October 2000  |
On July 28, 2000, a special delegation of distinguished Brethren accompanied Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, to Capitol Hill to participate in a short-form conferral of the 33° on Senator Craig L. Thomas, Valley of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Henry F. Kleinknecht, Valley of Washington, D.C., a son of the Grand Commander. The Degree was conferred in the conference room of Senator Thomas in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Those participating in the Degree (above l. to r.) were: Ill. John W. Boettjer, 33°, G.C., Managing Editor of the Scottish Rite Journal; Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, Director of Major Gifts for the Supreme Council; Brother Kleinknecht; Grand Commander Kleinknecht; Senator Thomas; Ill. Walter S. Downs, 33°, G.C., Personal Representative and Secretary, Valley of Alexandria, Virginia, performing as the Degree's Grand Commander; and Ill. William G. Sizemore, 33°, G.C., Grand Executive Director.
| Ill. Brothers Henry F. Kleinknecht, Valley of Washington, D.C., C. Fred Kleinknecht, Sov. Gr. Cmdr., and Craig L. Thomas, U.S. Senator from Wyoming, at the special Capitol Hill 33rd Degree Conferral. |  |
After the conferral, Senator Thomas shared his thoughts about the experience of the Degree and his lifelong association with Freemasonry. He said: "My father was a 50-year Freemason, and I remember from my youth his many Masonic activities. I have always admired the work done by Freemasonry, and, given my many civic commitments, I have been as active as possible. I am proud of my membership in the Craft, and it is particularly good at this time in our country's history, when so many fundamental values are being questioned, to have an organization like Freemasonry which, since the founding of our nation, has been supportive of the moral, civic, and personal values that make America great. I thank you for this great honor and congratulate you on the good work being accomplished today by the Scottish Rite and all the Bodies of Freemasonry."
On June 20, 2000, Ill. William R. Miller, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Washington, announced the opening of a new Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Program. The Brethren of the Valley of Vancouver have entered into a contractual relationship with a therapist at the Southwest Washington Hospital, already one child has been enrolled, and the parents of five more children have applied for space in the program. The Orient already has five functioning Scottish Rite Centers for Childhood Language Disorders (Kennewick, Seattle, Spokane, Wenatchee, and Yakima) and a sixth Center (Olympia) in the planning stage.
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Recently, the Brethren of the Valley of Vancouver, Washington, enrolled the first child in their new Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Program. Jacob (pictured above) is three years old and has not yet spoken his first word. Among the Brothers instrumental in creating the new program are (l. to r.): Bro. Edgar E. Trefts, 32°, K.C.C.H., Venerable Master; Ill. Robert H. Beck, 33°, Personal Representative; Bro. Roger W. Saeger, 32°, K.C.C.H., Senior Warden; and Bro. Jesse B. McGuire, 32°, K.C.C.H., Orient Board Member. |
At the present time, there are no bricks and mortar dedicated to the program in Vancouver, but space has been committed in the local Masonic Center, home of the Valley, for the eventual on-site use of a full-time therapist. Enrolling the first client, three-year-old Jacob who has yet to speak his first word, in the new Vancouver program is, consequently, a milestone in the path leading to a full-fledged Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Center in Vancouver. In support of this purpose, the Supreme Council has sent a check in the amount of $20,000 as start-up funds. This disbursement is provided by proceeds from the Scottish Rite VISA Card program and other fund-raising activities.
Congratulations, Brethren! You have taken a giant step forward on a road that will lead to the assistance of many children who might otherwise have to face life with debilitating speech, language, and learning disorders.
On July 6, 2000, a special Grand
Cross capping presentation was held in the office of Sovereign
Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht for Brother Joe L. Allbritton.
Ill. Allbritton was unanimously elected by the Supreme Council
to the Scottish Rite's highest honor, the Grand Cross, during
the October 1999 Biennial Session. Grand Commander Kleinknecht
arranged for this special event in the House of the Temple so
that he could personally give the Grand Cross cap to his good
friend and congratulate him on obtaining and deserving this great
honor. He noted that Ill. Allbritton has been helpful in and around
the capital city for many years and that his son, who will ultimately
take over the business, is petitioning for membership in Freemasonry.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Ill. William G. Sizemore,
33°, G.C., Grand Executive Director, and Bro. Todd E. Carton,
32°, Chief Financial Officer of the Supreme Council.
Bro. Allbritton was raised a Master Mason in Baylor Lodge No. 1235 in Waco, Texas, in 1949 (meriting him 50-year Masonic honors in 1999) and became a Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Houston, Texas, in 1952. For his many services to Masonry and America, he was invested with the K.C.C.H. in 1975 and coroneted a 33° Inspector General Honorary in 1981.
