Rhode Island JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

freemason

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island Established 1791 Volume Forty-Four, Issue Three

Veterans Day

November 11, 2018

We Honor Those Military Veterans

Who Have Served

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Brother Glenn S. Carlson Most Worshipful Grand Master

Grand Master’s Semi-Annual Communication Address

Most Worshipfuls, Right Worshipfuls, Worshipfuls and brethren all, Good Afternoon.

I welcome you all to the Semi-Annual Communication of our Grand Lodge. I cannot believe this Masonic year is at its halfway point, but a lot has been completed over these past six months and there is still more to do in the remaining six months. I have enjoyed every moment I have experienced so far serving this jurisdiction as your Grand Master. Today is an important day as we look forward to our plans for the next six months, we are mainly here to plan for our next Masonic year with our elections for our 2019-2020 Grand Council. With the current Grand Council officers and District Deputy Grand Masters in our Grand Lodge line I know that we will be in good hands for several years to come.

At this time the roll of the workmen has been called, and the following Master Masons have not answered to their name. "Several of our Brethren have reached the end of their earthly toils. The brittle thread which bound him to earth has been severed and the liberated spirit has winged its flight to the unknown world. The silver cord is loosed; the golden bowl is broken; the pitcher is broken at the fountain; and the wheel is broken at the cistern. The dust has returned to the earth as it was, and the spirit has returned to God who gave it."

Please give your attention to the Grand Secretary as we remember those no longer with us but have joined our brethren in that Celestial Lodge above as he reads the necrology.

My first official out of state Grand Lodge Annual that I was invited to represent this great jurisdiction began the weekend right after our Annual Communication in May. I headed out of state and out of the country, across the border to our neighbors to the north and enjoyed the hospitality and brotherly love offered by the Grand Lodge of Quebec. I have recently traveled to the Grand Lodge of Ohio where I was surprised and honored with an honorary membership. Dawn and I look forward to being in Washington, DC the first week of December. A complete list of my Masonic travels and Grand Lodge representations will be included in my final report at our annual communication in May.

A special visitation I would like to include in this address is the Jenks Lodge No. 24 Special Communication held in honor of their

Grand Master’s Message

oldest member, Brother William Lester at his assisted living home. This day was one of those events you won't soon forget. The brotherly love in that room was felt by all. Brother Lester was so happy to have his brothers around him and he was beaming with Masonic pride. He had all his Masonic letters and things dear to his heart placed in front of him. He showed us his father’s Masonic patent which he was most proud of. The brothers of Jenks Lodge took that patent and framed it for him, so he can proudly display it in his room for all to see. Thank you, brothers, for letting me be a part of that special day, I hope that we can do more of these.

I along with many members of Grand Lodge were present for the Grand Assembly of Rainbow Girls where Andrea Barragan-Tover passed the reigns of Grand Worthy Advisor to Hannah Lawson. Deputy Grand Master R∴W∴Kenneth Poyton and I along with our ladies attended the Rhode Island DeMolay Conclave where Armando Barragan-Tover stepped down and Allen

LaMoore took over as State Master Councilor. R∴W∴Scott Alger and I attended the presentation of the Chevalier Medals presented to Armando and Allen at the Centennial Celebration of DeMolay International at Harmony Lodge. I also attended the Installation of officers of Gaspee Chapter sponsored by St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence. We need to make an effort to be present for our Masonic Youth, they are part of the future of our Fraternity. Please help support them when you can, visit a Chapter meeting, and attend Rainbow events when possible. They really do appreciate it when you take the time to support and visit with them. I congratulate Rhode Island DeMolay for receiving the "Frank S. Land Membership Growth Award" and the "Gorman A. McBride Membership Award" at the 2018 DeMolay International Sessions in Alexandria, VA. These awards were for achieving positive growth and initiating more members than they had in the previous year! There aren't many Jurisdictions that can claim that they have taken both awards.

The 2018 Northeast Conference of Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries was hosted here in Rhode Island this past summer and was well attended and enjoyed by all. We had 16 Grand Jurisdictions in attendance and heard many compliments on the programs which included; "Lodge Security,” "The Path Forward Program" offered by the Scottish Rite NMJ, and "Electronic Media and Public Relations." I thank the conference committee,

R∴W∴Robert Ellston, M∴W∴Stephen T. McGuire, PGM and M∴W∴Carl B. Willi, PGM and Grand Secretary and the ladies of the Grand Lodge office; Maria, Diane, and Marcy, because of their

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Rhode Island FREEMASON

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Each year we pay homage to our fallen brethren on Veterans Day. It begins 8:30 AM with a hearty breakfast assembled in fine fashions by the members of Mount Vernon Lodge, who have graciously done so for many years. Can’t stand outside on a November morning without a good breakfast! Thanks to all the Mt. Vernon crew.

At 10:00 AM Overseas Lodge No. 40 (our military lodge) was piped in and presented the colors for our annual wreath laying ceremony at the Veterans Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island. The Grand Lodge each year places a wreath at our Masonic Memorial in memory of all departed brethren. Our Grand Master along with the Grand Council are present and the Grand Master offered an inspiring Veterans Day message with prayers from the Grand Chaplain. Many military officers have heartfelt stories of war casualties they share each Veterans day. The Standards representing the Craft gently waved in the morning breeze for the ceremony. As usual we had great support from the many brethren

and their families.

A Tribute to All Our Veterans November 11, 2018

Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery

By: M∴W∴Dennis Pothier, P.G.M.

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The Holiday Inn in Grantville, Pennsylvania was the host setting for the 60th Anniversary of the Eastern Regional Assembly of the Red Cross of Constantine held November 2-4.

There was a total of 31 people from Plantations Conclave that attended the event this year. Our Conclave this year was led by our Intendant General, Leon C. Knudsen and Puissant Sovereign, Russell A. Kawa.

We had five candidates take the Red Cross and Appendant Orders this year; Wayne Weisner, Robert Palazzo, Robert Goff, Robert Fish, and Robert Nista. John Anderson received the Viceroy Order.

This year our hospitality room was shared with Massachusetts and Connecticut Conclaves. During the degrees the ladies had several events to occupy their day. The weekend ended with a grand banquet of all the conclaves along with the Grand Imperial

Council. Greetings brethren from Moslem Grotto. 2019 marks the 75th Anniversary of Moslem Grotto. We are proud of this accomplish-ment and will be having a celebration for this later in the year. I will keep everyone posted here as well as on the Rhode Island Freemason Facebook page as details are determined. Also, in March there will be a National Grotto Day. It will be held on Saturday, March 23. We are planning to do a full ceremonial for

any new members as are many of the other Grottos nationwide. It is sure to be a special day. Thinking of joining Grotto or interested in finding out more, we invite you to come and check us out. We meet at Lafayette Lodge in Cumberland on the second Monday of every month (except July and August). Come and see if the Grotto

is right for you.

The Father and Precursor of Freemasonry and Independence in Latin America

As this new year begins and with the assistance of my other brothers in the Club Masonico Libertad, let me take you on a journey through Freemasonry in Latin America. I would like to begin introducing Spanish speaking Latino Freemasons, their contributions to the world, and their impact throughout the Caribbean, Central, and South America. For this first chapter, we will begin with Francisco de Miranda (full name Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza).

Francisco de Miranda, the precursor to the South American Independence was born on March 28, 1750 to a father from Spain and an upper-class mother who was a Creole, a mixed ethnicity of European and African descent. Being born to the upper class afforded Francisco with the opportunity to receive the best education during this colonial time period. He studied catechism, grammar, history, religion, geography, and arithmetic. His childhood presented him with the struggles of not fitting in with

either the Spaniards, as he was not born in Spain, or the Creoles, as he was part of a higher and wealthier social class. These two factors were influential throughout his life’s decisions and ideology.

Once of age and with the wealth to explore the world, Francisco set out to Spain where he paid to be commissioned and join the Spanish Army at the age of 22. Most of his military campaigns were in North Africa with his regiment. Spain was heavily invested in the American Revolution against the British as well as the expansion of their territories into Louisiana and Florida. De Miranda was ordered to report to Havana, Cuba where the Spanish commanded campaigns against the British Army along the Gulf of Mexico. During his time in the Caribbean and Southern United States battles, he earned the rank of Coronel in the Spanish Army. It is noted that Francisco and his regiment were also contributing factors in the battle of Chesapeake Bay. With a failed invasion in the Caribbean island of Jamaica, he was exiled to the United States in July 1783 where he became involved in the final battles of the American War for Independence which lasted from April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783.

