March 2000

Grand Commander Kleinknecht Receives 50-Year Honors | Ill. deHoyos, 33°, Appointed Grand Archivist And Grand Historian | A Virginia Doubleheader | Washington's Masonic Funeral | New Videotape Captures Washington's Masonic Heritage | Donations For Victims In Venezuela | Americanism Program In Florida | Ill. Alister Boyd, 33°, Honored | Tranquility Lodge Chartered | Massing Of The Colors In S.C. | Remembrance Of Pearl Harbor | Fresno, California, School Cornerstone Ceremony | S. R. Mason Pipes For Rugby

On November 30, 1999, Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, was pleased to receive 50-year honors during a ceremony at the Scottish Rite Temple in Baltimore, Maryland. The Grand Commander was raised a Master Mason on October 17, 1949, in Silver Spring Lodge No. 215, Silver Spring, Maryland, and five members of his Home Lodge were able to attend the November 30 ceremony.

Most Worshipful Francis E. Larrimore, 32°, K.C.C.H., Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Maryland, congratulated Sovereign Grand Commander Kleinknecht and presented him with the 50-year pin. Ill. Bernard E. Rothman, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Maryland, also complimented the Sovereign Grand Commander for his half-century of service to Freemasonry and presented him with a 50-year card. Interestingly, many years ago, 1969 in Silver Spring Lodge, Ill. Rothman had the pleasure of presenting the Grand Commander's father, Ill. Christian F. Kleinknecht, Sr., 33°, G.C., then Acting Grand Secretary General, with his 50-year pin. Ill. John E. Edmundson, 33°, Deputy Grand Lecturer at Large, also thanked the Grand Commander and then presented him with his 50-year cap.

On November 30, 1999, many Brethren gathered at the Scottish Rite Temple in Baltimore, Maryland, to honor Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, for 50 years of service as a Master Mason. Among those attending were (l. to r.) Ill. Bernard E. Rothman, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Maryland; Grand Commander Kleinknecht; M.W. Francis E. Larrimore, 32°, K.C.C.H., Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Maryland; and Ill. David Kruger, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Virginia and Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council, 33°.

The Grand Commander responded to the applause of the Brethren by reminiscing about how much has happened in the last half-century. Being raised a Mason, he said, changed his life significantly for the better, and he will be eternally grateful for the many close friendships the Craft has brought him over five decades of service to Freemasonry.

Ill. Bennie G. Owens, 33°, Deputy Grand Master, then introduced 13 Grand Lodge officers attending, among them the Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Secretary, and Grand Treasurer. Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, Director of Major Gifts for the Supreme Council, 33°, and four of the Orient of Maryland's Personal Representatives also were present.

During the evening, Ill. Rothman presented Ill. Hans R. Wilhelmsen, 33°, Valley of Baltimore, with a beautiful plaque which states: "Know all Masons by these presents that Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., Orient of Maryland, is proud and privileged to present this token of esteem to Ill. Hans R. Wilhelmsen, 33°, who has rendered outstanding service, given of time and talent, and is now most deserving of this meritorious award."

Congratulations Grand Commander Kleinknecht and Ill. Wilhelmsen!

On July 26, 1999, Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, appointed Ill. Arturo deHoyos, 33°, as Grand Archivist and Grand Historian of the Supreme Council, 33°. Ill. deHoyos is a Past Master (1991–92) of McAllen Lodge No. 1110, McAllen, Texas, and a dual member of the S.R. Bodies of San Antonio, Texas (since 1988) and Santa Fe, N.M. An expert on Freemasonry in general, he is the leading authority on the Scottish Rite's early history, official literature, and ritual development. He has published numerous articles and books on Freemasonry, and co-authored, with Ill. S. Brent Morris, 33°, G.C., the popular work, Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry? The Methods of Anti-Masons. He has published scholarly articles in Heredom, the annual transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society, and in the Scottish Rite Journal as well as many other Masonic publications.

