The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, 

And sorry I could not travel both 

And be one traveler, long I stood 

And looked down one as far as I could 

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, 

And having perhaps the better claim, 

Because it was grassy and wanted wear; 

Though as for that the passing there 

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay 

In leaves no step had trodden black. 

Oh, I kept the first for another day! 

Yet knowing how way leads on to way, 

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh 

Somewhere ages and ages hence: 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- 

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference.

The Cask of Amontillado: Edgar Allan Poe, Patricide, and Anti-Masonic Rhetoric

By Bro. Wayne E. Ross

First published in 1846, Edgar Allan Poe's “The Cask of Amontillado” is a perennial favorite among scores of readers. Poe’s works of horror have influenced writers for more than 150 years and continue to thrill those who read him for the very first time. While much of what is read in works like “The Cask of Amontillado” is enjoyed for the surface level murder and mental mayhem, a further examination from a different perspective reveals a much more complex and disturbing narrative.

Upon the page, “The Cask of Amontillado” clearly illustrates Montresor’s calculated, albeit whimsical murder of his “enemy” Fortunato. Even the most cursory understanding of the life of Edgar Allan Poe reveals that this is a work meant to strike back, on some level, at his repressive and domineering “father”, John Allan. Poe was adopted by Allan in 1812 and took his surname, but none of Allen’s business sense which would eventually preclude Poe from inclusion into Allan’s will. While strained relationships are nothing new between fathers and sons, another contributing factor in the split between the pair was Allan’s state as a prominent businessman as well as being an unfaithful husband to a frequently ill wife. John Allan most certainly conducted his business and home life in a manner more offensive than the artistic and independent Poe could stomach. Near the end of John Allan’s life their relationship was so strained that Allan would send no money or any other form of assistance to Poe, no matter how tenuous his situation might be.

It is clearly due to events like these that Poe cast his now dead father in the roll of Fortunato, the affluent and arrogant Freemason. Much has been made to support the idea of patricide, notably Poe’s use of the motto of Scotland, “Nemo meimpunelacessit”, as Montresor’s family motto. Translated this motto means: “No one attacks me with impunity”, a slap at Allen’s Scottish heritage as well as what Poe may well have seen as years of abuse from Allen. Now it is time for Poe to get his revenge in the manner that suits him best, but this personal attack upon a cold and uncaring father figure is also layered with veiled attacks upon the institution of Freemasonry as well.

The Spiral Staircase

Upon a cursory first reading, Poe’s use of a winding staircase to take the two men down into the catacombs seems like an architectural aspect befitting the time period. In reality, the significance of the spiral staircase in Masonic teaching is one by which Freemasons learn and progress to further knowledge and light. More than a mere rhetorical device, what Poe has literally done is taken his “father”, and in this case the character of Fortunato, down the staircase into increasing darkness and further away from the ascending light and knowledge. With one stroke of the quill Poe has stripped Fortunato of the degrees which he had worked so hard to attain and brought him down to his level. The further that Fortunato is led into darkness the sicker he becomes, whereby Poe has reversed much of the core tenants of Freemasonry and how one attains enlightenment.

As the motif of darkness continues, even the murderous Montresor finds himself unable to work his way through the darkness as he: “endeavored to pry into the depth of the recess. Its termination the feeble light did not enable us to see.” No longer are we dealing with light or knowledge or the “Three Great Lights”, but instead the only aid is a “feeble” light that has no strength to pierce the darkness that surrounds them. Although not in physical peril, Montresor’s obsession with the death of Fortunato has led his soul into darkness and eternal damnation that he will surely meet for the murder he is about to commit. This fear of damnation is clear to the reader primarily because both the beginning and ending paragraphs read as if Montresor is giving a death bed confession.

The Trowel/”Be it So”

The next instance in the veiled attack upon Freemasonry, all be it the clearest of all, occurs when the two men are finally down in the catacombs and Fortunato surprises Montresor with a sign of fidelity and brotherhood:

He laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did not understand. I looked at him in surprise. He repeated the movement --a grotesque one.

"You do not comprehend?" he said.

"Not I," I replied.

"Then you are not of the brotherhood."

"How?"

"You are not of the masons."

"Yes, yes," I said; "yes, yes."

"You? Impossible! A mason?"

"A mason," I replied.

"A sign," he said, "a sign."