It is during his time in the United States where Francisco de Miranda has a connection to us in Rhode Island. As he traveled throughout the newly formed states and cities to include, Philadelphia, where there is a statue of him located at 20th Street

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Red Cross of Constantine Eastern Regional Assembly By: M∴W∴Leon Knudsen, Intendant General

Moslem Grotto By: Gerry Phaneuf, Prophet Monarch

Greetings from

Club Masonico Libertad By: Brother Melvin Silverio

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and Ben Franklin Parkway for his support during the American Revolution, Cambridge, Newport, and Charleston. Here he was able to meet the upper class and influential enlightened (Freemasons) leaders of the time such as George Washington, Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, and Samuel Adams. Impressed through his travels in this newly independent world, when he arrived in Southern New England, two distinct locations fascinated him here in our small state of Rhode Island, the library of Newport and Brown University (which was named at that time Rhode Island College from 1764 –1804). During this time, he envisioned a liberated Latin America and began to strategize against the colonization of Spain.

In his return to Europe, Francisco de Miranda traveled throughout the continent and beyond in the 1790’s to include Italy, Hungary, Austria, Greece, Germany, even making his way to Russia. In Russia he was named a Russian ambassador or diplomat. Miranda also served in the French Revolutionary Army with the rank of general. It is there that Miranda was made a Freemason in France. It is during these travels where he meets other luminaries of the time such as Marquis de Lafayette, Georges Jacques Danton, and Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand. While in London he founded what became known as Lodge Great American Reunion. At this lodge the ideology and promotion of the liberation of the South American colonies was heavily developed. Prominent Latin American personalities of the time met in brotherhood and discussed their plans and ideas. It was a place of elevated education and independence dogma. Such members were Simon Bolivar of Venezuela and Colombia, Bernard O’Higgins of Chile, Jose de San Marti from Argentina, Carlos Maria de Alvear from Brazil, and Tomas Guido also from Argentina, to name a few. Throughout his time Francisco was said to be very lucky and benefited from his political and social relationships, ever evasive of capture by Spanish authorities and other political prosecutions. He fled and resurfaced many times over a span of a decade.

Francisco de Miranda traveled back to the United States between 1804 -1808 where he met with President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison to present his plans in support of the liberation of Latin America in the Spanish territories, starting in Venezuela. However, his plans were not supported. Francisco and a close friend named William S. Smith continued forward with expeditions to South America and the Caribbean, there securing weapons, soldiers, supplies, and volunteers. Miranda didn’t succeed at single handedly liberating Venezuela from Spanish colonialization, but he had sparked the idea of liberty not only in his home country but throughout Latin America.

At the beginning of the Venezuelan War for Independence when the Supreme Junta of Caracas the organization that governed Venezuela after the removal of the Captain General Vicente Emparan in April of 1810, Miranda was called back to his native country by a very young Simon Bolivar who stated “Let us lay the cornerstone of American freedom without fear. To hesitate is to perish.” Miranda was received in his native land excitedly by the people along with Bolivar and other members of the Junta. It is during his return to Venezuela that he forms with other like-minded men what came to be known as The Patriotic Society, founded on the model of French Revolutionary clubs. The First Republic of Venezuela and Congress was established on March 2, 1811. In the span of a year since his return, Venezuela officially declared its independence and became a republic. Venezuela held formal elections for their congress. Miranda was elected to the Barcelona Province and adopted a tri-colored national flag. He was also one of the founding fathers of the first Venezuelan Constitution.

Unfortunately, the newly formed Republic of Venezuela would fall back into disarray due to political and economic factors that persisted throughout its first year as well as a devasting earthquake that devasted the country. The First Republic as this

time period was called was met with strong opposition from multiple fronts. Later losing control, Francisco was given larger than usual political power, which he used unfavorably when he saw his idea of a liberated Venezuela and Latin America consumed by the turmoil that ravaged the region. He signed an armistice on July 25, 1812, whose action was claimed treasonous by Simon Bolivar and his followers.

This was the beginning of the end for Francisco de Miranda. With a very distinct comparison to Christ and the denial of his apostles, him being Christ-like, in the form of how his persona was exalted by his followers and his apostles, like Bolivar and other Junta members. They philosophically denied and crucified him for the armistice. In an effort to save something of the liberation ideology, Bolivar and the other members of the Junta send Francisco to Spain. Francisco was condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison. Lord Byron’s Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte is said to have been inspired by Miranda’s perseverance to never abandon his life goal in liberating his people from foreign colonization. Francisco de Miranda died at the age of 66 in a Spanish prison. But his enlighten ideology continued with none other than his student, Simon Bolivar.

There is a lot more information available on Francisco de Miranda, from his travels to almost every country along the Atlantic Ocean, to his military service in at least three different armies as well as being part in the American and French Revolutions. Francisco de Miranda is named the Father of Freemasonry in Latin America. I hope you find this brief introduction of Francisco de Miranda as an opening to a broader world of the importance and influences of Freemasons in Latin America.

If you are interested in being part of the creation of a Rhode Island Spanish language lodge you are welcomed to contact me at MelvinESilverio@gmail.com or 401-365-8509. You don’t have to

speak Spanish in order to be involved.

(Part of an occasional series on the origins of Masonic traditions)

Nearly everything in today’s speculative Masonry has at least some connection to the operative lodges of the Middle Ages, where Masons used the same working tools we do, but applied them to the more straightforward purpose of turning heaps of freshly quarried rock into castles and cathedrals. Some of the connections between the symbols of our speculative Craft and the tools of our old operative brethren are obvious. It’s not too hard for example, to figure out what working stonemasons did with chisels,

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The Deacons’ Staffs By: Brother John Michael Greer

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Soldier and Sailor Monument, Providence, RI Sequel as published in

The Rhode Island Freemason, November 1978

Here is a most interesting Masonic story found in one of two scrapbooks given to me by the late Brother William M.J. Craig of our Warwick Lodge No. 16, who was the oldest member, age 92 years. It is from the March 4, 1906 issue of the Providence Daily Telegram. How Masonic leaders made a midnight removal of the Monument cornerstone. A bit of unwritten history.

A party of veterans were talking of old times in one of the local GAR post halls. A reminiscent strain pervaded the conversation and it turned to a discussion of the controversy of the relocation of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. One of the grey-haired members of the group interrupted the conversation. “Talk about moving the Monument! Why, I suppose most of you have forgotten how a crowd of us, including Gen. Charles R. Brayton, George H. Burnham and some others who have since become well known, “borrowed” the cornerstone, with the connivance of Mayor Doyle, then Grand Master of Masons in Rhode Island, and without the consent or knowledge of the firm of contractors furnishing it.”

The Legislature in late the1860’s appropriated funds for the purpose of building a monument to the memory of the State’s soldiers and sailors who perished in the Civil War. In due time the design for construction was approved and erection began.

The Most Worshipful Grand Master was invited to lay the cornerstone with Masonic ceremonies. He summoned the Craft to attend him and great preparations were made for the event by Masonic societies of every grade throughout the State.

“Other organizations, especially the militia were expected to take an important part, for it was to be a day of special remembrance. Plans were proceeding for a successful occasion, when word came that owing to a misunderstanding between the contractor and architect, the contractor would not deliver the stone.” A stone the size of a tea chest was hurriedly prepared, as a substitute for the real stone.

This project did not suit the Masonic brethren, nor the veterans. Grand Master Doyle was disgusted with the turn of affairs. He claimed that after placing the deposit in the stone with the invocation “and may ages upon ages pass away ere it be again seen of men,” to have it shortly and unceremoniously removed and

its contents transferred to another stone would be little short of a sacrilege.” In the confusion, it was about decided to postpone the proceedings, when two bright and energetic Masonic brethren, George H. Burnham, well known real estate man and Fredrick Miller, now deceased, suggested that an attempt be made to get the original cornerstone held by the contactor.

Doyle was first inclined to scoff at the idea and said it would be impossible, but the intrepid originators of the scheme persisted and told him that if he would arrange for a train to carry the stone and to convey the party to Westerly, where it was, the rest of the proceedings would be attended to by them. They would produce men enough to solve the problem. That was on June 23 the day previous to that set for the ceremonies. After leaving Grand Master Doyle, Burnham and Miller agreed to meet him later in the afternoon.

Meanwhile the Grand Master opened communication with the railroad officials and the promoters of the plan busied themselves looking for volunteers for the expedition. This was no easy job, either, because of the impression which had gotten abroad that the celebration had been given up, also the danger of arrest if caught in the act of “borrowing” the stone.