Ill. Allbritton is Chairman of the Board of Riggs Bank N.A., the largest bank headquartered in the nation's capital. A native of Mississippi, Ill. Allbritton received a law degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and engaged in extensive banking activities in the United States and abroad prior to coming to Washington, D.C., in 1974 and purchasing the Washington Star newspaper. He served as the newspaper's Chairman and Publisher until 1978, when he sold it to Time Inc. Ill. Allbritton, through privately held companies, owns and operates eight ABC network-affiliated television stations in the United States, and a 24-hour local news cable channel in the Washington area as well as daily and weekly newspapers.
Active in numerous civic, professional, and cultural endeavors, Ill. Allbritton is a past officer or present member of the Council on Foreign Relations of New York; the Federal City Council and the Bankers Roundtable in Washington, D.C.; the Protestant Episcopal Foundation of the District of Columbia; Georgetown University; the Greater Washington Board of Trade; the National Geographic Society; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; the National Fund for the United States Botanic Garden; Baylor University and the Baylor College of Medicine; the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation; the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation; and the George Bush Presidential Foundation.
Recently, Bro. Bradley Earl Williams,
aka "Albert the Alligator," the famous mascot of the
University of Florida, was among five students to receive this
year's annual Seminal Member of the D. R. "Billy" Matthews
Society, the highest leadership honor at the University of Florida.
This recognition caps many other academic and leadership awards
from the U.S. Army Reserves, the College of Health and Human Performance
at the University of Florida, and Henderson State University where
Bro. Brad was elected Graduate Advisor for the Student Government
Association. All this is in addition to appearing as "Albert
the Alligator" with Michael Jordan in a national Gatorade
commercial and making more than 650 television appearances as
"Albert" for the University of Florida and the Gainesville,
Florida, community.
Typical of the outstanding young men who can become leaders in Masonry, Bro. Brad is a member of Archer Lodge No. 197, Archer, Florida, as well as its Treasurer and Director of Public Relations; Representative of the Masonic Service Association for Northern Florida; member of the Gainesville York Rite Bodies and Scimitar Shrine Temple; Public Relations Director of the Gainesville Shrine Club, and Chairman of two committees of the 14th Masonic District, Florida F.&A.M. He also recently petitioned the White Shrine of Jerusalem and the Order of the Amaranth for membership. In the photo on the previous page, Bro. Brad (l.) poses with M.W. George Hayes, 33°, Past Grand Master of Florida and present Personal Representative, Valley of Ocala, of Ill. Robert L. Goldsmith, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Florida.
Submitted by:
Bro. Alfred A. Northacker, 32°, K.C.C.H.
Chairman, Public Relations Committee
Ocala, Florida, Scottish Rite Bodies
In the past several months, Larissa Watkins, Assistant to the Librarian of the Supreme Council, 33°, culled hundreds of books from the Library's collection. Most of these were duplicates, and removing them provided more space for appropriate holdings while benefiting several local institutions. Some 559 books on religion and philosophy, for instance, were donated to the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Silver Spring, Maryland; the Tacoma Park Seventh Day Adventist Church, Tacoma Park, Maryland; Stoneridge Sacred Heart Roman Catholic School, Bethesda, Maryland; and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Beltsville, Maryland.
Brother Yuriy and Angelika Goliyan
came to America from the Ukraine in 1994 and received their green
cards as permanent residents in 1998. In 2004, they will be able
to become official citizens of the United States. The Goliyans
work together rebuilding damaged cars in the community of Basin
Spring, Arkansas. Believing Freemasonry represented the best ideals
of America, Yuriy petitioned Basin Spring Masonic Lodge No. 386,
and on December 20, 2000, he was installed as Tyler.
He wrote to the Supreme Council saying: "It is hard to express how I feel about belonging to this greatest of fraternities. My wife and I have found much joy, satisfaction, and friends in the Lodge. It fulfills our dreams of becoming useful to the United States. Also, it gives us a chance to widen the horizons of our knowledge. For me, an immigrant, it is a privilege. I am proud to be among the best, meeting them on a level of equality. It seems that all I need to become a citizen is that good idea, hard work, and a little luck. Thank you for the information I have received about the Scottish Rite."
Bro. Goliyan and his wife recently expressed their thanks to the Fraternity in more than words. In January, Basin Spring Lodge decided to place welcome signs along the roads leading into town. Brother Yuriy and his wife volunteered to design, build, paint, and finish a sign. In fact, they made it into a work of art the old-fashioned way, by hand without the aid of any power tools. The sign was featured in the local Times-Echo newspaper and then displayed in the Lodge's open house in April.