"It is this," I answered, producing from beneath the folds of my roquelaire a trowel.

"You jest," he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces. "But let us proceed to the Amontillado."

“Be it so,” I said, replacing the tool beneath the cloak, and again offering him my arm.”

Here we are confronted with clear evidence of Poe’s negative view of the practices of Freemasonry. Much effort has been made by scholars to identify Poe as a member of the once prominent “Anti-Masonic” party that thrived in the mid to late 1800’s, and the preceding passage does not make that assumption seem too farfetched as it serves to make a mockery of the sacred bonds and oaths adhered to by all members of the Fraternity.

First, Montresor states that the movement was a “grotesque” one which holds the dual meaning of being both ugly as well as the original Italian wherein the term meant a piece of art that could be found in a grotto. The image of the grotto as a small cave gives the impression that this move that Fortunato was doing was not natural, that is was distorted and in need of being hidden in a small cave or grotto. This move, being a supposed mode of recognition among the Fraternity, is shown here as more of a floundering fall of a drunken fool then a serious means of determining if Fortunato is speaking with a brother Mason.

Next, Montresor’s revealing that he has been hiding a trowel speaks to his understanding of the Masonic fraternity even though he is not a member. When Fortunato asks him for a “sign”, Montresor had to know that the trowel was a significant symbol in Masonic teaching, one that once given could assure a brother that he was speaking with another of his kind, or he would not have produced it from beneath his cloak. The drunken Fortunato sees it merely as a joke and does not wonder further as to why this man is carrying around a trowel.

After this mockery, Montresor’s expression of “Be it so” is not only wholly out of place, it nearly approaches blasphemy. Montresor’s whole purpose is to murder a man in a cold and calculated manner and as we are moved closer to this climax, Poe has his character use words that a Freemason would notice before any other reader might. Words that are generally used and practiced throughout the fraternity are used here to usher a Brother Mason towards his death at the hands of a person who has no care for the ancient practices or austerity of the Fraternity.

An End of my Labor

A phrase with a syntactical shift from its use in Masonic ritual, Montresor’s use of these words denotes that this deed he has completed has in fact been a “labor”. This was something that he had planned and set up from the beginning and definitely did not do in haste. There is much calculation in this act from dismissing his servants, to getting Fortunato down into the catacombs, hiding a pile of bricks, and having the actual working tools with him that someone of his stature would not normally have on his person. Once again Poe borrows terminology from the Masonic lexicon as a means for the desolation of the principles of the craft. In Masonic ritual it is only the Worshipful Master who can make pronouncements about work coming to an end or a lodge preparing to close, yet here Poe has invested his murderer with the prominence of the highest officer in a Masonic lodge. This elevation of Montresor illustrates Poe’s disdain for the craft and the investing of a crazed killer with a stature equal to a Worshipful Master of a lodge provides deeper proof of Poe’s feelings about the society that he clearly did not fully understand.

Against the New Masonry

As the story concludes, Poe once again seems to take a deliberate strike at Freemasonry, but his clever word-play artfully hides what should be seen as a much more profound definition of the “new Masonry”. The assertion can be made that the double meaning here illuminates that Poe has destroyed his enemy Fortunato with the very teachings that he, as a Freemason, would hold inviolate. Not only has he destroyed Fortunato, but by turning the teachings of the craft against itself, Poe has destroyed Freemasonry and replaced it with his own form, one of treachery and murder concealed by the remnants of the dead. This “new Masonry” that Poe has created serves to tear down the walls of secrecy that separate people and forces reconciliations for past deeds. Whether deserved or not, Fortunato is set to pay for his trespasses in a manner that becomes a warning for others that might act as he did, that might belong to a secret society, or that might be deserving of any special stature or standing in either public or private life.

In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe weaves a tale of murder and deceit made all the more potent for its direct reference to and desolation of multiple aspects of Masonic teaching. While these facts might be up for dispute, it is clear that Poe knew enough about the teachings of Freemasonry that he was able to seamlessly weave concepts and images throughout his narrative that would catch the eye of all members of the Fraternity and make each one think twice before they find themselves sharing an equal portion in the fortunes of Fortunato.

References

1. The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. (1983). Stamford, CT: Longmeadow Press. 784-790.

---

Bro. Wayne Ross was Raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason in California and is currently a member of Boise Lodge No.2, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Idaho, where he currently serves as Senior Deacon. In 2015, Bro. Ross was awarded the District Mason of the Year.