At the appointed hour, never the less, eight or ten men were on hand. When Doyle saw the men, who had volunteered their services for the honor of masonry, his courage rose and he at once bestirred himself with energy in preparations to getting the party to Westerly, where according to report, the stone lay on a platform car side tracked near the station. A train consisting of locomotive, passenger coach and platform car was secured after much negotiation, and with the party on board, it started for Westerly. One man preceded the party on the New York Express to inform some of the Westerly Masons of the business in hand.

Two of the leaders of the Westerly Masonic body had requested to meet a man at the station on arrival of the New York Express, and in response to this, a dozen or so where there and informed of the undertaking. They were doubtful of success however, since as during the day, as if in anticipation of such a move, orders had been sent to the foreman of the quarry to unload the stone, which weighed about ten tons and it had tumbled off the car on to soft ground.

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Moving A Stone By: Brother Wilton P. Hudson

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument standing in front of Providence City Hall whose cornerstone was also laid by the Grand Lodge on June 24, 1875.

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Here was a state of affairs; no tools, no hoisting tackle, nothing to work with. As you can imagine, the party was upset by the discovery. They had pictured a hastily coupling of the car on which was the stone and a merry ride back to Providence, else an arrest and stay in jail. They had come prepared for either phase but had not thought of the situation, which actually confronted them. The midnight marauders made an investigation of the area. They soon “borrowed” some wooden rollers, planking, blocking, handspikes and other tools and set to work to load the stone upon the car brought from Providence. Most of the party knew as much about hoisting the stone or the use of the implements they had secured as a lot of monkeys, and a long time was spent in telling what was to be done. Nothing much was accomplished and soon the galaxy of “bosses”, were relegated and Jo Kelley now dead, who was a smarter mechanic, was elected boss of the expedition. With lots of hard work, we had the stone on the car and just before daylight the train was on its way to Providence.

Arrival in Providence. On account of the layout of railroad lines at that time, it took a lot of maneuvering before the load was run down the track which then lay in Dorrance Street and was left directly in front of the site of the monument. When the town woke up, there was the stone and nobody but those interested, and you can bet they were not inclined to exploit their trick then could account for its presence there.

The architect and master mechanics who were to handle the stone in the event of its regular delivery were notified. Although surprised, they set to work unloading it. Would you believe it? It really took them about as long to unload it as it did the inexperienced hustlers to put it on the car.

By this time the old veteran was worked up to a high pitch of excitement. His story had revived the same blood that had spurred him into a leadership in the expedition for the stone, and he proudly said that off-times it had been stated that the novel scheme which allowed the celebration deserved to rank with the burning of the Gaspee, as it showed the same spirit prompted the act.

Later Developments Before his death, one of the members of the contracting firm which had caused the upheaval of plans confessed that the firm had at first planned to try to prosecute those connected with the “steal”. But this he said was given up, as the railroad company threatened the firm trouble removing from a car an article which had been receipted for, and further, members of the Westerly town council promised to make the firm take up its spur tracks if it insisted upon an investigation. He also said that this same member of the firm, now deceased, stated that in a way the firm was satisfied as it helped them out of a dilemma. The architect refused to accept the stone they had spent much money on and their scheme for holding it back until the last minute was in the hope that the architect would waive his objections and allow the stone as constructed to be laid. In a way that was done and the cornerstone now in position is the one ‘borrowed” by such a unique act.

When pressed by some comrades to give the names of the party which effected the scheme, the veteran announced the following to have been the personnel of the party; Fredrick Miller, John B. Campbell, Josiah A. Whaley, Joseph Kelly, Hector Mackenzie, and Pardon Wilbur, now deceased. Albert H. Cushman, James L. Sherman, George H. Burnham, Gen. Charles R. Brayton, George F. Battey, Spencer P. Read, Elijae H. Russell and Allen B.

Dunham, some of the best-known men in the State.

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mallets, and twenty-four-inch gauges. In other cases, to make sense of the operative dimension of Masonic symbols we have to look back across the centuries to ways of doing things that have long since been forgotten.

The deacons’ staffs, or, as they’re called in some jurisdictions, wands, are good examples of this. They can be found in any properly equipped Masonic lodge, rising from their stands next to the chairs of the two officers who carry them. The staff of the Senior Deacon is

topped by an image of the sun, while the Junior Deacon’s staff bears an image of the moon. The sun and moon have several important roles in Masonic symbolism. Why though, should the deacons carry them around the lodge on the end of wooden poles?

To understand this, it’s necessary to put ourselves in the place of our operative brethren in the Middle Ages, working with the extremely limited technology of the time. We often forget just how easy a time, builders today have by comparison. When a construction firm today is hired to build a church, for example, nobody has to wonder which way east is; in most parts of the country, the streets are already laid out to a compass grid, and where that isn’t the case, a quick glance at a magnetic compass or a GPS screen will settle the matter once and for all.

In the Middle Ages, none of this was true. When a master mason was hired to start work on a building, as often as not there were no streets at all, and streets laid out to a grid lined up with the four directions went out of fashion with the fall of the Roman Empire and wouldn’t come back into common use until the Renaissance. In the early Middle Ages, when the biggest cities in Europe were about the size of Westerly and most people lived in villages of a few dozen people each, the roads were not much more than cow paths. The magnetic compass had already been invented in China, but centuries would pass before the first examples found their way to Europe, and in the meantime the builders had to figure out exactly which way east was.

They had to do this because the traditions of the medieval Christian church required churches to be oriented in a particular way. The main doors of a church always faced east, and the nave of the church, the main body, apart from any chapels or transepts

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going off to the sides, ran from the doors in the east to the sanctuary and the high altar in the west. (King Solomon’s temple was the other way around, which is why Masonic lodges have the Master’s station in the east and the doors, at least symbolically, in the west.) With only the simple handmade tools builders had in the early Middle Ages, our operative brethren had to figure out the four directions fairly precisely in order to lay out the ground plan for a church. They managed it, and the tools they used have come down to us as the Deacons’ staffs.

Imagine for a moment that you could do back in time to watch a master mason and his apprentices and fellow crafts on a building site somewhere in Britain during the eleventh century. The sky is gray with early morning clouds, but the sun has not yet risen. The master mason sends one of his fellow crafts with a tall wooden staff to the side of the building site closest to where the sun will rise, and has another also equipped with a staff, come with him to the other side. The other workmen present make sure to stay well over to the sides.

Then the sun rises. The fellow craft toward the sunrise puts one end of his staff on the ground and holds it vertically, well away from his body. The master goes to the west of the other fellow craft and tells him to move his staff left or right until the two staffs are lined up precisely against the middle of the rising sun. The master takes a hammer and two wooden stakes, and pounds one stake into the ground where each of the staffs are placed. A rope stretched between the two stakes then gave the east-west line along which the ground-plan of the church was then laid out, using more ropes and stakes.

This method of finding an east-west line only works exactly on two days of the year, the spring and fall equinoxes, when the sun rises due east and sets due west. In the Middle Ages, though, it became customary to lay out the ground-plan of each church on the day assigned to the saint who would preside over the church. Thus, a church that would be dedicated to St. Mary would have its east-west axis set on Lady Day, May 1, a church that would be dedicated to St. Michael would have the same task done on the feast of St. Michael and All Angels, September 29 and so on.

The days when the deacons’ staffs were used in this way were long past, centuries before the guilds of operative stonemasons began the transformations that would turn them into our modern speculative Craft. Even today, though, the staffs still carry the emblems of their original purpose. The staff of the Senior Deacon in the east bears an image of the sun, since it represents the staff that was toward the rising sun. The staff of the Junior Deacon in the west bears an image of the Moon, the most variable of the heavenly bodies, since it represents the staff that was moved back

and forth until it lined up with the sunrise.

(Next: the 47th proposition of Euclid.)

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efforts it was a huge success. I must thank the hospitality staff as

well, R∴W∴Scott Alger, Brothers Albert Capobianco, Jr., John Paliotta and Lou Tager for keeping all our guests in good spirits and maintaining the tradition of making our guests feel more than welcome. And thank you to the Grand Lodge Ladies; Colleen Poyton, Dereth Ellston, Christine Willi, Maureen McGuire, and my lady Dawn for their organization of the Saturday morning ladies tour and luncheon at Blithewold Mansion.

The Annual Grand Lodge Picnic was held in August and I wanted to see if we could get a huge showing by reducing the price of the tickets to $5.00 for hamburgers and hot dogs. I know that a record amount of tickets was sold which made me extremely nervous about pulling this off! The weather that morning also started off not cooperating, but with the efforts of the brethren that showed up early and R∴W∴Robert Ellston and R∴W∴Scott Alger at the helm, everything ran smoothly. The only hiccup was eating potato salad with our hands but forks slowly started appearing!