In addition to serving as Grand Archivist and Grand Historian, Ill. deHoyos assists the Grand Commander and Grand Executive Director on special projects, advises the Supreme Council on constitutional and statutory matters, and monitors international Scottish Rite relations. Ill. deHoyos is a member of the Knight York Cross of Honor, the Allied Masonic Degrees, the Red Cross of Constantine, the Royal Order of Scotland, Society of Blue Friars, the Societatis Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Fœderatis, and the York Rite College. He was the first-ever recipient of the Knight Grand Cross award of the Grand College of Rites of the United States, having served for several years as its Grand Archivist and editor of its annual transactions, Collectanea.

On the weekend March 3–4, 2000, Scottish Rite Masons in the Old Dominion State will be able to enjoy a doubleheader event in Williamsburg, Virginia, the first of the year 2000 Scottish Rite Leadership Conferences and the Sovereign Grand Commander's First Biennial Golf Outing.

The outing will begin with a Shotgun Start at 8:00 am on March 3 at the famous Golden Horseshoe Golf Club owned and operated by Williamsburg Lodge. Funds generated by the event will benefit the Virginia Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Program. Ill. David Kruger, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Virginia and host, with the Brethren of the Orient of Virginia, of the golf outing and the Leadership Conference, hopes each attending S.G.I.G. will urge his respective Valleys to become Hole Sponsors. There are three levels of sponsorship: Platinum $1,000; Gold $500; Silver $250. The Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A. is sponsoring a Platinum Hole. Also, each Valley participating is encouraged to provide at least one man to play in the golf outing with the Grand Commander. Printed hole placards will be displayed along the fairways and holes with each sponsoring Valley's name and Orient. For more information, contact the Portsmouth Scottish Rite Bodies: voice 757–484–1759; fax 757–484–3020.

The Northeast, Southeast Leadership Conference will be held in the Williamsburg Lodge the following day, March 4, so Brethren will be able to attend both events. The year 2000 Leadership Conferences extend a special welcome to Scottish Rite Fellows, the future leaders of our Order. See your Valley Secretary for details and possible Valley sponsorship. Other year 2000 Leadership Conferences will take place as follows: North Central Sector, Omaha, Nebraska, March 17–18; South Central Sector, Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 31–April 1; Northwest and Southwest Sectors, San Diego, California, April 14–15.

On Saturday, December 18, 1999, the Cable News Network (CNN) broadcast live coverage from Mount Vernon, Virginia, of the minute-to-minute reenactment of President George Washington's Masonic funeral. The national broadcast reached millions of viewers and presented a very positive picture of how Freemasons participated in the funeral ceremonies and the nation's grief.

Roger Mudd was the program's Master of Ceremonies and narrator, and Bro. James C. Rees, 32°, Resident Director, George Washington's Mount Vernon, introduced the event's keynote speaker, the Honorable James Gilmore, Governor of Virginia. Governor Gilmore began his remarks by addressing the "Brother Masons" present and noted "we are all the students of the example of George Washington." Then prominent Masons, among other speakers, delivered brief passages from eulogies paying tribute to Washington at the time of his death. Ill. David Kruger, 33°, Grand Secretary General and S.G.I.G. in Virginia, for instance, read from a London newspaper's editorial memorializing the great man.

Brother Washington died suddenly on December 14, 1799, and was interred with full Masonic ceremonies on December 18, 1799, in a vault on his Mount Vernon estate. His coffin, draped with a Masonic apron, was followed to the vault by a contingent of Brethren from his Lodge (now Alexandria–Washington Lodge No. 22) which he served as Master. Representatives from two other Lodges also participated. Members of these Lodges today, dressed in colonial costume, represented these Brethren in the funeral ceremony reenactment. However, Bill Weldon, a professional actor, fulfilled the role of Bro. Elijah Cullen Dick, M.D., who was Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 at the time of Washington' death and who gave the 1799 Masonic funeral oration "for our deceased Brother." The traditional Masonic service's great eloquence and Mr. Weldon's powerful delivery underlined the Craft's "due deference to church and state" in regard to final rites.

The hours-long national live telecast of this historic reenactment projected a strong image of Washington as a Freemason and of our Fraternity's significant role in his life.