Magus

This last January I was initiated into the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (SRICF) and I was introduced to a set of terms that are not regularly used. One term was "Magus", which is the title for the 9th Grade (IX°). This term is also used as part of the title of the leader of the Masonic Rosicrucian order is also "Supreme Magus." Magus is a word that has been in use since at least the 6th century BC and is often associated with the mystical and magic (magic being a derivation of magus); the plural of "magus" is "magi." For most people in the Western world, the term magi are associated with the Three Magi (or wise men) who visited the Christ child in the Second Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Magus is defined as "a member of a hereditary priestly class among the ancient Medes and Persians" or "magician or sorcerer." The earliest known use is found on the Behistun Inscription found on a cliff of Mount Behistun in western Iran which was said to have been written by command of Darius the Great. The origin of the word 'magus' is believed to be from the Avestan word "magâunô" which was a reference to a Median religious caste or to Zoroastrian priests.

The oldest reference to the word "magi" dates back to the 6th century BC when, the Grecian philosopher, Heraclitus cursed them for their "impious rites and rituals" although there is no existing record of who specifically he was referring to and what exactly of the rituals he found "impious." Herodotus, in the 5th century BC, uses "magi" to refer to both a Median tribe and a priestly caste. Xenophon in the 4th century BC referred to "magi" as being authorities for all religious matters.

It was during the 5th century BC that the Greek words "mageia" and "magike" first appear to describe the activities of a magus. "Mageia" is closely associated with the modern definition of the word "magic" and was used to refer to using supernatural means to affect the physical world, or at least appearing to do so. Pliny the Elder, in the 1st century AD, contributed the invention of magic to Zoroaster and believed that men like Plato and Pythagoras brought it to Greece and Rome. While magi are heavily associated with Zoroastrianism, the term is often used to denote a priest of several religions.

Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, is the legendary founder of the Zoroastrian religion. While his birthplace is uncertain, but some say it was Rhages (now Rayy, a suburb of Tehran) and it is said though that he lived in what is now Eastern Iran. There are also large discrepancies in regard to his date of birth. Some date his birth to 6000 BC, but most place it in the 7th century BC; some date it specifically to 628 BC based on texts concerning Zoroaster's proximity to Alexander the Great and the conversion of King Chorasmia in 588 BC. His birthday is celebrated on March 21, which coincides with the Persian New Year. It is said that he was initially a cobbler by trade, but by the time he was 30-years old he was preaching monotheism and his followers were adherents of Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord in Avestan), who was the sole god and creator in Zoroastrianism; a fuller explanation thereof coming in a later article. Zoroaster received visions and revelations from Ahura Mazda which were recorded in the Gathas (hymns) and Avesta (scriptures); it is also said that he received revelation by meeting face-to-face with his god. Around 77-years of age, Zoroaster was said to be murdered, but the circumstances surrounding the death are debated. Since his death, Zoroaster is remembered as a prophet, philosopher, mathematician, astrologer, and magi.

Magi served many purposes, the most notable was their religious duties which included dream interpreters, soothsayers, interpreting the heavens, and performing rites as rituals such as sacrificing livestock to the gods. While they had their religious duties they also sat as advisers in the courts of monarchs on the matters of administration and economics. They assisted in running warehouses which stored anything from grain and flour to beer and fruit. Magi also served in what we would today call a Notary as existing records show us one serving as a witness of a business deal. In one notable instance, magi are seen as guards of the tomb of Cyrus the Great. There is a great debate as to whether or not magi were strict followers of Zoroaster or if they could be any religion. It seems that "magi" meaning a "priestly class" did start out with the Zoroastrian religion, but the word was adopted by non-Zoroaster religions later on. Some scholars also argue whether or not the magi were followers of Zoroaster or if they were actually a class of heretical priests found in the Median region.

In Christian tradition, it is told that three wise men presumably named Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar traveled from the East to find and honor the newborn King of the Jews. On their journey, they met with the despotic King Herod who ordered the magi to report to him once they found the Christ child. Guided by the Star of Bethlehem, they found Him and bestowed gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and so they traveled by a different route back to their home. In later Christian writings, the magi were identified as kings which was most likely linked to Psalms 72:11: "May all kings fall down before him". However, in the translations by St. Justin, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome, the wise men were still translated, in the original texts, as magi or magicians.