Several projects that I proposed in May have been completed and have been well received. The Robert J. Allen Medical Distribution Center which opened on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 PM has proved to be a success for the spring and summer months. It gives the Friday morning crew a chance to play catch-up on the maintenance of equipment. The fall and winter months are too cold, so during these months the Friday morning schedule will be maintained.

The new Master Mason "Welcome Packet" has also been completed which includes various forms of Masonic materials such as Grand Lodge Blue Book, Simple Questions book, additional information items and a Grand Lodge Pin. This packet will give our newly raised Masons the answers and the confidence to talk about Freemasonry with friends and family. I thank the Public Relations committee for all their hard work and dedication they put into these "Welcome Packets" and for hosting another successful Grand Lodge Open House in October. Again, we had a successful turnout this year. The Public Relations committee not only had the Grand Lodge Districts represented, but we also had members of the Scottish Rite Valley of Providence, the York Rite Bodies, the Rainbow Girls and DeMolay Boys and the Order of Eastern Star were also present.

Brother Robert Phillips of Morning Star Lodge proposed a bill this year for Rhode Island Masonic automobile license plates, this bill passed in the House but unfortunately did not make it through the Senate. The number of plates in the bill was set at 500, I think if we change this to 600 next year hopefully it will pass.

The use of the Semi-Public closing at a lodge meeting where family and friends are present seems to be appreciated by many. It gives all the ability to be present at a lodge closing and leave at once and enjoy each other’s company to socialize and enjoy collation.

The “Chamber of Reflection” pilot program which was proposed in M∴W∴Iacobucci's year has been finally conferred at Jenks Lodge. I was unable to witness the first presentation as I was in Ohio at the time, but I have heard only great things and look forward to my chance to experience it for myself.

Other projects that are still in the works and will be included in my

annual address in May are: AEDs in our lodges, which W∴Stephan Saraidarian has put together with some great research information, the restoration of our Grand Master portraits, benches purchased and to be placed at our Masonic monument at the Veterans' Cemetery and the Thomas Smith Webb Monument restoration project, being overseen by the Monuments and Memorials Committee and the Almoner's Fund.

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My ongoing theme for this year has been "Freemasonry: Paying It Forward" which means we should all be looking to demonstrate the tenets of our institution, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth and display our moral principles of Faith, Hope and Charity to all. There is no better way to share these principals than to our own brothers in Freemasonry first, and to our communities second. Also, I have stated that in our lodges we need programs for mentoring, retention and better communications. I would like to show you a

short video created by Grand Master M∴W∴Paul Gleason and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. This video is made of exit interviews of newly raised Master Masons and members of lodges, that are rethinking how to retain their membership by paying more attention to our Moral Principals and Masonic Tenets.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank Brother Timothy Delaney for all his efforts in putting together my surprise fundraising campaign this year. At the Annual Banquet in May, Tim and the members of Jenks Lodge, who I affectionately call "the Jenks 9", which is a story for another time, surprised me with wearing T-Shirts with the words "Year of the Hair" on the back. On the back of this shirt had my face blanked out with only my hair, also regarded as my coif, visible. Their efforts raised over seven hundred dollars to be donated to my charity of choice. For these memories and efforts, I thank all of you.

Congratulations to all our Award Recipients on this day as well.

Rookie Award: Frederick E. Wilmott Jr., Jenks Lodge No.24 Thomas H. Kelley, Jr., Friendship Lodge No.7

Passport Award: Timothy L. Culhane, St. Johns Lodge No.1 Providence Timothy P. Delaney, Jenks Lodge No. 24

Grand Master's Award:

Michael D. Picard, Mount Moriah Lodge No.8

Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award: Steven E. Parenteau, St. Johns Lodge No.1 Providence

Grand Lodge Representatives: Grand Representative to the Grand Lodge of Paraguay Javier R. Alfonzo, Redwood Lodge No.35

Grande Representante Del Grande Oriente D'Italia Frank DiMascio, St. Johns Lodge No.1 Providence

R∴W∴Alfred M. Cameron, St. Paul’s Lodge No.14, received his title of Right Worshipful Associate Grand Chaplain Emeritus.

In conclusion, I thank you all for your support and your dedication to Freemasonry. I thank those of you who have joined me and Scott on our visitations throughout the districts. I look forward to all the good times and memories that we will create in the future and I look forward to these next six months, I only hope that they don't go by as quickly as the first.

May God Bless you, God Bless the United States of America, and God Bless Freemasonry!

Sincerely and Fraternally submitted,

Glenn S. Carlson Glenn S. Carlson Grand Master

Attention Readers and Contributors!

Beginning with the next issue, the RI Freemason

will change from a bi-monthly publication

to quarterly.

Please see page 10 for new deadline dates for submission.

Daylight Lodge No. 48

Is hosting a charity

Breakfast and Clothing Drive March 16, 2019

Scottish Rite Masonic Center

Breakfast served from 8:30-11:00AM

Admission:

$15.00

$10.00 with clothing donation .

Page 10 January/February 2019 ___________________________________________________________________

RI Freemason Deadlines

New Publishing Schedule to begin in 2019

The Rhode Island Freemason is published 4 times based on a Masonic calendar year. Deadlines for submissions are listed below each issue. The issues will be published as follows:

DECEMBER/JANUARY/FEBRUARY Deadline: November 1st

MARCH/APRIL/MAY Deadline: February 1st

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST Deadline: May 1st

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER Deadline: August 1st

From the Editor Dear Brethren,

I thank everyone who submitted reports and articles for this issue. Unfortunately, we did not have space for everyone’s submissions. Where appropriate, I have saved the material for our next issue. As a reminder please submit your material for future issues before the deadline date. Space is on a first come, first serve basis. As the deadline approaches, there is less and less space available and your material may not be published if received on or after the deadline date.

A few simple guidelines are in order for submissions;

• Please send all articles as MS Word, Word Perfect or Text documents

• Photographs or illustrations should be sent as Jpeg, Tiff or Bitmap files

• Please no PDF files, they will not be accepted.

• The deadline for each issue is firm and submissions are on a first come, first serve basis, the sooner your article arrives the more likely it is to be included

• Please send files to hstrclrsch@aol.com as well as rifreemason@rimasons.org addresses.

Fraternally, Brother, Richard Lynch

Editor: R∴W∴Richard F. Lynch

Associate Editors: M∴W∴Leon C. Knudsen, PGM R∴W∴Jack Anderson Millie T. Hallstrom

Editorial Advisior: M∴W∴Carl B. Willi, PGM R∴W∴Grand Secretary

Interesting Historical Facts of Freemasonry In Rhode Island

Selected from a review of the Annual Proceedings of the Grand Lodge

3rd Installment

7-17-1824 Evening Star Lodge No. 17 established. Charter surrendered 1843.

10-24-1825 Lafayette Lodge No. 19 established. Charter surrendered 1848. (These two situations affected by Anti-Masonic Period.)

5-29-1826 Revised Constitution and By-Laws adopted.

6-26-1826 W∴Christian Nestell elected first Grand Lecturer.

8-30-1830 Printed circulars giving names of all Masons expelled from subordinate lodges in the state are mailed to all lodges and to the Grand Lodges in the USA.

3-17-1834 Civil Charters were returned to the State of Rhode Island.

6-24-1834 Voted that Masonic Halls be draped in black as memorial of the death of General Lafayette.

1-25-1841 Adopted per capita tax of $.50 per member. Voted that upon demise of a subordinate lodge, all books, papers, jewelry, finances, and property will be transferred to Grand Lodge for safekeeping.

12-27-1847 Revised constitution adopted.

6-28-1849 Diploma for presentation to members of lodges made available by Grand Lodge.

To be continued.

Ye Olde Table Lodge

Seven Toasts & Courses of Delight Guatemalan and Peruvian cuisine

Washington Lodge No. 3

Saturday, February 23, 2019 4:00 PM

Masonic Temple 39 Baker St. Warren, RI

Ticket Reservations:

Christian Lopez: 401-714-2622 or clopez469@g.rwu.edu

___________________________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 11

METRO DISTRICT RW Robert A. Palazzo, DDGM

Happy New Year Brethren,

With the holidays behind us we can once again return to our everyday routines. The holidays though most times enjoyable, they can evoke many emotions some good and then some we wish we could forget. Never lose sight that the Grand Architect of the Universe has a plan already laid out for each of us and we simply execute what has already been woven into our fabric and that he understands all we face and walks with us. This is at the very foundation of Masonry and our belief. I do hope your holidays were filled with joy and you were able to impart the same!

With the Semi-Annual Communication behind us, I would once again thank all the brethren who honored both Brad and I to advance to the Grand Council and continue to represent you within our jurisdiction. It is indeed our honor to do so.