Capstone Productions, Inc., is well known for its remarkable videotapes focused on Freemasonry. Its newest release, however, is its best production yet. Titled "200 Years of George Washington's Masonic Heritage," the tape records the dedication by the Grand Lodge of Virginia of the epic-size Square and Compasses emblem on the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial on June 26, 1999.

On June 26, 1999, Capstone Productions filmed the dedication of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial's new Masonic emblem.

More than that, it features the professional actor William A. Sommerfield in the character of George Washington. His comments, interspersed throughout the program, give perspective to the ceremonies and underline Washington's personal dedication to the Craft.

In addition, brief sections of the addresses by several noted Masons capture the spirit of the dedication ceremony. Among the speakers featured are M.W. George H. Chapin, 33°. Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Virginia; Ill. Edgar N. Peppler, 33°, President of the Memorial; Ill. Donald M. Robey, 33°, Past Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Memorial and designer of its new Square and Compasses emblem, and Bro. James C. Rees, 32°, Resident Director, George Washington's Mount Vernon.

The 30-minute videotape is briskly edited, well photographed from a variety of angles, and ends with a dazzling montage of the fireworks that closed the historic day of remembrance and dedication at the Memorial. If you are looking for a memorable and enjoyable program for your Lodge, Temple, or other Masonic organization, this is it.

For a free catalog of Capstone Production's fine videotapes, contact Capstone Productions, Inc., PO Box 221466, El Paso, TX 79913 Tel. 915–833–8700 Fax 915–584–6903 E-mail masonictv@compuserve.com. Or to order "200 Years of George Washington's Masonic Heritage" directly from the Memorial ($20.00 per tape + $5.00 s/h) contact: The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, VA 22301 Tel.703–549–9234 Fax 703–519–9270–2163 E-mail gseghers@gwmemorial.org.

Ill. Fitzhugh K. Powell, 33°, Chairman, Education and Americanism Committee, Orient of Florida, reports that sponsorship has been obtained for printing the first 200,000 copies of the First Ten Amendments to the United States Constitution. They will be distributed to 12 Valleys in the Orient of Florida. The single, one-sided sheet provides space to insert the Valley's name and address as a sponsor and includes the emblems of Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite, and the Shrine. The sheets will be distributed, as deemed appropriate by the Americanism and Education Committee of each Valley, to schools, civic and patriotic groups, and other organizations.

Ill. Powell notes: "Most public school systems teach American History and American Government in the 8th and 9th grades. It is most important that when copies of the Bill of Rights are distributed, the teacher who will be using them has a copy of the brochure Who Are the Masons? Prepared by the Masonic Information Center, this attractive color brochure underlines the fact that Freemasonry is a patriotic organization with no hidden agenda. Rather, it is our purpose to help educate the citizens of this county."

To obtain a sample copy of the First Ten Amendments to the United States Constitution as distributed in the Orient of Florida, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope and write to: Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 965 Hubbard Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206–5503.

To obtain a free sample copy of Who Are the Masons? (cover pictured above) contact: Masonic Information Center, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910–4785 or phone 301–588–4010 or fax 301–608–3457.

The American Military Scottish Rite Bodies, Orient of NATO Bases, held its Annual Meeting on November 6, 1999, in Frankfurt, Germany. Deputy Robert W. Woodward, 33°, presided and extended a special welcome to Brethren who made the long journey from Italy to attend the meeting. Also in attendance were five Past Grand Masters of the American Canadian Grand Lodge.

Ill. Robert W. Woodward, 33°, Deputy, American Military Scottish Rite Bodies, Orient of NATO Bases, presents a Certificate of Honor from the Supreme Council to Ill. Alister Boyd, 33°, Personal Representative, pictured here with his wife, Hanna.

