You probably remember these words from the Charge to the Entered Apprentice: "In your leisure hours, that you may improve in Masonic knowledge, you are to converse with well-informed Brethren, who will be always as ready to give as you will be ready to receive instruction." Constraints of time and geography sometimes make that difficult. But today's equivalent of a conversation with well-informed Brethren is available on videotape. We have several videotapes to call to your attention this month. The videos are well worth owning and sharing with Lodge, Temple, or other Masonic groups. You will learn more each time you watch them.

The videotapes below are available from Capstone Productions, and those with an * are cleared for public access cable showing. The ordering address is Capstone Productions, Inc. PO Box 221466, El Paso, TX 79913 E-mail: masonictv@compuserve.com Ph. 915–833–8700  Fax 915–584–6903  The videotapes cost $20 each, plus $5 s/h (shipping and handling are free on orders of three or more tapes).

A Masonic Conversation: Freemasonry and the Enlightenment with Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (running time 27:53)*
Ill. Trachtenberg, 33°, G.C., is, of course, the President of The George Washington University in our nation's capital and an outstanding scholar (click here to see his article in this issue). In this video, he reviews the attitudes of the 18th Century Enlightenment and the ways they correlated with Masonic teachings, including their relevance in the modern world. Good material for a Lodge program.

A Masonic Conversation: Lodge of the Double-Headed Eagle with Dr. William Fox (running time 29:55)*
I've referred to Ill. Dr. Fox  several times in the Journal, because I think he's written a great history of the Supreme Council, Lodge of the Double-Headed Eagle. Now, insights regarding this book and other matters are available in this tape. Very much worth owning.

A Masonic Conversation: Masonic Symbols with Kevin Tuck (28:40)*
The only fault I have to find with this tape is that it is at least 91 minutes, 20 seconds too short. Bro. Kevin Tuck is the Director of the Institute for Masonic Studies of the Grand Lodge of California, and he knoweth whereof he speaketh. I've been showing this tape to my friends, who have been as pleased with it as I am. Brother Tuck covers many of the symbols of Masonry in greater depth than is usually given in the lectures. The Q&A format is especially helpful here.

A Masonic Conversation: George Washington's Mount Vernon & the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (running time 30:26)*
Taped in the great hall of the Memorial and including numerous video shots of other locations, this video records a conversation with Ill.  Donald M. Robey, 33°, then Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the Memorial, and Bro. James Rees, 32°, Director of Historic Mount Vernon. The tape traces the history of the two locations, the cooperation between them, and their importance today. This makes a very good program to show to Brethren and to non-Masons alike.

The Northeast Corner by Dr. S. Brent Morris, 33° (running time 21 minutes)
Dr. Morris needs no introduction. His many articles and books place him at the forefront of the "authentic" school of Masonic studies. He's a fascinating individual to talk with in person, but if geography denies you that privilege, this videotape is a good substitute. In it, he examines the tradition of the northeast corner both as the location of cornerstones and as the location of the youngest Entered Apprentice. You'll be surprised to learn just how modern this Masonic tradition is.

The History of the Blue Lodge Ritual by Robert G. Davis, 33° (running time 39 minutes)
Neither does Brother Davis require an introduction. President of the Philalethes Society and General Secretary of the Guthrie, Oklahoma, Scottish Rite Bodies, he is a recognized expert in the derivation of the ritual of the Blue Lodge. The program includes how Thomas Smith Webb and William Preston influenced the American Masonic ritual used in almost every part of the country. Very good!

Jim Tresner is Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute and Editor of The Oklahoma Mason. A frequent con-tributor 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.