Congratulations to the Goliyans on their pending full citizenship and for this fine Masonic welcome sign, pictured above right.
Ill. I. Lewis Langley, Jr., 33°,
Chairman of the Education and Americanism Committee, Orient of
South Carolina, reports that "Palmetto State" Scottish
Rite Masons have set what may be a record. In the spring of this
year alone, they presented the Southern Jurisdiction's Americanism
and Education medals, ribbons, and certificates to 124 worthy
JROTC Cadets. For example, Ill. Charles W. Mitchell, 33°,
Secretary of the Valley of Greenville, S.C., is pictured on the
previous page with Cadet Meara Borgen of Walhalla, S.C. Like many
South Carolinian Brethren, Secretary Mitchell is eager to visit
high school awards programs and personally present the Scottish
Rite JROTC Education and Americanism Award. Schools participating
in the program report that student discipline problems decline,
grades improve, and overall attitude goes up. The Rite's Americanism
and Education Program provides students with new and attractive
goals as well as significant rewards. Ill. Langley challenges
other Orients to surpass the South Carolina Rite's promotion of
the Southern Jurisdiction's JROTC Americanism and Education Awards
Program.
For the third year, the Brethren of the Valley of Portsmouth, Virginia, recognized outstanding JROTC students. On May 17, 2000, Cadet Latora Hymon, a student at Wilson High School, and on May 31, 2000, Cadet Calvin Hailes, a student at Churchland High School, were honored. The program at Wilson High School recognized Army JROTC students, while the program at Churchland High School recognized Marine JROTC students.
| Brother Lee E. Tapman, 32°, K.C.C.H., Scottish Rite Bodies, Valley of Portsmouth, Virginia, pins the Scottish Rite, S.J., JROTC Education and Americanism medal on Cadet CPL Calvin Hailes in recognition of patriotism and character. |  |
Each student, because of his or her demonstration of scholastic excellence and American values, received a Supreme Council JROTC certificate, medal, and ribbon. The certificate calls attention to two of the major focal points of the Scottish Rite, education and Americanism. The Valley of Portsmouth was honored to be included in the recognition ceremonies of two such worthy local JROTC programs. Brother Lewis Thomas, 32°, Captain USN Retired, presented the certificate, ribbon, and medal at Wilson High School, and Brother Lee E. Tapman, 32°, K.C.C.H., Venerable Master of the Portsmouth Lodge of Perfection, presented the certificate, ribbon, and medal at Churchland High School. Thank you Brothers Thomas and Tapman, and congratulations to the Brethren of the Valley of Portsmouth for another job well done.
Scottish Rite Masons in the Valley of Columbus, Orient of Georgia, recently donated 100 copies of the Supreme Council's book Dynamic Freedoms to the Muscogee County School District for use in the eighth-grade curriculum. Shown above at the presentation ceremony are (l. to r.): Ill. Charles R. Maffett, 33°, Personal Representative, Valley of Columbus; John E. Wells, member of the Muscogee County School Board; Gordon C. Stallings, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction of the Muscogee County School District; Ill. James E. Miller, 33°, General Secretary, Scottish Rite Bodies in Columbus; and Bro. John G. Norris, 32°, K.C.C.H., Chairman of Education and Americanism for the Scottish Rite in Georgia.
To purchase copies of Dynamic Freedoms, Vol. 1, "Our Freedom Documents" to donate to your school district, please contact the Supreme Council by writing to: Grand Executive Director, The Supreme Council, 33°, 1733 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009–3103, 1–202–232–3579, Ext. 136, M-F, 8–4, Fax 1–202–387–1843, or e-mail jwalker@srmason-sj.org. For more detail and pricing information for ordering multiple copies, see DYNAMIC FREEDOMS in the list of Supreme Council publications.
On June 25, 2000, the Master Masons
of Rocky Point, North Carolina, United Methodist Church conducted
an all-Masonic Service to observe Saints Johns' Day. Local Master
Masons were invited from various Blue Lodges to participate, and
each Brother wore a white lambskin apron. King Solomon Lodge No.
138, of Burgaw, North Carolina, was the sponsoring Blue Lodge.
Rocky Point United Methodist Church is a small country church
located between Wilmington and Burgaw. Master Masons, all members
of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Wilmington, conducting the service
were (l. to r.): Bros. Billy J. Graves, 32°, lay reader; Gary
W. Stoehr, 32°, lay speaker; Charles E. Ponton, 32°, children's
lay speaker; William G. Mathis, 33°, lay speaker; C. Lloyd
Nunalee, 32°, usher; and David W. Paul, 32°, usher. Bro.