Over the centuries various men have been referred to as magus. In the 13th century, there was a Catholic bishop named Albertus Magnus who is said to have studied and practiced alchemy, and was alleged to have been a magician. Another one was known as Agrippa, a German living in the 16th century, and was considered an influential occultist. Paracelsus, also known as Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, was a Swiss-German philosopher, physician, botanist, astrologer, occultist, and accredited with being the founder of toxicology. Other notables are Christian Rosencreutz (legendary founder of the Rosicrucian Order), John Dee, Francis Bacon, and Elias Ashmole.

As I see it, one who holds the distinction and title of "Magus" is one who isn't just knowledgeable on their respective rituals and laws, but also seeks the deeper meaning of all things (science, nature, theology). In Freemasonry, specifically the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis, the rank of "Magus" is used to signify men of superior wisdom. As I am still just a new member of the Rosicrucian Society, I am still learning (being in the Learning Grades), but look forward to learning more about the magi and this enlightened order.

References

1. Behistun Inscription. (n.d.). Retrieved from New World Encyclopedia: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Behistun_Inscription 

2. Drum, W. (1910, October 1). Magi. Retrieved from The Catholic Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09527a.htm 

3. Eduljee, K. E. (n.d.). Zoroastrian Priesthood. Retrieved from Zoroastrian Heritage: http://heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/priests/index.htm 

4. History of the Medes. (n.d.). Retrieved from Taroscopes: http://www.taroscopes.com/miscellanous-pages/medes.html 

5. König, F. C. (n.d.). Zoroaster. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Zoroaster-Iranian-prophet 

6. Mackey, A. G. (1873). Magi. In Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. 

7. Magi. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi 

8. Magi. (2012, May 30). Retrieved from Encyclopedia Iranica: http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/magi 

9. Magus. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magus 

10. Magus. (n.d.). Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Magus 

11. Pike, A. (1872). Morals & Dogma of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 

12. Zoroaster. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroaster

The Triumphal Entry

by James C. Taylor, PGC-DC

He rode through the crowd with humility
On the back of an unbroken colt, 
To fulfill the historic prophecy 
That a Messiah would come for revolt.

A king who would come to save the world 
From the ills that besieged mankind, 
His banner would proudly be unfurled 
To save the oppressed and the blind.

He was pictured by people in different ways 
Some thinking his mission to be 
A warrior leader to end the days 
Of the harsh Roman tyranny.

Or those seeking justice from Herod's hand 
Who sent John to his Master above, 
But most of the people did not understand 
That His was a mission of love.

But He entered Jerusalem hailed as a king 
By the meek and the pure in heart, 
Who knew Him as one who healed and would bring 
Redemption, God's grace to impart.

He threw traders out of the temple to spare 
The Lord, who for his home grieves, 
"My house shall be called a house of prayer 
But you make it a den of thieves."

Christ taught and healed in God's holy place, 
The priests asked "whence do you preach?" 
They felt that his deeds were to them a disgrace 
As just priests had the power to teach.

His being the Christ was unsuspected 
When He quoted the psalm for the scorner, 
"The stone which the builders rejected 
Became the headstone of the corner."

He made enemies of the priests that day 
When he accused them of selfish denial, 
And they plotted to get Him out of the way 
With the help of a Roman tribunal.

Lodge of Excellence

While I have many different titles and ranks within Freemasonry, my primary focus has always been to the Blue Lodge and I don't always pay heed to the Blue Lodge on this site, but I have to take a minute to say that tonight was an excellent night for Lodge.

To give some backstory, in Idaho to be a Warden you have to earn a Certificate in Proficiency in Opening and Closing in all 3-degrees as well as complete a test on Masonic Law. To be elected Worshipful Master, one has to have served as a Warden of a Lodge as well as show proficiency in conferring all 3-degrees; giving the 1st degree lecture, staircase lecture, G lecture, and 3rd degree lecture; and preside over a stated communication prior to the election. Okay, now back to my story.

