Jim Tresner, 33°, G.C.
PO Box 70, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044–0070
Book Reviews Editor, The Scottish Rite Journal

Since this month's column speaks of the tools of the Craft on video and in a book, let me add one more medium. The painting Tools of the Craft (pictured right) by Bro. Robert H. White, 32°, is one of my favorite artworks. A beautifully framed copy hangs in our Grand Lodge Library in Guthrie, Oklahoma, just a short distance from my office. I frequently seek out the library to read the books noted in this column, and during these quiet moments, it a pleasure to let my eye wander over the library's copy of this print. Its Masonic significance, wonderful color, and play of light and shadow are truly amazing. (For those interested in obtaining a copy, color prints of "Tools of the Craft," overall size 22" x 33", in a limited edition signed and numbered by the artist, may be obtained for a contribution of $100.00 per print, check payable to The Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., USA. Send to: The Supreme Council, 1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103. For VISA or MasterCard orders, call 202–232–3879, ext. 136.)

By definition, a tool is something you use while doing something else. Tools are utilitarian. A tool which doesn't work isn't a tool.

But tools can also be things of great intrinsic beauty, sought after by collectors and proudly displayed. Just as the carpenter's tools are used in woodworking and the tools of the tailor are used in his profession, so the tools of Freemasonry are used in the work of Masonry—the growth and development of the intellect and the moral, ethical sense.

Tools of the Craft, Masonic Library and Museum, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, 3-videotape set $45.00 or D.V.D. $25.00 (6% tax for Pennsylvania residents) plus $6.00 s/h per video set or D.V.D. Available from: Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania, Attn: Gift Shop, 1 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107–2520. Call-in orders: (800) 336–7317

Tools of the Craft is a set of three educational videotapes produced by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. They are simply first rate, and I'd recommend adding them to your library. They are listed as being for "candidate education," and I have no doubt they would do that very well. But there is much here for the longtime Mason as well. Tape #1 is entitled "What It Means To Be a Pennsylvania Mason." While some of the information applies to Pennsylvania, most of it applies to a Mason from any jurisdiction. Lend this tape to a friend who asks you what you get out of Masonry or why you are a Mason. There are some good answers here.

The second tape is entitled "Clearing the Air: Freemasonry, Religion, and Secrecy." This is a clear, easy-to-follow discussion about the Fraternity, secrecy, and the charge that we are some sort of religious cult. Those of us who are Masons know just how preposterous such assertions are, but non-Masons don't always see the reality of the situation, especially when bombarded by material from the anti-Masons (which proves, if nothing else, that the technique of the "Big Lie" still works). Lend this tape to a friend who asks you if Masonry is a cult or who asks, "Why are there so many secrets?"

The third tape is "The Gifts of Freemasonry." Again, while part of the tape is focused on Pennsylvania, most of it applies anywhere. This tape talks about the rewards of being a Mason—both what individual Masons get out of it and how Masonry benefits society as a whole. It makes you feel good. Lend this tape to anyone who wonders about what Masons do and why we do it. The Pennsylvania Brethren are to be congratulated on this fine production. You will enjoy seeing it and sharing your personal set with others individually or with your Lodge or Temple as a fine program.

A Trilogy: Inner Journey to the East; Meditations of a Master Mason Along the Way; Masonry for the Millennium by Ill. George R. Adams, 33°, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, paperbound, 203 pages with illustrations, $29.95, including s&h. To order, send check to SELFormation Corporation, PO Box 577, Glen Echo, MD 20812–9998. For more information e-mail george@selformation.com

Here is another fine tool for your own growth and understanding. This volume contains three separate but related books bound in one cover. Inner Journey to the East discusses many of the symbols of Masonry as they relate to the inner transformation, which is the goal of the Fraternity. Meditation of a Master Mason Along the Way is just that, a series of short meditations about life and self-development, expressed in Masonic terms. The third book, Masonry for the Millennium, discusses the significance of Masonry for society in the 21st Century and the importance of the values Freemasonry brings to that world. I enjoyed reading A Trilogy; I think you will, too.

Masonic Information for Stated Meetings compiled by Jack R. Levitt, P.G.M. of California, 21-page booklet, $1 each; 5 to 14 copies @ $.80 cents each; 15 or more copies at $.60 each. Order from: Southern California Research Lodge, Book Department, PO Box 939, Ashland, OR 97520. Note that a larger-print edition is available for $5.00 each. All order prices include s&h.

Finally this month, a little jewel of a booklet available from the Southern California Research Lodge. I hope you are on their mailing list. The Southern California Research Lodge has some of the best Masonic books available at the best prices you will ever find. This booklet is a remarkable value. While, as the title suggests, it has short passages, which can be read during a stated meeting (and a fine idea that is!), it is also a great resource for your personal reading. It's a small book, but it grows larger each time you read it. There is a lot of meat in this very small package.

Jim Tresner is Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute and Editor of The Oklahoma Mason. A frequent contributor to the Scottish Rite Journal and its book review editor, Illustrious Brother Tresner is also a volunteer writer for The Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason and a video script consultant for the National Masonic Renewal Committee. He is the Director of the Thirty-third Degree Conferral Team and Director of Work at the Guthrie Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as well as a life member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, author of the popular anecdotal biography Albert Pike, The Man Beyond the Monument, and a member of the steering committee of the Masonic Information Center. Ill. Tresner was awarded the Grand Cross, the Scottish Rite's highest honor, during the Supreme Council's October 1997 Biennial Session.