June 1999

Second Mel Tillis Benefit Concert In Branson, Missouri  | National Portrait Gallery Features Masonic Portrait Of Washington | Deputy  Wriston   Honored  | World's Largest Masonic Emblem  | A Day The Civil War Stopped | Masonic Visibility In Pensacola | General Chester E. McCarty,  33°, Grand Cross, 1905–99 | Ill. Thomas S. Perry, 33°, 1916–99

Illustrious Mel Tillis, 33°, renowned country music singer, has graciously agreed to perform  a second Benefit Concert in Branson, Missouri, on Monday, October 11, 1999, at 8:00 pm. The concert will feature Mel and some very special members of his family. As before, there will be a guest appearance by Mrs. Dorothy Ives (widow of Ill. Burl Ives, 33°, Grand Cross) and a greeting by Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°.

Concert proceeds will be split 50/50 this year by a special agreement between Mrs. Dorothy Ives and Brother Mel. Half of the proceeds will go to the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., to provide funding for the maintenance of the Burl Ives Collection which is displayed in the Scottish Rite Museum/Library in the House of the Temple, Washington, D.C. The other half of the proceeds will go to the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc., to be distributed, on a pro-rated basis, for the benefit of local Scottish Rite clinics, to Valleys who have sold concert tickets.

Tickets for the Mel Tillis performance are $30.00 each, and the cost is tax-deductible. To purchase tickets and sit with the Scottish Rite group, mention "the Supreme Council" when calling 1–417–335–6635 or writing to the Mel Tillis Theater, PO Box 1630, Branson, MO 65615–1630.

For hotel accommodations at special rates of $45 to $69 a night, please mention "The Benefit Concert at the Mel Tillis Theater" when calling the following hotels (use area code 417): The Barrington (334–8866), Branson Towers (336–4500), Foxborough Inn (335–4369), Guest House (336–3132), or Tara Inn (334–8272)

An amazing 62 other concerts and theatrical performances are scheduled in Branson during the weekend of October 9–10. Thus, attending the Mel Tillis concert can be combined with a wide variety of other entertainments. For shows and schedules, call Ozark Ticket & Travel toll free at 888–752–7267.

For information on the Web about lodging and attractions in Branson, Missouri, visit www.branson.com or www.branson.net. 

The William Joseph Williams portrait of George Washington in Masonic regalia is featured both on the Internet (www.npg.si.edu/exh/gw/masons.htm) and at the National Portrait Gallery itself in Washington, D.C. The original pastel-on-paper Masonic portrait of Washington is in the possession of Alexandria–Washington Lodge No. 22, Alexandria, Virginia. Titled "George and Martha Washington, Portraits from the Presidential Years," the exhibit is open free to the public until August 8, 1999, and includes, as follows, an interesting description of the Williams portrait.

"In July 1792, Washington turned down a request for a sitting from American artist William Joseph Williams, telling Governor Henry Lee of Virginia: ‘I am so heartily tired of the attendance which, from one cause or another, I have bestowed on these kind of people, that it is now more than two years since I have resolved to sit no more for any of them; and have adhered to it; except in instances where it has been requested by public bodies, or for a particular purpose (not the Painter's) and could not, without offence, be refused,’…. Williams then offered to paint Washington's portrait for the Alexandria (Virginia) Masonic Lodge No. 22. Lodge officers wrote Washington in 1793 that it would be ‘a source of the most refined gratification the tracing out and contemplating [of] the various ornaments of his character in the resemblance of his person.’ Williams's portrait shows Washington as a Virginia Past Master, with Masonic regalia and jewels. Williams's careful depiction includes a scar on Washington's left cheek, smallpox scars on his nose and cheeks, and a mole under his right ear."

Numbered, limited edition 24" x 30" lithographs in full color of the Williams portrait of Washington are available from: Alexandria–Washington Lodge Gift Shop, The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, VA 22301. Tel. 703–549–9234 $100.00 + $5.00 s/h; MasterCard and VISA accepted. 