Thursday night I received text messages from my Lodge's Senior Deacon who was asking for help with his proficiency. Friday afternoon I went to his house and we worked on Opening and Closing in the 3rd Degree and drank some great scotch (Balvenie 21). That night my Lodge was going to meet to confer the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on a Brother. I would be giving the lecture as well as serving in other parts during the conferral, but I was pleased to see my Lodge's Senior Deacon open the Lodge as near perfect as could be done. Then for the Conferral and Raising, my Lodge's Junior Warden stepped up to do that part and check that off of the list of things to do to be elected Worshipful Master. The Junior Warden did a fantastic job and I am so pleased with my Brothers tonight. To summarize, 2 officers completed 3 items on the Warden/WM proficiency checklist as well as Raising a new Master Mason.

Words cannot fully explain what a great night of brotherhood I experienced tonight.

A Needed Update

I know it has been some time since I've posted a new article, but my Master's program is taking up a great deal of my time. When I'm not working on homework, I'm working on my Master's Thesis. I've had more 30+ hours days working on my Masters (1-year) than I ever had in my 4-years working on my Bachelors.

I am currently scheduled to be done with my Master's Thesis and program by July. Until then my posting will be down to just one or two articles a month. Once I've completed my thesis, I will start publishing more articles and start work again on my book, The American Rite.

Some of the upcoming articles will be on the Bicentennial of the Grand Encampment, the Idaho Grand York Rite, democracy and Freemasonry, the Knights of St. Andrew, the spread of American Freemasonry, the vaults of Enoch, Masons who were Supreme Court Justices, the Mithraic mysteries, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the timeline of the Knights Templar, the spread of Freemasonry around the world, and more posts on Rosicrucianism. I may even have a few guest articles coming up.

Hermes Trismegistus

By H.W. Longfellow

Still through Egypt's desert places 

Flows the lordly Nile, 

From its banks the great stone faces 

Gaze with patient smile. 

Still the pyramids imperious 

Pierce the cloudless skies, 

And the Sphinx stares with mysterious, 

Solemn, stony eyes.

But where are the old Egyptian 

Demi-gods and kings? 

Nothing left but an inscription 

Graven on stones and rings. 

Where are Helios and Hephaestus, 

Gods of eldest eld? 

Where is Hermes Trismegistus, 

Who their secrets held?

Where are now the many hundred 

Thousand books he wrote? 

By the Thaumaturgists plundered, 

Lost in lands remote; 

In oblivion sunk forever, 

As when o'er the land 

Blows a storm-wind, in the river 

Sinks the scattered sand.

Something unsubstantial, ghostly, 

Seems this Theurgist, 

In deep meditation mostly 

Wrapped, as in a mist. 

Vague, phantasmal, and unreal 

To our thought he seems, 

Walking in a world ideal, 

In a land of dreams.

Was he one, or many, merging 

Name and fame in one, 

Like a stream, to which, converging 

Many streamlets run? 

Till, with gathered power proceeding, 

Ampler sweep it takes, 

Downward the sweet waters leading 

From unnumbered lakes.

By the Nile I see him wandering, 

Pausing now and then, 

On the mystic union pondering 

Between gods and men; 

Half believing, wholly feeling, 

With supreme delight, 

How the gods, themselves concealing, 

Lift men to their height.

Or in Thebes, the hundred-gated, 

In the thoroughfare 

Breathing, as if consecrated, 

A diviner air; 

And amid discordant noises, 

In the jostling throng, 

Hearing far, celestial voices 

Of Olympian song.

Who shall call his dreams fallacious? 

Who has searched or sought 

All the unexplored and spacious 

Universe of thought? 

Who, in his own skill confiding, 

Shall with rule and line 

Mark the border-land dividing 

Human and divine?

Trismegistus! three times greatest! 

How thy name sublime 

Has descended to this latest 

Progeny of time! 

Happy they whose written pages 

Perish with their lives, 

If amid the crumbling ages 

Still their name survives!

Thine, O priest of Egypt, lately 

Found I in the vast, 

Weed-encumbered sombre, stately, 

Grave-yard of the Past; 

And a presence moved before me 

On that gloomy shore, 

As a waft of wind, that o'er me 

Breathed, and was no more.

RIP Gerald A. Ford

I just heard that this morning Brother Gerald A. Ford has passed to the Celestial Lodge above.

He was an accomplished Freemason having served as Right Eminent Grand Commander of Colorado (1993-1994), Northwest Department Commander (2000-2003), Most Excellent Grand High Priest of Colorado (2005), Past Grand Preceptor of the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests (2009), Past Governor General of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America (2012-2014), Chief Adept of the Colorado College of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis, and Primus Master of Rocky Mountain Chapel No.26 of the Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon.