Carroll A. Spencer, 32° (not pictured), provided special music
as a Scottish bagpiper.
Knowing that the children and some adults would be curious about the aprons, Bro. Ponton explained the meaning behind the white lambskin apron during the children's sermon. The aprons are not used for cooking, as some children thought. Rather, he noted, the apron is the first gift of a Blue Lodge to a new member. Its color stands for purity and innocence and the idea that everyone should strive to be good, happy, and loving. Brother Graves read from "Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession," and Bro. Mathis, speaking from the floor, delivered the sermon. He made a special reference to the fact that the Brethren were not there to preach about Freemasonry but to worship the Lord. He spoke about how each of us should strive to become better and referenced the example of the generosity of a 15-year-old who, killed in an automobile accident, donated his body organs to benefit 45 people. The church congregation joined in singing as he played the closing hymn "Amazing Grace." Then Brother Stoehr asked all Master Masons present for the special ceremony to join hands at the altar as Brother Stoehr gave the closing charge.
After the service, light refreshments were provided in the fellowship hall. The Master Masons of Rocky Point United Methodist Church wish to thank Reverend John Ormond of Rocky Point United Methodist Church for granting the opportunity to conduct this special Masonic service.
Submitted by
Bro. Charles E. Ponton, 32°
Wilmington Lodge No. 319, Wilmington
Scottish Rite Bodies, Wilmington
On August 15, 2000, Grand Commander
C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, appointed Ill. Earl Douglas Harris,
33°, as Deputy in the Orient of Georgia effective October
1. Ill. Harris succeeds Ill. William M. Hutcheson, 33°, P.G.M.,
who has reached the mandatory age for retirement as an Active
Member after 11 years of outstanding service.
Ill. Harris was born on April 9, 1947, in Athens, Georgia, has served in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force Reserve, and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia. He entered general and patent law practice in Atlanta and married Jean Wright, having two daughters.
Appointed Assistant Commissioner for Administration, Georgia Department of Agriculture, in 1992, Ill. Harris is very active in a number of professional, civic, and religious groups, among them the Boy and Girl Scouts, Jaycees, First Presbyterian Church of Covington, County Democratic Executive Committee, State Bar Association, Oconee Cattleman's Association, and the Chamber of Commerce. He has published over 180 articles on agriculture, law, student discipline, product liability, religion, philosophy, biography, and Freemasonry.
Equally active in the Craft, he served as Master of Amity Lodge No. 731, Watkinsville, Ga., and is a dual member of Golden Fleece Lodge No. 6, in Covington, Ga. A long-term member of many Grand Lodges of Georgia committees, he served as Grand Master (1988–89) and has received honors in many Masonic groups including the York Rite, MSRICF, Allied Masonic Degrees, Eastern Star, Shrine, and DeMolay. A member of the Valley of Atlanta since 1974, he has served, among other posts, as Director of the Atlanta Masonic Temple, Venerable Master of Kadosh, the Executive Committee, President Athens–Piedmont S.R. Association, S.R. Hospital Child Care, and Masonic Advisory Committee. In recognition of his excellent service, he was invested a K.C.C.H. in 1979 and coroneted a 33° I.G.H. in 1987.
The outstanding personal, professional, civic, and Masonic record of Ill. Harris predicts he will be a dedicated and competent leader as Deputy in the Orient of Georgia.
Ill. John E. Moyers, 33°, represented Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, at the meeting of English-Speaking Supreme Councils in London on July 7–9, 2000. The host Supreme Council for England and Wales, under the leadership of M.P. Bro., the Rev. Canon Richard Tydeman, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, graciously received delegates from the Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA (represented by Sovereign Grand Commander Robert O. Ralston, 33°), Ireland, England and Wales, Scotland, Canada, The Netherlands, Finland, and New Zealand. Denmark and Sweden also attended as Foreign Masonic Powers in Amity.
Of the seven specific items on the agenda, Ill. Moyers reported on two, the Revised Standard Pike Ritual and financial and fraternal support of emerging Supreme Councils. Many questions were asked of, and ably answered by, Ill. Moyers regarding these issues. Other highlights of the meeting were a paper by V.P. Bro. Richard S E Sandbach, 33°, Lt. Grand Commander, England and Wales, on "The Ancient and Accepted Rite and the Technological Revolution" and a video presentation about Freemasonry in Finland by M.P. Bro. Reijo Ahtokari, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander in Finland.