The April 1999 issue of Honolulu, The Magazine Hawaii Lives By (pictured right) features Ill. A. James Wriston Jr., 33°, Deputy in Hawaii, on its cover. Ill. Wriston, of the firm Ashford & Wriston, is also one of the six pictured lawyers in the issue's article titled "The Best Lawyers in Hawaii, 1999." The article notes: "Depending on which real estate law hat he's wearing, A. James Wriston Jr. may be the last guy you want to hear from—or your best friend….Wriston says there is still money to be made in Hawaii real estate. ‘If you do it carefully—know the market well, don't overpay for a property, control development costs—it can work out quite nicely.’" Congratulations, Deputy Wriston on this fine public recognition of your professional, Masonic, and Scottish Rite leadership.

Freemasons from throughout the United States will converge on Washington, D.C., on Saturday, June 26, 1999, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of George Washington, the nation's first President, the Father of our Country, and America's foremost Freemason. To mark the occasion, special events will be held at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, including the dedication of the world's largest Masonic emblem, (drawing right) which has been constructed in front of the Memorial. The emblem, a Square and Compasses, which clearly identifies the Memorial as a Masonic building, is 60 feet wide and 70 feet long, rests at a 33-degree angle, and is visible from the streets of Alexandria and from airplanes traveling in and out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

A dedication plaque will be mounted at the base of the emblem, with a list of individuals who contributed $1,000 or more and the Grand Lodges that contributed significantly to its construction, which is now completed. By Commemoration Day, landscaping around the emblem and the entire Memorial grounds also will be finished.

The Grand Lodge of Virginia will dedicate the emblem at 3:00 pm, June 26, as the focal point of the activities planned to honor the memory of George Washington. Following the dedication ceremonies, a concert by the U.S. Army Band will be held on the grounds of the Memorial. A picnic-style dinner will be served from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, and the day will conclude with a fireworks display in front of the Memorial. Tours of the Memorial will be available from 9:00 am. to 5:00 pm, but will be limited because of the anticipated large crowds. All Freemasons and their families, as well as the general public, are invited to attend this historic Commemoration Day event. 

On June 13, 1999, the Brethren of Feliciana Lodge No. 31, St. Francisville, Louisiana, will participate in a reenactment of a significant 1863 Civil War event. The USS Albatross, a Union gunboat, had been bombarding Francisville from its anchorage in the Mississippi River. The ship's captain, Lt. Commander John E. Hart, died, probably as the result of contacting yellow fever. Brother Masons, also officers on the Albatross, requested Hart's burial in St. Francisville.
The Worshipful Master of Feliciana Lodge was away serving in the Confederate Army, but the Lodge's Senior Warden, Bro. W. W. Leake, though also in the Confederate service, was in the vicinity. Hearing of Bro. Hart's death, he felt it was his duty as a soldier and Mason to honor the burial request. All hostilities were stopped, and Bro. Leake joined the Union officers’ funeral cortege with two other local Confederate Masons. At Grace Episcopal Church, in full Episcopal and Masonic ceremonies, Commander Hart was laid to rest. Soon the war resumed, but for one day it stopped in deference to military honor and Masonic brotherhood.

This historic Civil War event will be reenacted on June 13, 1999, at 2:00 pm at Grace Episcopal Church in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Those desiring to attend or to obtain more information can call 225–635–3873 or write: PO Box 1392, St. Francisville, LA 70775.

The Pensacola, Florida, Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Annual Business Fair on March 3rd and 4th, 1999, at the Bayfront Auditorium. There were over 100 business firms and other organizations represented, including the Scottish Rite. The Scottish Rite Masonic Center booth featured the Scottish Rite story as well as presentations by Ferry Pass Lodge No. 348, the Pensacola York Rite Masonic Bodies, and the Hadji Shrine Center.

Visitors to the booth were given brochures describing Masonry in general and the various Bodies in particular. A video featuring the Florida Children's Childhood Language Disorders Clinics ran continuously during the two-day Expo. This public display is part of the new program of public visibility for the many community-benefit activities of the Scottish Rite Masons in Pensacola.
 

Pictured at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center's booth at the 1999 Annual Business Fair held in Pensacola's Bayfront Auditorium are (l. to r.) Bro. T. Kenneth Johnson, 32°, K.C.C.H., Master of Kadosh, Pensacola Scottish Rite Bodies, Bro. Harry W. Seibert, 32°, and a prospective Mason.