Rest in Peace Brother.

Here is an update with a memorial from the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis:

Gerald Alan Ford, 76 - Gerry was born September 16, 1939 in Melrose, Massachusetts to Albert Franklin and Doris Mae Folsom Ford. He had a brother Richard 13 years his senior. Because of the age difference they really didn't get to know each other until they were adults. He attended elementary and high school in Melrose and after graduating from high school his first job was working at the Necco Candy Company where his father was an accountant.

He joined the US Air Force in November of 1957 and was sent to San Antonio, TX to begin basic training. From there he went to Wichita Falls for specialized training. After training he was sent to Lowry Field in Denver where he saw President Eisenhower when he landed and parked President Nixon's plane. He met his first wife Sandy at the USO Club in downtown Denver and married her shortly after. Sue Ellen and David Alan were both born at Fitzsimmons hospital.

His next duty post was located just outside Paris, France and this is where Sherryl Lee was born. After 2 years there and many sightseeing trips in the area they returned to the US where he was stationed in Columbus, OH. They spent a short time also in Sumpter, SC where Julie Ann was born. Gerry was then sent to Udorn, Thailand but upon landing only had about 24 hours there as they changed his orders and sent him on to Tuy Hoa, Viet Nam on the Gulf of Tonkin. He was in Air Rescue with C-130P but in his off duty hours managed the base movie theatre for some extra money. They had a nice beach there but it was overrun by jelly fish for a while.

When he returned to the US, he asked to be stationed anywhere west of the Mississippi River only to be sent to Dover, DE. After only being there a short while they attempted to return him to Viet Nam and it was about time to re-sign with the Air Force and he decided to become a civilian again. The family returned to the Denver area where his father-in-law taught him all about framing houses, interior carpentry and all things wood. He loved working with wood and being a perfectionist, everything he touched was beautiful. The family lived in Frisco for a while where he was the construction superintendent on several condo projects in Keystone and the building of the fire stations in Breckenridge. They came back to the metro area and he adjusted to single family home construction. With all of the moving about, Gerry and Sandy decided they would part company. Around that time he met Audrey and they formed a wonderful friendship and married in 1982. At that point he gained another son, Joseph Scott and a daughter, Angela Renee.

From 1984 on he was employed by the Masonic Fraternity with one group or another. He did take a brief respite and worked for about 5 years as the COO for National Association of Credit Management. When he left there he became the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Colorado and as they say, the rest is history. He retired in 2009 but did help the Grand Lodge for several months in 2014.

While living in Frisco, he joined South Denver Lodge No.93 in 1973 with Jess Mann signing his petition. He drove back and forth from the mountains every Tuesday night muttering to himself learning the ritual. Wayne Arner tapped him in 1974 to become a line officer in the lodge and with that he was off and running. He joined South Denver Chapter No.42, RAM on May 28, 1975, Arapahoe Council No.23, CM on September 23, 1975, and Ascalon Commandery No.31 on December 11, 1975. Next was the Scottish Rite on November 15, 1979 becoming a 32° Mason, receiving his Knight Commander of the Court of Honor on October 21, 1985, and earning his Inspector General Honorary on October 22, 1991. Along with all of these organizations, came all of the appendant bodies that are associated with Masonry. I don't think he missed out on any of them. Of course, if you are going to join something, you jump in with both feet and work your way up the ranks. It wasn't good enough for Gerry to settle with what was close by. He had to join numerous bodies in other states and countries as well. When that didn't satisfy him, he was appointed to national officer lines where he excelled with great enthusiasm. He loved everything Masonry and it in turn showered him with much happiness.

Somewhere along the line Howard Montague and Judson Manning convinced him he had time for another endeavor and he joined the Mile Hi Optimist Club and as with everything else, he became their Secretary and eventually was the Club President. He loved working with the kids at the local Boys and Girls Club they sponsored where they had bicycle rodeos and helped the kids learn the care of their own bikes.

His actions after retiring were like a 5 year old when asking if he could have a dog. When Audrey agreed, he went immediately to the local animal rescue facility and found his beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Callie. They were constant companions to his last breath.