The first order of business was the election and installation of officers for the year 2000. A Knight Commander Court of Honor Investiture followed for seven deserving Brethren. Family and friends then joined the assembled Brethren for a hearty meal. At the conclusion of the dinner, Ill. Bro. Woodward presented Deputy Awards to Bro. Ronald Reynolds, 32°, K.C.C.H., for his contributions in furthering the Scottish Rite in Italy, and Bro. Allan I. Moses, 32°, K.C.C.H., for his efforts in establishing a viable Scottish Rite JROTC Americanism and Education Awards Program.

On behalf of Grand Commander Kleinknecht, 33°, Deputy Woodward presented a Certificate of Honor from the Supreme Council to Ill. Bro. Alister Boyd, 33°, Personal Representative, for valued services and fraternal contributions to Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. A harmonious evening was concluded with Ill. Woodward and the Brethren recalling Reunions of the past and the many journeys taken in Europe and Africa to promote Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

In the summer of 1999, Dr. Duncan C. Howard, 33°, P.G.M. of Texas, and a member of the Valley of Waco, Texas, published a story "Moonlight Becomes You" in the Messenger, a publication of the Grand Lodge Library and Museum of Texas, which he edits. It celebrated the 30th anniversary, 1969–1999, of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. The essay's publication resulted in legislation at the 164th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Texas, December 2–4, 1999, to charter a new Lodge, Tranquility Lodge No. 2000, named after the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon.

On July 20, 1969, two American astronauts landed on the lunar area known as Mare Tranquillitatis, Sea of Tranquility. One of them was Ill. Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., 33°, a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, Seabrook, Texas. Brother Aldrin carried with him a Special Deputation from then Grand Master J. Guy Smith, 33°, constituting and appointing Bro. Aldrin as Special Deputy of the Grand Master and granting him full power to claim Masonic Territorial Jurisdiction on the Moon.

Any member in good standing of a regular Lodge in fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge of Texas can become a member of Tranquility Lodge No. 2000 by payment of a one-time fee of $100.00 and such annual dues as adopted by the Lodge. The Lodge will hold Stated Meetings at least four times per year until "such time as it can relocate to its rightful place in or near the Sea of Tranquility, on the Moon of the planet Earth; and upon relocation, it shall apply to this Grand Lodge [Texas] for charter as a Regular Lodge."

For more information, contact: Ill. James D. Ward, 33°, Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Texas, PO Box 446, Waco, TX 76703.

The Upstate Carolina Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars recently held its second Massing of the Colors. The program was sponsored once again by the Greenville Scottish Rite Valley and featured Congressman Floyd Spence as the main speaker. Many cadets, veterans, Masons, and patriotic citizens took part in the ceremony which is dedicated to the memory and honor of those who have served or who are presently serving in our country's military forces.

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The Scottish Rite Valley of Pensacola, Florida, honored members of the Silver Eagles and of the local Chapter of the Survivors of Pearl Harbor at a dinner to commemorate that infamous date in American history, December 7, 1941. The guest speaker, retired Congressman Earl Hutto, shared some of his thoughts concerning World War II and his recollections of the events leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The dinner was attended by more than 130 people who gathered to mark the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and to honor these worthy heroes.

On November 15, 1999, in the first cornerstone ceremony since he was installed as Grand Master on October 15, 1999, M.W. Alvin J. Weis, 32°, K.C.C.H., assisted by all 25 of his Grand Lodge Officers, dedicated the cornerstone of Sunnyside High School in Fresno, California. The school cost $55 million and occupies a 50-acre campus. The well-attended event was televised and offered great public visibility for Freemasonry. In ceremonies following the cornerstone laying, Ill. Richard A. Paris, 33°, Personal Representative in Fresno, presented a framed copy of the Supreme Council's 1999 print, "George Washington's Inauguration as the 1st President of the United States, April 30, 1789," to the school's principal. The print was received from Ill. Paris (photo left) by Krishna Tauch, Sunnyside High School's Student Body President, and was given by the Fresno Scottish Rite Bodies. Copies of the print ($100.00 payable to The Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., USA) are still available from: Supreme Council, 1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009–3103.

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Recently, Bro. Michael W. Henry, 32°, Valley of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was pleased to perform on the bagpipes for the homecoming game of the rugby team of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico.