| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on March 22, 2000 |
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Master - From The East
Dear Brethren and Friends, As I write this it is mid-February, just before our annual Crab Feed dinner. This year we are combining the Crab Feed with our "Sweethearts Day" so we expect to have a pretty good crowd. As usual, Bill Malmstrom will be our chef, so we are expecting a great meal. Thanks(in advance)Bill! I want to wish all our Sweethearts, wives, and ladies a (belated) Valentines Days. Our ladies are all very important to us. We simply would not be the same organization without the dedication, love, and support we receive from our ladies.
Our stated meeting on March 6th will be our official visitation by our Inspector, Wor. Dan Mac Daniel. All officers should wear tuxedos. This is a special event every year for our Lodge, so I hope w can have a good attendance. At our Stated Meeting in February we enjoyed two fine speakers. At dinner, we had as our guest speaker the Reverend Kevin A. Phillips, ("Just call me "Kevin") the Rector of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Mountain View. We learned about the three substitute gods Americans are paying homage to today: Celebrity, Wealth, and Power. Kevin is not a Mason, but informed us his grandfather was. From his first sentence Kevin had my undivided attention. He said he did not know a lot about Freemasonry, but he knew one thing for sure, one thing which has made Freemasonry a great organization, that we believe in God. Kevin went on to say that without that requirement, we would never have become great, we never would have sustained ourselves for all most 300 years, and we would never have reached the high level of prestige which Masons enjoy all around the world. Pretty nice to hear that kind of high opinion about us from a highly respected man in our community, who does not happen to be a member. (I have a blank petition ready for him,
March has been proclaimed by our (3rand Master as Masonic Youth Orders Month. Please try to attend a Rainbow Assembly, a Jobs Daughters, and/or a DeMolay meeting this month. In the Martin household, March also will be a very special DeMolay month, for on Friday March 171, at the San Jose Masonic ('enter ( on the "Hi 11") at 7:30 PM, my son Jason will be installed as Master Councilor of the Campbell Chapter DeMolay. (Yes, it is on St. Patrick's Day, so be sure to wear some green.) Jason also is a Mason, and a member of our lodge by affiliation from Illinois, where he became a Mason at age 18, so this is a very unusual and special occasion, All are invited ! (Bring your kids, and grandkids, too. It will be fun.)
Last month I wrote a little about the "currency" of Freemasonry - our membership. Now I will continue with a little information which we all should be prepared to provide to anybody who asks.
Is Freemasonry a cult? This is of course a "loaded" question, for the person who asks often has a predetermined (or pre-judged) opinion that freemasonry is a cult. When asked this question, I prefer to respond with a question: "What do you consider a cult?" Or, "What is your definition of 'cult." " The common response is pretty telling, for often the questioner cannot define what he thinks a cult is -just something bad, which he does not like, and he is pretty sure Freemasonry is one, for somebody he likes, on the radio perhaps, said that Freemasonry is a cult.
The word "cult" when used is a perjorative word. It is used in a derogatory, defamatory way. However, whatever the definition he chooses, my response is always the same: I think if you wish to call Freemasonry a cult, or the Democratic party a cult, or Christianity, or the boy Scouts a cult - l will not agree that you are using a definition that I would mean when I use the word cult. I then add that, using whatever definition he chooses, then it must be a pretty GOOD "cult" to belong to, for George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Earl Warren were well know members of this "cult" So it must be a "good cult."
The bad news is that, as always when speaking with a prejudiced person, nothing you say will change his mind, It is made up. The good news is that you yourself will know how foolish his thinking is, and try to have compassion for him, for he truly is misled about our
Fraternally,
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Master
As we begin the last year of the twentieth century and look back at what our Lodge has done in its first fifty years we have a proud sense of accomplishment. Our Lodge building is paid for. The dining room has been up graded. The kitchen has new appliances. The office are being improved when ever possible. The hallways have never looked better. Our Temple Managers over the years have looked after the building as if was their own.
As we start to move into the Twenty First Century there will be even more improvements and upgrades. Some are quite costly and we will have to tighten our belts until they are completed but they will be well worth it. Remember this is OUR TEMPLE.
The Twenty First Century will see our Fiftieth Anniversary. Keep the 17th of March 2001 open, Mark it down on your calendar as a RED LETTER DAY. We will have a party on that day to celebrate. I have sent a letter to Right Worshipful David Decker, the Deputy Grand Master, inviting him to attend and he has put it on his calendar. He will not open Grand Lodge but rather it will be a celebration. I am open to suggestions as what to do, eat, and so forth. This is the Lodges party and I am looking to the long time members and Past Masters for their help. I have a few ideas but I want to make sure this will be a first class affair.
It was my pleasure for the last two years to prepare the Stated Dinners. After the last meeting it felt funny not to go into the dining room to make sure things were put away, take out the garbage and lock up. I will still do the Crab Feed (February 21, 2000) and the annual Bar B Que (August 28, 2000).
On the Level,
Bill Malmstrom,
Senior Warden
"REVOLUTIONARY BROTHERHOOD; FREEMASONRY AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIAL ORDER"
By W. Bruce Pruitt
From the book
By Steven C. Bullock
A CRITICAL REVIEW, by W. Bruce Pruitt:
In his "Acknowledgements" section, Steven Bullock says this about his excellent treatise on the Masonic Fraternity:
"I ague that Masonry played an important role in shaping the momentous changes that first introduced and then transformed the eighteenth-century culture of democracy, individualism, and sentimentalism."[1]
This quote quite succinctly expresses the attitude with which the author approaches this important subject, and the assistance that such a book provides in understanding and appreciating the history of Freemasonry. He likens his challenge to that of solving a difficult puzzle or understanding an obscure poem. In "unraveling" such a complex element, in his words: "The thread might even lead into a strange and wonderful world view." [2] To a large degree Revolutionary Brotherhood accomplishes such a purpose.
The book is divided chronologically into four general sections:
I. The creation of Freemasonry in England and its movement into the New World, a period of domination by elite membership. (1717 - 1752)
II. The movement of non-elite, rural citizens, and Colonial Army officers into prominence in the fraternity. (1752 - 1792)
III The strong influence of Freemasonry on the cultural development of the United States. (1790 - 1826)
IV The decline of prominence caused by Antimasonic political activity and the Morgan affair, and a later return to influence in another form. (1820 - 1850)
SECTION I. The Beginnings 1717 - 1752
Professor Bullock begins with a discussion of the "newness" of Masonry in England and Scotland in the 1715 - 1720 period. Even though he gives some recognition to its possible association with operative craft lodges, his emphasis is on the philosophical and scientific aspects of the association. Members of the fraternity are reported as primarily concerned with the world of enlightenment and social gentility. Secrecy and mysticism seem to be the dominant characteristics of the movement. One observes very quickly, however, that Bullock is himself little concerned with secrecy. Much of the ritual, esoteric even as of this day, is freely discussed throughout this book. A number of illustrations are found taken from Antimasonic "secret-revealing" books. (These are the rough sketches that demonstrate positions, movements, penalties, etc., showing them in an unfavorable light.) If one can overlook these illustrations, however, and perhaps attribute them to an attempt at making the book more varied and interesting, the text itself is not derogatory to the craft.
Speculative Masonry reached across the Atlantic, and was the purview of colonial gentry. The majority of the brethren were landowners and/or prominent merchants. Membership was expensive, and affiliation in the Lodge was viewed as one additional means to segregate the American aristocracy from the rough, common fold. Parades and open festivals of the fraternity were causes for great public attention. They provided the masses with opportunities to see important personages who would be otherwise unreachable.
SECTION II. Development During the Revolution. 1752 - 1792
Membership shifted from elite to common men as the American colonies, and later nation, became more democratic in outlook. Part of this transition was caused by the Grand Lodge disagreement between the "Moderns" and the "Ancients." Even though the external bases of this split, which originated in England, were elements of ritual, the author believes that social separation was a more significant cause. The Moderns were prominent men of gentility. The Ancients: "...included many who lacked political power and social distinction." [3] For example, Benjamin Franklin, one of the first Masons in the new world, and at one time Grand Master of Pennsylvania, was not recognized by the predominantly Modern lodges when he returned from his service oversees. The Masons were even conspicuously absent at his funeral service.
During the revolutionary war, Ancients were active in promoting military lodges. At that time the Moderns were more favorable to the crown while the Ancients were more revolutionary.
This book deals primarily with activities in the north - around Boston, Pennsylvania, upper New York, etc. - with little attention to Virginia, Charleston, or other prominent parts of the South. There is little attention given to the influence of Masonic thought on the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. George Washington is not discussed in any length (possibly because he is documented in so many other publications). There is, however, mention of the early attempt at establishing a central Grand Lodge, with Washington as Grand Master as well as being a king, dictator, or at least president for life.
SECTION III Republican Masonry 1790 - 1826
Masonry provided two forces significant in the formation of a new nation, namely broader opportunities for membership and an emphasis on morality and virtue.
The movement of "common men" into the fraternity reflected an overall transition in the society of the new nation. Several forces were at play during this period. First, artisans, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors, etc. demanded and received recognition as contributing citizens. Secondly, those men who lived in the frontier areas, outside the capitals, acquired political power. Officers in the Revolutionary Army were also received into the fraternity with respect, in spite of their background or wealth.
"Fraternal membership and ideology helped bring high standing to a broad range of Americans, breaking down the artificial boundaries of birth and wealth. To men engaged in learned and artistic occupations, rural men with cosmopolitan aspirations, and even Boston's women and blacks, Masonry offered participation in both the great classical tradition of civilization and the task of building a new nation. Just as important, the fraternity also seemed to provide the leaders for these enterprises." [4]
Freemasonry also began to be viewed as an institution emphasizing excellence in morals and virtue. DeWitt Clinton stated that its "principal attention" was now directed "to the cultivation of morality." "Masonry," he explained, "may now be defined as a moral institution, intended to promote individual and social happiness." [5]
There was an early suspicion of Freemasonry by the religious denominations. Baptists, Methodists, and later Presbyterians for a while viewed membership in the fraternity as contrary to their teachings. This separation was removed in time, as is stated below.
Preference in business among Masons was quite common. An example is given of Henry Clay, who moved to Lexington, KY aided by Masonic ties. The same affiliation assisted in his arrival in the U.S. Senate.
The "advanced degrees" of the York and Scottish Rite are considered as "competing" with the growth of the Blue Lodge. This book gives emphasis to the diverse ritual, without coverage of how they build on and amplify speculative Masonry.
SECTION IV. Antimasonry and the Decline 1826 - 1840
The last section of the book deals with the Morgan affair and the political rebellion that centered around the lodge. The author implies that Masons quite possibly did kill William Morgan. Some brothers left the lodge and urged others to do so. He describes in some detail the positions of both sides in the scandal, in which each party considered themselves as the aggrieved one. Both groups accused the other of using their principles for personal gain.
As and example of decline, in 1840 there were only 46 lodges in the Grand Lodge of New York compared with 228 lodges with fourteen under warrant in1827.
By 1884 Masonry was exhibiting extraordinary numerical growth. A major change in character, however had taken place. First, the emphasis on morality grew until Masonry actually embraced the Christian Religion. The relationship between the lodge and the church became close, as the fraternity adopted more specific Christian teachings.
A more significant change was the loss of relevance to contemporary society. Albert Pike pointed out that post-1830s Masonry regained its membership at the expense of the qualities that allowed the earlier fraternity to command widespread awe. Bullock summarizes it this way: "The Jacksonian-era assault on Masonry domesticated it - pushing it further into private life and taming its power as a very public symbol of the Republic and its values." [6]
SUMMARY
It almost seems irreverent to take exception to any part of such a scholarly and well-documented treatise such as this work. Dr. Bullock is to be highly complimented on the manner in which he addresses the subject, and the thoroughness of his research. This book should not be read lightly or with preconceived notions. It some sections it is as gripping and engrossing as a mystery novel. At times, however, one must plod through paragraph after paragraph of laborious and sophisticated analysis of historical events. It is not fast moving, and at times the reader is tempted to relegate it to a place on the shelf beside Morals and Dogma. A serious Mason will be brought back time and again, though, recognizing that on the next page there will likely be some gem of wisdom and insight that will greatly enhance knowledge and understanding of his beloved Craft.
The one unfortunate element I found in this book deals with the message it might convey to a non-Masonic reader. By attempting to be completely scholarly, realistic, and unbiased, the author strips away much of the mystery, intrigue, and romance of Freemasonry. He reveals many "warts," all of them realistic. He does not, I believe, compensate the "warts" with credit for the good influences Masonry has exerted on American culture. As commented above, the opportunity is missed to deal with the Masonic-related character of our government and its basic documents. Furthermore, no attention is given to the contributions of our charitable works, many of which were already in place, or being formed, during the late 19th century.
My criticisms are minor, however, so I must end this report with a strong recommendation that Revolutionary Brotherhood should be included in the reading of all serious and interested Masons.
Revolutionary Brotherhood
Steven C. Bullock;
Associate Professor of history, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Published for the Institute of Early American History & Culture, Williamsburg, VA; 1996
By the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC
1 - page vii
2 - page vii
3 - page 85
4 - page 138
5 - page 139
6 - page 317
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All of the articles from the lodge trestleboard from Feb. 1999 to date have been placed on the lodge website at: http:ll www.calodges.orglno7l2l. All sensitive data and personal information portions not intended for public release have also been deleted. Various articles from these trestleboai7d issues and from other sources are also listed on the website's "Papers Page". If you have any interesting Masonic articles or papers that you would like to see placed on our website, please email the text to Patrick Bailey at pgb@padrak.com, or send him a clean type written copy.
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