Gerry passed away at his home on February 21, 2016 right where he wanted to be - in his recliner. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Audrey and children - Sue and Robert Sullivan in Denver, David Ford in California, Sherry and Steve Watkins in Maryland, Julie and Jim Girard in Dubai, Joe and Amy Kelley in Arizona and Angie Kelley in Colorado Springs. Twelve grandchildren and 5 great granddaughters. Also included among his survivors are his nephew and three nieces from the east coast and his two favorite sister-in-law's from the west coast. Memorial Services will be held on Monday, March 7th at 1 PM at the Arvada Covenant Church, 5555 Ward Road. Donations may be made to the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, 1614 Welton St #503, Denver, CO 80202 or the Scottish Rite Foundation, 1370 Grant St, Denver, CO 80203

2016 Masonic Week

Last week was a great time of fellowship and brotherhood. Masonic Week occurred last week in Arlington, VA. I accomplished a great deal with St. Thomas of Acon, met some new Brothers, and had a very fun time.

Thursday morning started off with the Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon. We brought in some new knights before the Grand Master's Council convened. A new Most Worthy Grand Master was elected and installed along with a new cadre of officers. In the afternoon it was time for the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Court of the Masonic Order of Athelstan, Province of the USA. After that ended, I came upon the Grand Registrar of the Grand College of Rites and was able to purchase from him two editions of the Collectanea; one on the Martinist Order and the other on the Rite of Strict Observance. The evening was spent hosting Brothers in the NW Hospitality Suite.

The Grand Council of Knights Masons, USA, met Friday morning with the usual business. Not content with just the two books I bought on Thursday, I purchased several more books on Royal Arch Masonry...now to figure out how I'm going to pack them home. In the afternoon the Grand College of America of the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests met and as I'm not a member, I got the time off. The Sovereign Order of the Knights Preceptor met in the early evening before the All Masonic Banquet. The night was concluded with a meeting and conferral of Ye Antient Order of the Corks.

I nearly missed the annual meeting of the Grand College of Rites because I slept through my alarm, but thank God for the Brothers who came and knocked on my door. After the meeting of the GCR, there was the meeting of the Nine Muses Council No.13, AMD, as well as the conferring of three degrees of the AMD. The Philalethes Society Luncheon was an intimate affair with a presentation by the Editor of the group's magazine. The Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America met Saturday afternoon which was followed by the annual meeting of the Sovereign Grand Master's Council, where I served as Junior Warden for the meeting.

Saturday night started with the annual banquet and meeting of the Masonic Society where good food and an even better presentation were given. I decided on a whim to attend the meeting and conferral of the Masonic Order of the Bath, which, like the Corks, makes a fun end to a long day of Masonic meetings. After the meeting had concluded I retired to one of the Hospitality Suites hosted by a Brother and while there received a phone call. I was informed that at the meeting of the High Council of the Masonic Order of the Bath, I had been selected to be the Right Honorable Keeper of the Bath Mat for the ensuing year; this position is the beginning of the progressive line of officers. I happily accepted and look forward to the next 6-years in this line. The rest of the night was spent having some great Masonic discussions back in the Hospitality Suite.

Sunday morning was spent packing and the rest of the day was spent traveling...in a circuitous route...back home. Now I'm back home, working on some Masonic To-Do Lists, finishing some homework, and catching my breath.

Masonic Youth Groups

There are a variety of organizations considered under the Masonic umbrella. This includes the youth groups like the Job's Daughters, DeMolay, and Rainbow Girls, but there are also lesser-known groups like the Knights of Pythagoras, Organization of Triangles, Inc., and Asociacion de Jovenes Esperanza de la Fraternidad. These youth groups provide a place for young men and young women to learn important life skills, and Freemasons can provide guidance and mentoring. I have served as Associate Bethel Guardian for a Bethel and have begun to get involved with a local DeMolay Chapter. Serving in these roles has been very fulfilling and even if the day has been long, busy, hectic, or just plain awful, attending a youth group meeting always brought a smile to my face and made my day better.

Job's Daughters International is an organization for young women age 10 to 20, and who are related to a Master Mason or a Majority Member (a woman who was in Job's Daughters). As in Freemasonry, young women are required to have a belief in a Supreme Being.

It was founded by Ethel T Wead Mick (affectionately known as "Mother Mick) in Omaha, NE, on October 20, 1920. The purpose of the order was to band together young girls with a Masonic relationship for character building through moral and spiritual development, teaching a greater reverence for God and the Bible, patriotism, and respect for parents.

The local organization is called a Bethel which is presided over by an Honored Queen and supervised by a Bethel Guardian (and a Guardian Council). The state-level is called Grand Bethel which is presided over by a Grand Bethel Honored Queen and supervised by a Grand Guardian (and council). Job's Daughters International is headed by a Supreme Bethel Honored Queen and with adult supervision from a Supreme Guardian (along with council and Board of Trustees). There are Bethels all over the United States, but are also found in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the Philippines.

Job's Daughters takes its name and rituals from a story in the Biblical Book of Job, but membership is open to young women of any faith; Job 42:15 states "And in all the land were no women found so fair as the Daughters of Job."

The Order of DeMolay is an organization for young men (12 to 21). Unlike Job's Daughter, the young men do not need to be related to a Mason to join. Though like Freemasonry, it does require young men to hold a belief in a Supreme Being.

The Order of DeMolay was founded by Frank Land in Kansas City, MO, on March 24, 1919 (although March 18th is also used to commemorate the death of Jacques DeMolay).

The basic organizational structure of the order is the Chapter which is presided over by a Master Councilor. The young men receive guidance and mentoring from adult advisers known as "Chapter Dads." Chapters form the State Chapter and are presided over by the State Master Councilor. The adult adviser is called the "Executive Officer." DeMolay International is presided over by the International Master Councilor along with the Grand Master (adult adviser). There are Chapters located in Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Romania, Serbia, the United States, and Uruguay.

This youth group takes its name from Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, who was executed in 1314 by the French King, Philip the Fair, during the suppression of the Knights Templar. The virtues of reverence, love of parents, comradeship, patriotism, courtesy, cleanness, and fidelity are taught through the rituals of the order. DeMolay also teaches leadership skills, financial responsibility, civic awareness, and public speaking. Aside from the initiatic ceremony also confers the honors of Legion of Honor, Chevalier, Blue Honor awards, and Merit Medals.

The International Order of Rainbow for Girls is an organization for young women, ages 11 to 20. Though, unlike the Job's Daughters, applicants do not need to have any relationship to a Freemason.

This group was founded by Reverend William Mark Sexson in McAlester, OK, on April 6, 1922.

The basic organizational level for this group is called an Assembly which is presided over by a Worthy Advisor and Mother Advisor (adult supervisor). The next level is called the Grand Assembly which is presided over by a Grand Worthy Advisor and Supreme Deputy. The international level is known as the Supreme Assembly and is unique in that there is no young woman or youth leader. The Supreme Assembly is governed by adult advisors in a group known as the "House of Gold," composed of 50 Supreme Inspectors. Outside the United States, there are Rainbow Assemblies in Aruba, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Paraguay, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Romania.

The Rainbow ritual is based on the story from Genesis of Noah and the Great Flood. After the waters receded, God made a promise that He would never again destroy the Earth. As a sign of that promise, He placed a rainbow in the heavens. Although its teachings are based on Christian writings, the order is open to children of all religions; the Christian lessons are simply used to show basic values that are integral to many religions. The lessons encourage members to be strong in spirit and kind in heart, respectful toward nature and giving toward all humanity. Each of the colors of the rainbow is associated with a particular virtue or source of inspiration: Red (love), Orange (religion), Yellow (nature), Green (immortality), Blue (fidelity), Indigo (patriotism), and Violet (service).

References

1. Youth Organizations. (n.d.). http://www.msana.com/youth.asp

2. Our History. (n.d.). https://demolay.org/our_history/

3. Masonic Bodies. (n.d.). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic_bodies#Youth_organizations

4. Hodapp, C. (n.d.). Freemason Youth Groups. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/freemason-youth-groups.html

5. Masons & Youth Initiation. (n.d.). http://www.carnaval.com/masons/

6. Masonic Youth Groups. (n.d.). http://roadrunners.us/masonic-youth-group

7. Job's Daughters International. (n.d.). http://www.jobsdaughtersinternational.org/

8. International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. (n.d.). https://www.gorainbow.org/

9. International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. (n.d.). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Order_of_the_Rainbow_for_Girls

10. DeMolay International By Laws. (n.d.). https://demolay.org/wp-content/uploads/resources/2015_2016_di_bylaws.pdf