During my last few editions of the Freemason, I have preached about living up to what we all agreed to at the altar when we took our oath. My latest travels have shown me that many of our brothers are doing just that, living up to the tenets of Freemasonry. Many of you are dedicated to making your lodges better through good deeds and hard work, perfecting our Craft in modern times. Keep striving to make that happen, set your goals high and challenge your members to join with you in making that happen. Change has always brought about stress and unfamiliarity and that leaving your comfort zone makes us all, well, uncomfortable.

Brothers, please continue to support your lodge and the officers, take advantage of opportunities to travel which is one of the best times to be a Mason. Traveling has and is showing to be not only rewarding but also beneficial in the success of your programs. May

the G.A.O.T.U. continue to bless and keep you and your family.

EAST BAY DISTRICT RW Douglas J. Grant, DDGM

As of the reading of this article, all of the lodges in the East Bay will have newly elected, appointed, obligated, and installed officers. I congratulate everyone on achieving their new positions and wish them the very best. Being able to assist in these ceremonies is very rewarding for Mike and I because we are from the East Bay and are very familiar with the brothers from this district. It was a pleasure to be able watch the lodges turn over their leadership and continue moving forward.

Another milestone that I am very pleased to be able document is the conferring of the Master Mason degree on candidates from many lodges in the East Bay. The reason that this is so important, is that all the lodges in the East Bay have come together to confer a joint Master Mason degree. All the lodges worked together to cover all the stations, ritual, and lectures in order that the Fellow Craft candidates receive the finest degree that they could get. Thank you to all the masters and other officers of the East Bay for working to make it a great success.

Many times, our individual lodges try to confer the degrees and unfortunately are short of officers to fill in the required positions. By having all the lodges from the district work together, we not only confer a great degree, but we also bring our lodges and district closer together. This might be a method worth considering in some of the districts. Although I must admit, I have seen some great degree work conferred by individual lodges, it is still something worth thinking about.

Lastly, Mike and I thank all the East Bay lodges for their hospitality this year. We have been treated with great respect and have enjoyed our travels to the lodges. As I mentioned previously, being from the East Bay makes this year a little more special and we are so pleased that we have been received with the open arms during our travels. Our thanks go out to the presiding and past Masters, officers, and all brothers from the East Bay for making this a special year for us. We appreciate your help and look forward to continuing our travels here for the remaining time this year and in future years.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular

Masons.

NORTHERN DISTRICT RW André H. Faria, Jr., DDGM

With the fever of the Holiday Season behind us, we are now off and running in 2019. Brandt and I wish to extend a Happy New Year to you and your families and friends. That is certainly our first order of business. We are also beaming with delight in the Northern District when we learned the news that our Deputy Grand Master, R∴W∴Kenneth F. Poyton had appointed W∴Eric Grist as the District Deputy Grand Master for the Southern District for 2019-

2020. W∴Eric is a distinguished member of our Craft and a member of Friendship Lodge, No. 7. We are also thrilled that he has chosen one of his lodge brothers, W∴John Kent as his

traveling companion. The Master of Friendship Lodge, W∴John Barnes shared with me his surprise and joy at the news as well as

the joy of the entire lodge. With R∴W∴Bob Palazzo heading toward

the Grand South, W∴Grist takes his place as the next DDGM from the North! Please join me in congratulating these two brothers.

Our Grand Master, M∴W∴Glenn S. Carlson led us through a very productive first half of the Masonic Year and we were glad to celebrate these accomplishments at the Semi-Annual Communication as well as at the Fall Festival. It was a wonderful time-sharing camaraderie and fraternity with so many brothers. It was also an honor for the District to witness the presentation of the

Grand Master’s Award to W∴Michael Picard of Mt. Moriah Lodge,

No. 8. W∴Picard and his officers worked hard to accomplish all the requirements of the award and we are proud of all the work they did to receive this great achievement.

The Northern District also wants to extend our congratulations to all the brothers who have been appointed to various positions in

the Grand Lodge. Two of our own, W∴Rowan Gottschalk, Past Master of Mt. Moriah No. 8 as well as the current Master of Roger Williams Lodge, No. 28 W∴Melvin E. Silverio were elected to serve on the Grand Lodge’s Board of Charities. Congratulations to both these dedicated brothers on their election to this important committee.

Subsequent to the Semi-Annual Communication, the Northern District had a very productive organizational meeting. A special word of thanks to W∴Tony Rodrigues, the newly installed Worshipful Master of Mt. Moriah Lodge, for hosting the meeting.

Although W∴Tony was only recently installed the day after Thanksgiving, he has already taken the bull by the horns with a very busy holiday season. Speaking of Mt. Moriah’s Annual Meeting, it was a delight for me as the District Deputy to be joined by so many brothers and their spouses including my very own

lovely Beth. W∴Brandt was unable to be present, but in his place, Junior Grand Warden R∴W∴Bob Ellston lent me his very capable

and proficient Grand Master of Ceremonies, W∴Keith Moan.

Assisting at Mt. Moriah’s Annual was W∴Keith’s 25th Annual as Grand Master of Ceremonies. He did not miss a beat and did an outstanding job, thank you my brother. We are also looking forward to our official visitation to the lodge in February.

(continued on page 12)

Report from the Masonic Districts

Page 12 January/February 2019 ___________________________________________________________________

(continued from Page 11, Northern District)

Beth and I were delighted to have participated in Lafayette Lodge’s annual Christmas meeting in December. The meal was delicious, the brothers were so attentive and program was delightful. A

special word of thanks is due W∴Leo Kennedy and his fine group of officers for their hospitality and kindness.

As the new year begins so too will our Masonic labors continue. We eagerly await joining the brothers of Morning Star Lodge, No. 13 for their Annual Meeting in January. It will give us an opportunity

to thank W∴Dave Malone for all of the work that he accomplished over the past year. We look forward to installing their new line of officers for the coming year.

As a District Deputy, it is always gratifying to see the lodges of the district travel to each other’s events. I am proud of and delighted with the brothers of the Northern District for their exemplary dedication to the Craft and the manner in which they demonstrate their commitment to each other. They truly embody what our Masonic Fraternity is all about not so much by what they do, and they do a lot, but more importantly by who they are. Thank you for

your example!

CENTRAL DISTRICT RWRick Baccus, DDGM

“To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a Season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

And a Time to Every Purpose Under Heaven” Lyrics by Peter Seeger, Sung by the Byrds

So, it is in the Central District a time to gather stones together. Rick Lynch and I had the opportunity to install the officers in all four lodges of the district in the last two months, and we want to thank everyone for their hospitality.

I want to congratulate Worshipful Master Charles Wilkinson on another tour in the Oriental Chair as the Master of Ionic Lodge, and to his fellow officers; best of luck in the ensuing year. It was a pleasure to present Worshipful Richard Buckley with his Past Master’s Certificate with the help of our Grand Master, Most Worshipful Glenn Carlson.

The officers of Manchester Lodge turned out if due form for their installation, and congratulations are in order for Worshipful Master Gary Paul who assumed the East. Junior Past Master Jeffery

Kozlin was congratulated on an excellent tour and I was assisted by Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Ken Bruns in the presentation of his certificate.

On Saturday afternoon November 10 the brothers of Daylight Lodge were installed in great style, with Dr. David Dicecco assuming the duties of Worshipful Master. Tri-corner hat and all!

Deputy Grand Master R∴W∴Kenneth Poyton assisted me in presenting the Past Master’s certificate to Brother Raymond Brisson. We all proceeded to give thanks by enjoying a wonderful turkey dinner.

Last, we installed the full line of officers at Harmony Lodge, enjoying the surroundings of the newly renovated lodge room. The new Worshipful Master Robert Izzi fascinated the audience with a tale of charity. Our Deputy Grand Master Kenneth Poyton assisted me in presenting Past Master Mic Torgen with his Master’s Certificate. The lodge memorialized four departed past Masters; Jessie Edwards, Arthur Chapman, Frank Allen, and Allen French, all four well known Masons throughout the Grand Jurisdiction.

Brother Glenn Scott Carlson, our Most Worshipful Grand Master paid his official visitation to the district hosted at Daylight Lodge. He was accompanied by a large suite and was warmly received by the district’s Past Masters. An enlighten program on York Rite Masonry was presented by Senior Warden Robert Fish.

Brother Lynch and I are now looking forward to our upcoming district visitations. I want to pass on a reminder regarding changes to the Blue Book dates. The visitation to Manchester Lodge is now on January 18, Ionic Lodge is February 16, Daylight Lodge is April 8, and the visitation to Harmony Lodge is now May 7. Please feel free to contact me at rickbaccus@cox.net or at 401-413-6281 to let us know of any lodge events Rick and I should attend.