On April 5, 1999, Ill. Chester E. McCarty, 33°, Grand Cross, Major General, USAF (Ret.) passed away in Portland, Oregon. Ill. McCarty was born in Pendleton, Oregon, on December 31, 1905. Admitted to law practice in Oregon in 1928, he became a senior partner in the law firm of McCarty, Swindells, and Nelson before becoming an officer in the U.S. Air Force. During three wars, General McCarty served on every continent in the world. Among his assignments were Command of Bases in North Africa and the Middle East; command of the 315th Air Division in the Far East including combat missions in Korea and Indochina; command of the 12th Air Force, the first all-supersonic, nuclear-weapon-capable Air Force in the world; the 14th (Flying Tigers) Air Force; the 18th Air Force, and Chief of Staff U.S. Air forces in Europe.

During this outstanding service, he was honored with 28 decorations from eight nations and was dubbed "one of the brightest stars in the Air Force crown." He served three tours of duty in Washington, D.C., one tour in command of the Special Missions Group, which had in it the Presidential airplane (Air Force One) and two tours in the Pentagon, the last as Assistant Chief of Staff for Reserve Forces. He retired in 1966. These administrative positions did not prevent General McCarty from logging 15,000 hours of flying time as a command pilot, and he personally checked out the Starfighter and the Super Sabre, both supersonic aircraft.

Bro. McCarty was a member of Portland, Oregon's Friendship Lodge No. 160, Al Kader Shrine Temple, and Scottish Rite Bodies, becoming a 32° Master of the Royal Secret in 1930. In recognition of his many services to Freemasonry and America, he was invested with the K.C.C.H. in 1979 and elected a 33° in 1983. In 1989 he received the Grand Cross, the highest honor awarded by the Supreme Council. Throughout his military career, he was active in Masonry and involved with his local community. For example, upon taking command, he usually issued a “suggestion” that all service personnel attend church services of their choice in uniform.

On September 24, 1989, Ill. McCarty was predeceased by his beloved wife, Judy, of 63 years who had served with him everywhere in the world, except in combat zones. She was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery where General McCarty was also interred with full military honors.

In the passing of General Chester E. McCarty, 33°, Grand Cross, America and Freemasonry lose a soldier of freedom and a Freemason of world renown.

Often described as "one of the most distinguished gentle-men to have graced this Fraternity," Ill. Thomas S. Perry, 33°, Past S.G.I.G. in Georgia and Emeritus Member of the Supreme Council, 33°, passed away on April 2, 1999, at Atlanta, Georgia. Born on May 13, 1916, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Ill. Perry moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he first taught in a technical high school before founding a very successful automotive and aircraft parts distribution enterprise in 1938. In 1942, he joined Bell Aircraft and assisted the production of the B-29 bomber for the war effort. He served in several leadership positions in many professional organizations. In recognition of his pioneering work in the automotive industry, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1996. Very active in his church and community, Ill. Perry headed various committees of the Cathedral of St. Philip Episcopal Church in Atlanta and the Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority, including Chairman of the hospital's Financial Committee, 1968–1975.

In Freemasonry, Ill. Perry was a member of Gate City Lodge No. 2, Atlanta, Georgia, serving as Master in 1948. Among other posts, was Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Georgia and Chairman of several important Grand Lodge committees. A member of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Atlanta as of 1943, he brought his outstanding financial expertise to a large number of Masonic  endeavors, including the Atlanta Scottish Rite Hospital for Children where he was a longtime member of the Board of Trustees. In recognition of his signal service, Ill. Perry was invested a K.C.C.H. in 1951, I.G.H. 33° in 1955, Deputy of the Supreme Council in Georgia in 1978, and S.G.I.G. in Georgia in 1979, serving as an Active Member for 10 years before his elevation to Emeritus Member in 1989. Ill. Perry served with distinction on several Supreme Council committees, but most notably as a member of the Finance Committee.

Among Ill. Perry's many other Masonic activities were: York Rite, Royal Arch Masons, Shrine (Potentate of Yaarab Temple, 1963; member of the Finance Committee, Shriners Hospitals of North America), Red Cross of Constantine, Royal Order of Scotland, and Royal Order of Jesters (Past Royal Director).

Ill. William M. Hutcheson, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Georgia, along with many other Masonic dignitaries, attended the funeral service at the Cathedral of St. Philip Episcopal Church in Atlanta on April 6, 1999, to convey the grief of Grand Commander Kleinknecht and all Brethren over the passing of this grand gentleman who truly lived the principles of our noble Craft.