeated the Kiowa, Comanche and Southern Cheyenne along the Red River. In 1876-1877, he led the winter campaign that scoured the northern Plains after Custer's defeat at the Little Bighorn, forcing the Lakota and their allies onto reservations. Then, in the winter of 1877, he drove his troops on a forced march across Montana to intercept the Nez Percé band led by Chief Joseph that had eluded or defeated every unit sent against it over the course of a 1,500 mile retreat from Oregon to the Canadian border. Throughout the rest of his career Miles would quarrel with General Oliver O. Howard, whose troops had doggedly pursued the Nez Percé over those 1,500 miles, as to who rightly deserved the credit for Joseph's capture.

Miles earned the scorn of another fellow officer in 1886, when he replaced General George Crook as commander of the campaign against Geronimo in Arizona. Crook had relied heavily on Apache scouts in his efforts to capture the Chiricahua leader, but Miles replaced them with white troops who eventually traveled over three thousand miles trailing Geronimo and his band through the torturous Sierra Madre Mountains. Finally, Miles sent Apache scouts to help negotiate a surrender, under the terms of which Geronimo and his followers were exiled to confinement on a Florida reservation. Miles exiled his Apache scouts to Florida as well, although they were officially enlisted members of the army, and it was for this betrayal of troops who had served them both loyally that Crook never forgave him.

The 1890 Ghost Dance "uprising" on the Lakota reservations brought Miles back into the field once again. In an effort to restore peace throughout the area, Miles directed troop movements that inadvertently panicked many Lakota bands into leaving their reservations and led both to Sitting Bull's death and to the massacre of Big Foot's band at Wounded Knee. Miles reacted to these developments by working aggressively to implement his longstanding belief that the Lakota should be forcibly disarmed and placed under military control.

In his later years, Miles commanded the troops that put down the Pullman strike riots in 1894, and was commander of the army during the Spanish-American War. He retired from service in 1903, confirmed in his belief that graduates of West Point had an unfair advantage in promotion and were on the whole less capable of command than those who rose through the ranks as he had.



Raised a Master Mason in Southern California Lodge #278 February 20, 1888, and he took his Scottish Rite degrees in Washington, D.C.

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,

Ed Halpaus

Tecumseh

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Number 52 – January 2, 2006


Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian Chief; he lived from 1768 to 1813. As a Warrior he was opposed to cruelty, and he had a reputation for keeping his word as well as for being a wise individual.

Brother Denslow in his book “10,000 Famous Freemasons” says that some claim Tecumseh was made a Mason in Pennsylvania, but no proof has been found to substantiate this. However, Tecumseh Lodge in New York was named for him.

Certainly by the statements that are attributed to him, he appeared to be the kind of man that could very well have been initiated into Freemasonry had he and the opportunity met.

From http://liberty-tree.ca/ here is a talk Tecumseh once gave. Good advice from a wise man.



"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.Trouble no one about his religion.Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to foolsand robs the spirit of its vision.When your time comes to die,be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death,so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more timeto live their lives over again in a different way.Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home."

Tecumseh

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3’, in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,
Ed Halpaus

Albert Pike

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Number 2 -- January 17, 2005

On January 6, 1910 the centennial celebration of the birth of Albert Pike was held at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. Brother Albert Pike was born December 29, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, so while the celebration in 1910 was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, this past December 29th was the 195th anniversary of his birth.

For the 100th anniversary there was a program of the day’s events produced in the form of a souvenir book, which contains the orations of the Brothers who spoke that day. Brother and Reverend Dr. Abram Simon 33° spoke about Albert Pike, The Prophet of Masonry. In Brother Simon’s oration he mentioned Freemasonry and religion, which I will reproduce here; I think it is interesting.

Brother Simon begins his piece telling us what he means by prophet: “A prophet is the creator of one and the creature of the newer age. He represents the culmination of past forces, and the starting point of the new epoch. He does not build entirely new landmarks, nor does he even uproot the old. He removes the crumbling stones or rotting timber, to fit them with fresh material as a better protection and signpost. Upon the foundations of the past he builds a lordlier structure, bearing throughout the stamp of his individuality. While listening to the call of the past as well as to that of the present, it is the voice of his imperious conscience which has the most insistent and eloquent power. Everything is stamped with the die of his splendid personality. What he does is not new; it is renewed.”

“Without calling Masonry a religion, he took it as seriously as if it were one. He sincerely felt that it bore the impress, the signet, the sanction of God. He believed in its future destiny as one of the world’s greatest levers for the uprooting of error, superstition, and hatred. He made it more possible for thousands of men of variant creeds to meet in the Capitol of universal democracy and civic patriotism. Many stones were cast at him and at his message; but Albert Pike, the Mason, covering these stones with the structural mortar of fraternity, squaring and plumbing them along the line of righteous toleration, fitted them accurately and consistently into the edifice of speculative Masonry.”

“Hence, Masonry stands to-day between the church and the state with its two arms around the necks of both in friendly and cooperative embrace. No sect, no party, no home needs fear the entrance, the enthusiasm, and the ethical persuasion of Masonry. To all religions, to all governments, to all human institutions Masonry holds aloft the welcoming torch, blazing forth this appeal; ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of God.”

“A slab in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, marking the resting-place of its famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren, contains this very appropriate epitaph: “Si monumentum requires, circumspice” – ‘if you would seek his monument, look about you.”

“See ye now the monument of him who found Masonry hoary with ancient tradition and left it drinking at the fount of Perpetual Youth? Look ye for any one structure or stately pile of stone? Ye look in vain! Seek ye rather the monument which he himself has reared during his own lifetime, and carved out of the quarry of his adamantine spirit, and with the diamond pointed chisel of his intellect! Brothers he himself has shown you where to find it. He once wrote, “When I am dead I wish that my monument be builded only in the hearts and memories of my brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.” Now, seek ye his monument! Look about you! The great Masonic Temple, built of thousands of throbbing human beings; the great Masonic Temple, reared on the lands of the entire inhabited globe; the great Masonic Temple down whose vaulted aisles the swelling anthem of fraternity rolls in widening waves of rhythmic power, is the breathing, exulting, triumphant, monument to Albert Pike, the Prophet of Masonry.”

“More Light – Mehr Licht” is sent out by E-mail no more often than weekly and no less than monthly. If you enjoy this publication please share it with others. To subscribe send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with subscribe, or 'all3' in the subject box and you will be added to the list to receive it.

Fraternally,

Ed Halpaus

Benjamin Franklin

Mehr Licht!
More Light!

Number 1 -- January 11, 2005

From the book “From Boyhood to Manhood – Life of Benjamin Franklin” by William M. Thayer, (William Makepeace)

In 1738 Brother Franklin’s parents had become concerned about him and his ideas, and wrote to him about it. The author of the book tells us the letter from his parents was not preserved, but the letter Brother Franklin wrote in response was preserved. His letter to them shows our Brother to be more reverent and thoughtful that they thought he was; which I am sure brought them great relief. The letters also show his high regard for his parents, which also is what one would expect from a Freemason. Here is his letter.

"PHILADELPHIA, April 13, 1738.

"Honored Father,
I have your favors of the 21st of March, in which you both seem concerned lest I have imbibed some erroneous opinions. Doubtless I have my share, and when the natural weakness and imperfection of human understanding is considered, the unavoidable influence of education, custom, books, and company, upon our ways of thinking, I imagine a man must have a good deal of vanity who believes, and a good deal of boldness who affirms, that all the doctrines he holds are true, and all he rejects are false. And, perhaps, the same may be justly said of every sect, church, and society of men, when they assume to themselves that infallibility which they deny to the pope and councils.
"I think opinions should be judged of by their influences and effects; and if man holds none that tend to make him less virtuous or more vicious, it may be concluded he holds none that are dangerous, which, I hope, is the case with me.
"I am sorry you should have any uneasiness on my account, and, if it were a thing possible for one to alter his opinions in order to please another's, I know none whom I ought more willingly to oblige in that respect than yourselves. But, since it is no more in a man's power to think than to look like another, methinks all that should be expected from me is to keep my mind open to conviction; to hear patiently, and examine attentively, whatever is offered me for that end; and, if after all I continue in the same errors, I believe your usual charity will induce you rather to pity and excuse than blame me; in the mean time your care and concern for me is what I am very thankful for.
"My mother grieves that one of her sons is an Arian, another an Arminian; what an Arminian or an Arian is, I can not say that I very well know. The truth is, I make such distinctions very little my study. I think vital religion has always suffered when orthodoxy is more regarded than virtue; and the Scriptures assure me that at the last day we shall not be examined what we thought, but what we did; and our recommendation will not be that we said, Lord! Lord! but that we did good to our fellow-creatures. See Matt. xx.
"As to the free masons, I know no way of giving my mother a better account of them than she seems to have at present (since it is not allowed that women should be admitted into that secret society). She has, I must confess, on that account, some reason to be displeased with it; but, for any thing else, I must entreat her to suspend her judgment till she is better informed, unless she will believe me when I assure her that they are in general a very harmless sort of people, and have no principles or practices that are inconsistent with religion and good manners.

"B. FRANKLIN."

Every now and then I come across information that I think Masons will be interested in. That is what the publication More Light is for. More Light or Mehr Licht is a new publication for information that you can subscribe to. It will be published no more often than once a week but at least once a month. If you like “More Light” please share it with others. To subscribe just send an e-mail to ed@halpaus.net with subscribe, or 'all 3, in the subject box and I will add you to the list to receive it.

Fraternally,
Ed Halpaus