“A Time to Cast Away Stones, a Time to Gather Stones

Together.”

SOUTHERN DISTRICT R∴W∴Gilbert J. Fontes, Jr.

Greetings,

May each day of the New Year be filled with contentment, opportunities, peace, and abundance. Happy New Year!

Jay and I look forward to the upcoming new year with great hope for our Southern District lodges and the fraternity as a whole. The brothers of the Southern District continue to inspire with their great works. They are building temples in the hearts of all they come in contact, thank you!

That spark! You know the spark that ignites the fire. That’s what Jay and I see as we visit lodges, brethren working together to inspire the world without, is an awesome view. Thank you!

Brethren and friends all, on Saturday, January 19 Franklin Lodge will hold their semi-public installation of officers. If you have never been to Franklin Lodge No. 20 in Westerly this will be a great opportunity for you to see firsthand Southern District hospitality. Contact the Lodge for details. Also, Mt Vernon Lodge No.4 will hold their annual communication on Friday, February 22, with the banquet on Saturday, February 23 at the Quonset ‘O’ Club. Contact the lodge for details to join in the great energy of this lodge.

On the behalf of Jay and I along with Lady Blanca and Lady Kathy

we wish you and yours best blessing in this new year.

Visiting Brother Mickael Gilbert of France (3rd from left) joins the installation team for Manchester Lodge’s Annual.

_____________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 13

St. Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence By: W∴Timothy L. Culhane, P.M.

Happy New Year from the Master, Wardens and brethren of St. Johns Lodge. Although the days may be dark, we continue to shine bright. It was a busy autumn and is looking to be a busy winter as well.

We enjoyed a well-done and memorable Entered Apprentice degree during our October 2018 regular communication on October 17. With over 50 brothers in attendance, the degree was conferred upon five new brothers. Also, we were honored to host a new brother from Manchester No. 12 to receive the EA lectures as a courtesy. Congratulations to all our new brothers. We were also pleased to have with us that evening our Most Worshipful Grand Master Glenn S. Carlson, who imparted some congratulatory words and wisdom to our newest brothers. The gavel of St. Johns Lodge was passed to the Grand Master who then closed the lodge.

Our November communication was moved ahead a week from Wednesday, November 21 to Wednesday, November 14 because of Thanksgiving. It was well attended. The brothers were entertained by a lecture by W∴Timothy Culhane representing the COLLEGIVM LVMINOSVM. The lecture and discussion

addressed how pop culture represents and reflects Freemasonry across the post WWII generations, and how Freemasonry affects pop culture. It was an excellent program.

The January 2019 communication of will be on January 16. The lodge will open at 5:30 PM for business, followed by dinner. After dinner the Fellow Craft degree will be conferred upon all available candidates. I know we are all looking forward to hearing Brother Joshua Irizarry present the Middle Chamber for our candidates. Please join us if you can.

Our February communication will be Wednesday, February 20. Lodge will open at our usual 6:00 PM time. We are hosting RI DeMolay at St. Johns that evening and hope that we can have as many brothers as possible there to show their support for DeMolay.

Worshipful Master Richard Gonzalez and the wardens and

brethren of St. Johns wish to congratulate R∴W∴ Ronald P. Reed on being elected to the office of Grand Secretary starting in May 2019.

Please consult our trestleboard or ask a brother if you need updated or further information about our events. As always, we

look forward to seeing you at St. Johns Lodge in this new year.

Washington Lodge No. 3 By: W∴Thomas Neyhart, P.M.

The lodge continues its involvement in the community. Over the last several months we were involved with the Warren Holiday Festival giving tours and hosting a singer, as well as opening the building and giving tours as part of Warren Walkabout, Walking Tour of Old Warren, and Art Night Bristol/Warren. There were other occasions when the building was open to the public, such as during the Masonic Open House. Many individuals including brothers inside and outside our jurisdiction came and saw our historic building.

Washington Lodge’s involvement in charity also continues. We supported efforts to help those involved with Hurricane Michael in Florida and hosted a charity toy drive to benefit children in need during this past holiday season.

The month of December was a busy one for Washington Lodge. We started off by conferring the Entered Apprentice degree on a new brother. At our communication we welcomed the

RWDouglas J. Grant, DDGM, and WMichael Barbera, GMC for their official visitation. The program for the evening was on Prince Hall Masonry, given by Prince Reid, Most Worshipful Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons for the State of RI. It was a very informative presentation. Finally, we had a Christmas Party at Junior Warden, Tom Butt’s home. It included a pot luck dinner and a Yankee swap. Fun was had by all.

A Ye Olde Table Lodge will be held on Saturday, February 23. The meal includes Guatemalan and Peruvian cuisine. Please make

reservations with W∴Christian Lopez at 401-714-2622 or clopez469@g.rwu.edu before Friday, February 8.

Washington Lodge will again be serving meals before its meetings. We welcome back Chef J and his assistant Chuck. For those who dined with us several years back you will remember his fine cuisine, homemade soups and other delights. Please partake in our dinners. Spouses and friends are always welcome. We ask

you to make reservations, otherwise you might not be served.

Friendship Lodge No. 7 By: Brother Kevin J. Kelley

To all who see these presents, greetings:

The author Edwin Teale wrote; “For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad”. This has no truer meaning than for the Masons of Friendship Lodge as we hit the ground running this past fall.

September, October, and November are always a joyous time at the lodge. It started with Friendship Lodge’s 219th Annual Communication and the installation of Worshipful John Barnes as

our 162nd Worshipful Master. Our thanks to DDGM R∴W∴Andre

Faria and R∴W∴Ron Reed for such an outstanding job! From there, Friendship had the privilege of hosting Most Worshipful Grand Master Glenn S. Carlson and his large and distinguished suite to our little country lodge. Friendship brothers were honored to present a check for $2,500 to help cover some of the cost of bringing the Vietnam Veterans Moving Memorial to our community. The donation was given in memory and in honor of William "Garry" Schanck whose name is memorialized on the wall.

Garry Schanck is the son of past master W∴William G. Schanck and brother of W∴Jeff Schanck. We then continued the tradition of hosting our Special Ladies for their annual luncheon. We set up a booth outside of the lodge during Chepachet’s Trick or Treat on Main Street event. Wrapping it all up, we proudly watched Brother Tom Kelley receive the Master Mason Rookie award at the Grand Lodge Semi-Annual Communication.

December was extremely busy as we hosted our very successful Friendship Wine Tasting at Crystal Lake Country Club, delivered poinsettias to our Special Ladies, hosted guests for Chepachet’s Main Street Candlelight Shopping Events and even had a visit from our very own Santa (who doubles as our Chaplin when not busy in the North Pole). Most importantly, though, we conferred upon five brothers their Entered Apprentice Degree!

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NEWS FROM AROUND THE LODGES

Page 14 January/February 2019 ____________________________________________________________________

(continued from Page 13, Friendship Lodge)

George E. Burow wrote; “We can only know the fullest joys of Masonry when we truly walk the paths of service and of hard work in the quarries”. The brothers have certainly walked that path this fall, and we would be remiss to not mention some of our newer brothers who have really jumped into the pool headfirst! Jared Kelley who has served every meal and travelled to every event this fall, Gary Turner who has taken on new lectures, investigated new applicants and reinvigorated the front room and Keith Beaudreaux, who with great enthusiasm has learned new lectures travelled and, with Brother Kelley, is working hard towards their rookie of the year status. This behind the scenes service has been modeled for years by Brothers; Mike Haggerty, Mike Dahlquist and Mark Bonn which not only makes Friendship Lodge unique but ensures our brotherhood is strong for years to come.

In closing, W∴John Barnes is extremely proud to inform the brethren that the Grand Master elect, R∴W∴Kenneth Poyton has

appointed Friendship Lodge’s very own WEric Grist as the next District Deputy Grand Master for the Southern District. Joining

W∴Grist will be W∴John Kent as Grand Master of Ceremonies. The appointments were made at the Grand Lodge Semi-Annual Communication on November 17. It was a special and proud day for W∴Grist, W∴Kent, and the brothers of Friendship Lodge. A

better two appointments could not have been made!

Harmony Lodge No. 9 By: W∴ Michael A. Cunningham, P.M.

As the calendar resets to welcome 2019, Harmony Lodge would like to wish all its members, extended Masonic family, and brethren within the Grand Jurisdiction a Happy New Year and best wishes for a prosperous year ahead. Harmony was very active in closing out 2018, which included its annual communication where Brother Rob Izzi was installed as Worshipful Master.