During the period of 1804–1812, when the new United States were trying to steer clear of the war troubles between England and France, American trading and naval ships were captured and their sailors impressed into service on the high seas by the two countries at war. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison tried negotiation and economic pressure to stop France and England from interfering with our ships and sailors, but were unsuccessful. England was the biggest offender, and in 1812 the United States declared war against it.
In August of 1814, the English burned the capitol of the United States in Washington. The next month the British attacked Baltimore. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, in Baltimore Harbor, Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" in honor of the men at Fort McHenry and the very big flag that flew over the Fort. The flag was made in Baltimore by Mary Young Pickersgill, whose mother, Rebecca Flower Young, had made the Grand Union Flag for George Washington.
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Ill. Urban T. Peters, 33°, portrayed George Washington during the Annual Living Flag Ceremony at Fort McHenry on May 23, 2000. Ill. Peters is a retired guidance counselor, Prince George's Public School System, and presently serves as a Tour Guide at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. |
On May 23, 2000, to celebrate this event, over 3,500 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from public and private schools in Maryland experienced an on-site ceremony at Fort McHenry as they participated in the 17th Annual Living American Flag, an event sponsored by the National Flag Day Foundation, Inc.
When the students arrived at the Fort, historical "interpreters," dressed in the period's costumes, boarded each bus to tell the students about the historical character they were representing. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Benjamin Bannaker, Clara Barton, Francis Scott Key, General Hancock, Dolley Madison, General George G. Meade, Mary Pickersgill, General Trimble and Harriet Tubman, to name a few, were represented at the ceremony.
As the 3,500 students assembled in front of the fort, the Pride of Baltimore II, a replica of the Chasseur, the most famous of the Baltimore clippers, sailed into the harbor with full sails. Directly in front of the fort, she raised her cannons and fired several blank shots over the fort. At the same time (11:45 am) station WBAL's helicopter lifted over the fort to photograph the 3,500 students who, on command, lifted red, white, and blue placards to form the living American flag.
This culminating classroom activity not only renewed the pride of all Baltimoreans in their role in keeping America free by winning the War of 1812 but also instilled the children who participated in this event, the citizens of tomorrow, with a sense of pride and respect for the American flag and an understanding of the principles it represents.
Congratulations to the classroom teachers, participating parents, volunteers portraying the historic characters, National Park Staff, National Flag Day Foundation Committee (many of whom are Masons), and especially the 3,500 students for a job well done in preserving those principles upon which our country was founded and promoting "Old Glory" which represents it all.
Ill. Paul Tedmar Million, Jr.,
33°, S.G.I.G. in Oklahoma and Grand Chamberlain of the Supreme
Council, 33°, passed away on August 22, 2000, after a hard-fought
battle with cancer. Born in 1924, Ill. Brother was raised a Master
Mason in McAlester Lodge No. 96, McAlester, Oklahoma, in 1949
and joined the Scottish Rite at McAlester the same year. In recognition
of his many services to the Rite, he was invested a K.C.C.H. in
1965, coroneted a 33° I.G.H. in 1979 (third generation 33°
in his family), appointed as Deputy of the Supreme Council for
Oklahoma in 1986, and crowned as S.G.I.G. in 1987. He served the
Supreme Council on several important committees, including the
Finance Committee and as Chairman of the Committee on Ritual and
Ceremonial Forms charged with the successful development of the
Revised Standard Pike Ritual.
These dates, however, do not convey the man—especially his deep sense of dedication to the Rite and his personal, energetic determination to build and maintain the warmest fraternal relations with Grand Lodge and Blue Lodge Freemasonry. In addition, he was committed to securing a firm financial foundation for the Rite in Oklahoma and to the development of leadership within our Order. These same characteristics were evident in his dynamic involvement in a large number of other Masonic Bodies or groups where he was an honored member. These included the York Rite, Shrine, Royal Order of Jesters, Red Cross of Constantine, and DeMolay, where he held the Legion of Honor.
A WW II United States Army veteran, with combat awards including the Purple Heart, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma before heading Million Ford Motor Co. in McAlester and becoming active in a variety of civic and professional organizations as well as the Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches.
Ill. Million was a leader among leaders, and a man of temperance and compassion, who, though intensely practical, never lost sight of the ideal. He has left behind a great Masonic legacy and a daunting challenge. We can only hope to measure up to his achievements.
A biographical sketch of Inspector Million's successor, Ill. Joseph C. Jennings, 33°, Orient Personal Representative, will appear in the "Current Interest" section of the November 2000 Scottish Rite Journal.