The annual meeting was well attended and enjoyed by all. Worshipful Rob is a natural orator and entertained those in attendance with an inspiring story aimed at reminding us of the importance of work and a life balance to maintain the ability to focus on family and self-improvement. The lodge is looking forward to successfully moving forward in 2019 under W∴Rob’s leadership. The annual meeting was also an opportunity to congratulate and

thank W∴Mick Torgan on completing a very successful year as

Master of Harmony. As part of W∴Torgan’s Master’s report he presented Brother Bill Laliberte with Harmony’s Masonic Service Award for 2018. Bill was very active in Lodge activities this year,

including his election as president of the Fellow Craft Club as well as contributing to degree ritual substituting for a few officers who had scheduling conflicts. As W∴Mick mentioned in his remarks, Brother Laliberte really was an effective “utility player” this year. Congratulations, Bill!

Since the last update of lodge activities, Harmony again participated in the annual walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in early October. Also, in October, several Harmony brethren helped feed the homeless at the Epiphany Soup Kitchen at St. Stephens’ Church in Providence. While it would obviously be preferable that this service not be necessary, this charitable activity has become a regular lodge activity from which the many participants enjoy contributing to the well-being of the greater community. Harmony Lodge also participated in a new Halloween night out in Mystic, CT, at a “Nautical Nightmare” tour of Mystic Seaport. A spooky time was had by the large Masonic family group that attended. The Fellow Craft Club also organized a scotch and cigar night at the Havana Cigar Club in West Warwick in early November and based on the great time had by those who attended, this event may very well become a more regular activity for brethren (both Harmony and others inclined to participate) moving forward.

Harmony was saddened by the passing of W∴Alan French in November, as he had been a long-serving leader of the lodge for many years. The large number of brethren who attended his Masonic memorial service was greatly appreciated by both

Harmony Lodge as well as his family. W∴Alan will be greatly missed.

At the time of this issue of the RI Freemason, Harmony was in the final stages of preparation for its annual banquet, this year being organized in conjunction with recognition of the Special Ladies of the lodge. A large turnout is anticipated, and an update of this event will be provided in the next issue.

Looking forward, Harmony has several activities planned over the next few months. This year the lodge has received a large number of membership applications, (almost 20!) and degree work will begin early in the new year. Please note that there will be many opportunities for those brethren interested in participating in degree ritual, so please inform any of your officers if you

(continued on page 15)

________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 15

(continued from Page 14, Harmony Lodge)

would like to take part in one or more of the degrees to be scheduled over the next several months. This is a unique opportunity for all members to participate in degree work, so please plan to take part. In March the annual Henry Rossi Memorial Game Dinner will be held on Sunday, March 3. Please plan to contribute to the success of this annual event. Finally, please note that the annual getaway weekend is currently in the planning stages, and more information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.

As always, please refer to www.harmony9.org and your monthly trestleboard for specific event details, including instructions for placing reservations. Please continue to support your lodge and

participate as you are able.

St. Paul’s Lodge No. 14

By: W∴Joshua Manfredo

St. Paul’s is rapidly approaching the end of its Masonic year. As Master I have been pleased with the work of the lodge, but like many ashlars we are far from perfect. This year I set many goals for the brothers, for the lodge and myself and unfortunately, we did not achieve them all. But all is not lost. St. Paul’s has set a terrific base for which it can continue to grow. We have 2 different classes of new Masons, one of which will hopefully soon become a Master Mason, and the quality of our Fellow Craft is outstanding not just digging into proficiency, but also learning what the Craft is. By shifting some of our focus inward we have rediscovered some of those truly important tenets of Freemasonry.

This past year we have increased the frequency of our officer rehearsals, expanded our social connection with each other, and traveled our district and the Grand Jurisdiction to support our Grand Lodge officers and events held by the blue lodges. One opportunity that presented itself, was the ability to partner with St. Alban’s Lodge No. 6 for rehearsals and the conferral of the Fellow Craft Degree. Sometimes our smallest lodges struggle to fill necessary chairs and with the bustle of everything we involve ourselves in we stretch that even further. By partnering we could host full rehearsals “plug and play” chairs and generally have some fun. This also ensured that each role had an under-study, so we were not scrambling at the last second if something were to fall through. This was educational as well as newer officers could learn lines from experienced ritualists and/or try a different role in a low stress environment.

One of my favorite parts of the year was being able to share new and exciting presentations either directly from the East or from one of our many talented brothers. Proper instruction need not be dull and delivered with the same passion as reading a newspaper. The trick is finding something that the brothers are passionate about to present and by virtue, they extend that excitement to the sidelines. I frequently keep our stated communications to about an hour to an hour and half, this includes plenty of time for business and a thoughtful program and fellowship. I have found this increases brotherly bonds, keeps meeting fatigue down, and as a result a return of brothers to the lodge. Of course, work must be done behind the scenes to accomplish this and the support of the brothers is invaluable and appreciated.

If your travels take you to “the Island” be sure to visit us, we have an upcoming Annual Communication and we are actively working to make the traditional dinner something more exciting by hosting a small event afterwards. Hopefully this will reduce the time of the

evening and make it more enjoyable by family and friends.

Franklin Lodge No. 20

By: Daniel Rzewuski P.M.

A find from across the pond!

Brother Ben Headley from Franklin Lodge loves to explore antique stores. One day while visiting a favorite location in Niantic, CT he happened upon a very unusual wooden plaque. Now as anyone who has enjoyed antiquing and is a Mason can tell you, finding Masonic anything isn’t all that unusual. However, from time to time you happen upon some pretty intriguing items. This was one of those days. Ben found an item that definitely deserved to be researched, so he bought it and went online.

The plaque had the words Beaminster Manor Lodge No.1367 around the edge of it. In the center of it there is a square with WHW Toby, WM AD 1873 written in it and the 47th problem of Euclid under it. Brother Ben did a search for Beaminster Manor Lodge and sure enough there was one listed in the UK and it was No. 1367 and they are active online! They have a website, Facebook page, and a Twitter account. Brother Ben immediately reached

out and received a quick response from W∴Dave Wakely Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden, and current lodge secretary. From there a lively discussion ensued and sure enough, this was most certainly an artifact from Beaminster Manor Lodge 1367.

How it ended up in an antique store in Niantic, CT is still a mystery. Brother Ben tried to find out more information from the consigner at the antique store but was only told that it was from an estate sale in Mystic, CT. Several emails back and forth from Brother David to Ben, he learned that WHW Toby was the Worshipful Master of Beaminster Manor Lodge in 1873. The lodge was consecrated in 1872, their sesquicentennial anniversary coming up in 2022. The brethren were very excited to learn that there was another plaque out there. Apparently, they already have several other plaques commemorating other events and would love to be able to retrieve it for their upcoming celebrations. Brother Ben presented the plaque and the story attached to it at the next regular communication of Franklin Lodge. The brethren were very intrigued to hear about the story and equally happy to make sure that the plaque made its way, with Brother Ben’s blessing, back to the Lodge from where it came. Needless to say, our brethren from across the pond were very excited to have it returned to them. Of course, we couldn’t send it back without first taking a picture of it with the brethren in attendance. The evening

(continued on page 16)

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(continued from Page 15, Franklin Lodge)

that Brother Ben presented it. Of course, the brothers of Beaminster Manor Lodge reciprocated with a photo of their own. Both photos can be seen on their and our Facebook pages.

Thank you, Brother Ben for exploring and digging. It just goes to show you how small the world can be sometime and how the ties

that bind stretch across oceans. I hope to take up W∴Brian Palmer, Treasurer of Beaminster Manor Lodge with his gracious invitation. He wrote, “If any of the brethren of your lodge are over in UK and want to come and visit the Jurassic Coast here in Dorset, please let us know. We'll be very pleased to host you either in our own homes or to find local accommodation.” You just might find some

brethren from Westerly, RI come knocking!

Rising Sun Lodge No. 30

By: W∴John Lawson, III, P.M.

On Monday evening November 19 at our regular communication of Rising Sun Lodge, the members voted to purchase and donate 2 copies of a book. One copy to go to the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island and the other to go to the East Providence High School Library.

The name of this book is "Don't Tell Father I Have Been Shot At.” The Civil War Letters of Captain George N. Bliss, First Rhode Island Calvary, edited by his great-grandson, William C Emerson. ISBN 978-1-4766-7391-2 Published 2018.

George N. Bliss was a captain during the American Civil War and received the Congressional Medal of Honor on August 3, 1897 for action that occurred on September 28, 1864.

Rising Sun Lodge voted to make these donations not only because he was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient but because he was the first Worshipful Master of Rising Sun Lodge from 1874 -1876. He was also a member of the East Providence School Committee for 25 years and Superintendent of Schools for East Providence for 13 years.

There are some words and views of his most now will find offensive, it is still of historical significance to East Providence and should be considered as such.

Our current Worshipful Master, James E. Conway Jr. has asked that the Grand Lodge copy be presented to Most Worshipful Grand Master Glenn S. Carlson at his official visitation to the Metro District at Rising Sun Lodge on March 18, 2019.

Some historical information about George N. Bliss:

Born: July 22, 1837

Initiated: E.A. October 8, 1861 Union Lodge No.10

Passed: F.C. October 8, 1861 Union Lodge No.10

Raised: M.M. October 15, 1861 Union Lodge No.10

Admitted: August 27, 1875 (First signer of Bylaws)

First Master Rising Sun Lodge 1874-1876 1st Rhode Island Calvary 1861-1865

Private September 1861

Captain of Company “C” August 1862

Rhode Island Militia - Major of Calvary August 1879

Congressional Medal of Honor August 3, 1897 for action September 28, 1864

East Providence School Committee - 25 years

Superintendent of East Providence Schools for - 13 years

East Providence Representative to RI General Assembly 1868-1874

Rhode Island State Senator 1884-1887

East Providence Trial Justice 1872-1886

Judge East Providence Seventh District Court 1886-1922

Died: August 28, 1928 age 91 years

Master Mason - 67 years

Member of Rising Sun Lodge - 53 years

If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy of the book it can be found at a well-known online book sellers. Please contact the

Secretary of Rising Sun Lodge No. 30 for more information.

___________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 17

Roger Williams Lodge No. 32

By: W∴Melvin Silverio, Master

Greetings from Roger Williams Lodge,

The sixth month mark has come and gone and as we turn the page into this new calendar year I am continuously inspired by the Craft and my brothers. I would like to thank everyone who has assisted, inspired, counseled, and motivated me this far. The top-hat is heavy of responsibility and humility, but I am glad to know that I am surpassing many doubts that I had placed upon myself. I say this in light of bringing awareness not only in RW32, but throughout the state, to be persistent and consistent in the betterment of yourself and those around you. The Craft’s teachings when applied work! Seeking counsel from Past Masters, inspiring junior officers and diligently working with my lodge has brought me joy, purpose, and motivation to each day be a better man. I have discovered great emotional and inspirational connections about my brothers, from Brother Jermane Cintron’s excitement about Freemasonry in the Egyptian times and his charitable works to Brother Donald Grace’s passion for photography, history, and overall educational enlightenment. I must also point out the immense uplift that new brothers Pedro Frazao, Lawrence Almagno, and Ricardo Simoes have brought to the officer line at RW32. It is this, that tells me this is worthwhile, I’m growing, but not alone and with great support. In my view this is the result of action. It is the actions we take that shape who we are and how we live. A couple of years ago I found it a bit difficult to travel to other lodges, do lectures, and degree work. However, I stayed persistent in my actions, making it a habit to not stay home and watch TV or just doing nothing. I made it a habit to keep busy in a continuous action of movement. Today I find it much easier to do and enjoy than previously mentioned. In light of this, I urge brothers to stay in action ever ready to visit and support your brethren, ever ready to find and learn good lectures throughout the lodges in the state, and ever ready to help another lodge in charity, degree work, or just being present. Build those valuable Masonic friendships and cultivate them, they surely become more valuable as you grow in the Craft.

In these six months, we have conferred one Past Masters - Master Mason degree, one Entered Apprentice degree, hosted an official

visitation of our great DDGM R∴W∴Andre Faria, participated and/or lead three different charities to include Special Olympics, Comedy Night, and the Polar Plunge as well as the clothing drives in support of Berkshire Nursing Home and Crossroads of RI. We have our upcoming 2nd Annual Masonic Pinewood Derby to be held on February 2 at Grand Lodge. If you would like more

information, please reach W∴Jonathan Snowman. We have dedicated each meeting to a Past Master, which is an initiative in recognition of their years of service to the Craft and to the continued success of the lodge. We diligently worked on completing an audit to the clear finances and record keeping of our membership. Three or more brothers or officers have traveled together to over 20 regular communications, District and Grand Master visitations. We started working on the much-needed updates to our by-laws. We are working on our official website as well as our Facebook page which has become a good source of information for public events and building a profile of who we are. Last but not least has been the great support by the ladies of Roger Williams Lodge members. We extend our gratitude for all the support, from the paint night, to the custom personalized holiday wreaths for our Special Ladies. Thank you for being part of our journey together. This has really become a family, and this is very important in the growth of a lodge.

I will end with this, stay active, go to lodge, travel, participate, cultivate friendships, and continuously seek growth, this is how we continue to grow and strengthen our bonds of brotherhood. I’m excited and looking forward to the next six months. I hope to see you soon.

I would recommend the brethren to join our communications and mailing lists to stay informed of all the wonderful events and gatherings that are to come for RW32. You can sign up in multiple ways: 1. By our website www.RogerWilliamsLodge.com 2. By emailing: Contact@RogerWilliamsLodge.com 3. On Facebook: www.facebook.com/RogerWilliamsLodge 4. Come to one of our regular communication and let an officer know you would like to join the mailing list.

We at Roger Williams Lodge No. 32 look forward to enjoying your

company my brother.

Adelphoi Lodge No. 33 By: W∴Edward Kdonian, P.M.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Adelphoi Lodge welcomed the DDGM for the East Bay District, R∴W∴Douglas J. Grant, and

W∴Michael R. Barbera, GMC and a large distinguished suite of officers and brethren to our and his lodge for his first official visitation in the East Bay District. This visit marked his second official duty in the district and it was an extreme honor to host him here as he is so well known and respected in his home district. The program for the evening was an interesting and enlightening

presentation by R∴W∴Dave Lavery on, of all things, the attire of Freemasonry. For those of us who have been in the Craft for a while and are so used to seeing and wearing our formal evening wear, the tuxedo, it was an eye-opening exposure to the proper wearing and different styles of this unique form of garment.

It was quite an enlightening educational experience. If that wasn’t enough for the evening, the lodges of the East Bay encouraged by

R∴W∴Doug got together to present to R∴W∴Alfred Cameron, the Associate Grand Chaplin for the East Bay District, an Inogen Oxygen Concentrator. This small gesture of our respect and

esteem for R∴W∴Al apparently touched him so deeply that he was at a loss for words. “This goes to the heart of what Freemasons

do”, said R∴W∴Doug. Thank you Right Worshipful for your

example.

Page 18 January/February 2019 ____________________________________________________________________

Robert J. Allen Medical Equipment Distribution Center

For more information contact Brother George Donahue on the Medical Equipment Center cell phone at 401-451-0184. You can also email us at rifreemason@rimasons.org. It is important that we know you are coming so that we can schedule pickups, deliveries and

maintenance work accordingly. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

We are located at the second entrance gate at the Masonic-Shrine Youth Park at 116 Long Avenue in the Buttonwoods section of Warwick.

Grand Lodge Circulating Library

Beginning in January we will be offering a circulating collection of Masonic books composed of some of the most popular titles in print today. Included will be Masonic fiction by such authors as Dan Brown, David Brody, Scott Wolter, Brad Meltzer, etc.

The books will be located in the Grand Lodge office lobby and can be borrowed Monday-Friday from 8:30AM to 4:00PM.

The following is the requirements for borrowing:

➢ Current lodge dues card must

be presented.

➢ 30-day time period.

➢ 1 book title at a time.

➢ Books must be checked out

and returned with the office

staff or library staff.

➢ Email address for borrower

must be on file.

Please also consider writing a book review on any title that is borrowed for submission to the RI Freemason.

One of our obligations as Masons is to help those in need, especially a fellow brother or his family. The Medical Equipment Distribution Center does this in ways that are truly inspiring. In this troubled economy, many are without proper medical insurance or insurance of any kind. Because of sickness or unemployment, those in need of hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, etc. would not be able to obtain these without the help of our services! Everyone we deal with is most grateful for the services we offer, free of charge too Mason or non-Mason. We also accept donations of all types of equipment, make pickups, and deliveries. We move a lot of equipment but have one great shortage, YOU!

___________________________________________________________________ Rhode Island Freemason Page 19

Semi-Annual Communication Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

November 17, 2018 Photo Scrapbook

Page 20 January/February 2019 ____________________________________________________________________

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

222 Taunton Avenue East Providence, RI 02914-4556 Telephone: 401-435-4650

Fax: 401-435-4423

Email: grandlodge@rimasons.org rifreemason@rimasons.org Web Site: www.rimasons.org

Grand Lodge Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM