RIP Jerry D. Parson

It is with a heavy heart and great regret that I report the death of Worshipful Brother Jerry D. Parsons. Jerry was born on August 8, 1944, in Seattle, WA, but was raised in Boise, ID. Jerry enlisted in the US Air Force in 1964 and served with the Idaho Air National Guard until 1970. He held jobs in Golf, Food and Beverage, and Bus Transportation industries.

He joined Freemasonry in 1989 when he was initiated into Boise Lodge No.2 where he served as Worshipful Master in 1994 and 2009 (the same year when I was Master of my Lodge). He is a Past Grand Tyler, Past Grand Historian, and Past Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Idaho. Jerry was a Charter member and Past Master of Idaho City Historic Lodge No.1863

He joined the York Rite in Boise in 1991 where served as Excellent High Priest of Boise Chapter No.3 in 2009 and 2020, Illustrious Master of Idaho Council No.1 in 2010, and Eminent Commander of Idaho Commandery No.1 in 2011. He also received the Order of High Priesthood, Order of the Silver Trowel, and Order of Knights Preceptor. He was a Past Grand Historian of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Idaho, Past Grand Chaplain of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Idaho, and Right Eminent Past Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Idaho. He was also a recipient of the Knights Templar Cross of Honor and Knight Commander of the Temple.

He was also a member of the Redemption Tabernacle No.XL of the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests, current Deputy Prior of Idaho Priory No.13 of the Knights of the York Cross of Honor (and recipient of the Knights of the York Grand Cross of Honor), Past Governor of Tri-Valley College No.178 of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, and a Past Sovereign of St. Michael's Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine. He was also a member of Syringa Order No.121 of the Order of the Sword of Bunker Hill, Boise Valley of the Scottish Rite, and El Korah Shriners.

Jerry died this morning from complications due to cancer. He is going to be greatly missed. I've known Jerry my entire Masonic journey and he was a constant companion. He was an extremely skilled Brother. He was always positive and was always willing to help out.

Holy Mary Magdalene

Today is the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene (also known as Mary of Magdala). An enigmatic and marginalized figure whose role with the Savior has transformed in recent times, particularly with the discovery of the Gnostic texts. With many Christian denominations and traditions, and for many centuries, Mary was seen as a repentant whore who was saved by Jesus, the witness to the Resurrection, and messenger to the Apostles. However, with Gnostic traditions, Mary was much more than a mere follower and in Gnostic Gospels, she is depicted as a prominent disciple of the Savior.

Without question, we can be sure that the early leaders of the Roman Catholic Church amended, revised, and sanitized the Holy Bible to conform to their beliefs and policies rather than the pure message of the Savior. Due to her prominence and interaction, Mary couldn't be wholly expunged from the Gospels, but they did much to wash away her status. Even with that, she is mentioned in the Bible more times than most male apostles. Ultimately, this inaccurate portrayal of Mary comes from Pope Gregory I which came through in the form of a sermon given on Easter in 591 AD.

It is not surprising that the Magdalene has been so defamed and diminished as for centuries Christendom was under the thumb of the Roman Catholic Church established through Peter. Peter and his followers hated women and you can see this aggressive sexist tone in much of the books compiled and revised by that church. With the discovery of the suppressed Gnostic Gospels, this anti-Marian narrative is expressed in several verses.

The Gospel of Philip notes that she was a constant companion of the Lord. In the Gospel of Thomas, Peter proclaims that females are not worthy of life and wishes the Savior to dismiss her from their company. The Pistis Sophia ("Wisdom of Faith") recognizes Mary as insightful and wise, and that Mary will surpass all other disciples. This codex also records Mary stating that she fears Peter as he threatens her and hates her race. This latter statement has to be interpreted to mean the feminine race while others see it to mean that Peter hated Gnostics (which he did). In the Gospel of Mary, there is recorded one instance where Peter and his brother, Andrew, attempt to bully her because of her standing with the Savior; the profane often despises the enlightened.

In recent years, Magdalene's role has been reviewed and found to be more than just a saved prostitute. Even the Roman Catholic Church has acknowledged her as "Apostola Apostolorum" or "Apostle of the Apostles" or "the First Apostle." It also has come to be known that Mary of Bethany (sister of Lazarus) is one and the same as Mary Magdalene. The use of the epithet of Magdalene or Magdala further demonstrates that she was a prominent woman or possessed wealth in some way. The Gospel of Luke even states that Mary supported the Savior and his entourage which gives credence to her being a wealthy woman.

In the Templar Revelations by Clive Prince and Lynn Picknett, they provide evidence to a theory that Mary was wife and companion to the Savior, that the episode with Lazarus was an initiatic tradition, not a literal resurrection, and that Lazarus was St. John the Beloved. This latter point is supported by the Johannite tradition that the name "John" is a title.

To me, Mary stands as an exemplar for one who is transformed by the Logos and achieves Gnosis. As I alluded to on the Feast Day of Adam and Eve, Christ fulfilled his role and completed the Advent and being the New Adam and, in this instance, Mary fulfills the role as the New Eve. Some have even called her an incarnation of the Holy Sophia, the Divine Feminine.

I hope everyone has a blessed day and I leave you with a great article written by Most Reverend Timothy Mansfield, Bishop of New South Wales for the Apostolic Johannite Church: https://www.johannite.org/bishop-tim-mansfield-the-magdalene/

References

1. Apostola Apostolorum. (2017). Retrieved from Project Muse: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/659085/summary 

2. Conner, M. (2015, July 15). Why Do Gnostics Consider Mary Magdalene the Greatest Apostle? Retrieved from Aeonbyte Gnostic Radio: https://thegodabovegod.com/why-do-gnostics-consider-mary-magdalene-the-greatest-apostle/ 

3. Kelly, B. (2016, July 19). St. Mary Magdalene is the Same Mary, the Sister of Lazarus and Martha of Bethany. Retrieved from Catholicism.org: https://catholicism.org/st-mary-magdalene-is-the-same-mary-the-sister-of-lazarus-of-bethany.html 

4. Mansfield, T. (2018, September 2). The Magdalene. Retrieved from Apostolic Johannite Church: https://www.johannite.org/bishop-tim-mansfield-the-magdalene/ 

5. Mary Magdalene. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene 

6. Mary Magdalene, apostle of the apostles. (2016, June 10). Retrieved from Vatican Press Office: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/06/10/160610c.html 

7. Picknett, L., & Prince, C. (1997). The Templar Revelation. New York: Touchstone. 

8. Price, R. M. (2009). Mary Magdalene: Gnostic Apostle? Retrieved from RMP: https://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_mary_magdalene.htm 

9. The Gospel of Mary. (1998, April). Retrieved from Public Broadcasting Service: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/map

On the Road Again

Well, after 3.5-months of my job stopping all travel, I am back out on the road for work. It's been interesting adjusting to the new travel policies, but it feels good to be back out and traveling.

Happy Independence Day

2020 has been a rough and strange year, to say the least. Today, let us stop with the pettiness of politics and remember the sacrifices of all of the forefathers who established this amazing Nation. God bless the United States of America and its Founding Fathers! God bless the members of the Armed Forces! God bless all First Responders!

Have fun today and celebrate, but be safe and stay healthy.

Masonic Week 2021

Here is the tentative schedule of events for the 2021 Masonic Week that will be held from February 10th - 14th, 2021, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Registration and hotel links are not yet available.

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

07:00pm - Masonic Order of Pilgrim Preceptors

George Haynes - Regional Governor

Alan Beidel - Regional Secretary

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

   

08:00am - Trinity Chapel No.2, Ye Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon

10:00am - Grand Master's Council, Ye Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon

Matthew Dupee - Grand Master 

Joseph MacIntyre - Grand Prior 

Seth Anthony - Grand Secretary

12:00pm - Festive Board, Ye Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon

1:00pm - Grand Chapter, Sovereign Order of Knights Preceptor

Ronald Wood - Grand Preceptor

Larry Tucker - Grand Recorder

2:45pm - Potomac Court No.107, Masonic Order of Athelstan

4:30pm - Provincial Grand Court of the United States of America for the Masonic Order of Athelstan

Bryce Hildreth - Provincial Grand Master

David Cashion - Provincial Grand Secretary

7:00pm - Athelstan Banquet

9:00pm - Ye Antiente Order of Corks

Don McAndrew - Grand Bung of the Americas

Bobby Kitchen - Grand Bung of the USA

Friday, February 12th, 2021

    

   

7:00am - KYCH and York Rite Sovereign College Breakfast 

8:00am - Allied Masonic Degrees: Installed Sovereign Master 

8:15am - Grand Council of Knight Masons of the USA

Robert Maynard - Great Chief

David Cashion - Grand Scribe

9:00am - Ladies Breakfast

11:45am - Society of Blue Friars Luncheon

Arturo de Hoyos - Grand Abbot

Richard Fletcher - Secretary General

1:30pm - Special degree conferral, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priest 

1:30pm - Grand College of Rites of the U.S.A. 

Robert Malwitz - Grand Chancellor 

Gerald Klein - Grand Registrar

3:15pm - Council of the Nine Muses No.13, AMD

5:00pm - Grand College of America of the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priest 

James Herndon - Grand Preceptor 

Lawrence Tucker - Grand Registrar

5:00pm - Knight Commander, Royal Order of the Red Branch of Eri

5:30pm - Worshipful Commander Noah, Royal Ark Mariner

6:00pm - Installed Supreme Ruler, Order of the Secret Monitor

7:00pm - Dinner for the Masonic Society

Jay Hochberg - President

Nathan Brindle - Secretary-Treasurer

7:00pm - Dinner of the Great Priory of America of the Chevaliers Bienfasants de la Cite Sainte (CBCS)

Andre Lovas - Great Prior

9:00pm - Masonic Order of the Bath

Leslie Bale - Commander-General

Bill Snyder - Keeper of the Bath Records

Saturday, February 13th, 2021

  

7:30am - All Masonic Breakfast

8:00am - Royal Order of the Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord

4th Grade: Councillor 

5th Grade: Keeper of the Hidden Secret

11:00am - Philalethes Society

Rashied K. Sharrieff-Al-Bey - President

Terry Tilton - Secretary

12:00pm - Philalethes Society Luncheon

1:30pm - Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA

Glen Cook - Sovereign Grand Master

Clyde Schoolfield - Grand Secretary

2:00pm - Ladies Afternoon Tea

6:30pm - All Masonic Social Hour 

7:00pm - All Masonic Banquet

Sunday, February 14th, 2021

8:30am - Washington Monument Assemblage

9:00am - Lodge of Menatzchim V°

10:30am - Lodge of Harodim VI°

12:30pm - The Operatives Brunch

Mob Tears Down Pike Statue

It's been reported on the news and social media that a mob has pulled down the statue of Illustrious Brother Albert Pike, 33°, that was located at 3rd and D St. NW in DC. This statue was defaced early, but with the recent spree of ripping statues down, a group composed of around 80 people toppled the statue and then tried to light it on fire.

This statue was targeted because many believe it to be a statue honoring the Confederacy, but, in reality, the statue commemorates Pike as a Mason and specifically as a Scottish Rite Mason which is seen with him holding a copy of Morals & Dogma and that the Greek figure in front of Pike is holding a banner of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite. He’s not in a military uniform, nor does he carry a firearm or sword, as would be found on statues commemorating war leaders. This statue was purely Masonic and had nothing to do either with slavery or the Confederacy.

In his book, Esoterika, Pike ironically spoke on the dangers of the mob mentality:

"The populace has always been ready to turn upon and rend its benefactors.... the mob or populace is aptly symbolized by the setting maul or club, the fit weapon of blind and frenzied brutality. And as nothing is so unreasoning as a mob, as it hates nothing so much as the superiority of the intellect, which it always regards as its enemy, always the ready instrument of the Priesthood and of the Kings, it always has rejoiced when it could destroy the wise and the great."

As I mentioned in a previous article, people are taking advantage of raw emotion to attack American culture and history. They are dividing rather than uniting.

Albert Pike is a controversial figure, mostly due to rabid anti-Masons fabricating conspiracies against him and Freemasonry. However, Pike was human and subject to the flaws inherent in mankind. As Brother Arturo de Hoyos stated, "We are all, to some degree, products of our environments, and have all changed our minds as we mature and receive better information." Such as it was with Pike who once disagreed with black men belonging to Freemasonry, but later changed his opinion. He even worked with the Prince Hall Scottish Rite with their ritual and corresponded with their Sovereign Grand Commander, who he acknowledged as such.

It's tragic to see such a destructive culture seek to destroy symbols of the past that they disagree with or do not understand. To me, these mobs are no better than the Taliban who destroyed Buddhist monuments, or ISIS who destroyed ancient Assyrian works. We shouldn't be destroying our history.

Anti-Mason Disinformation: Masonic Police Patches

If the death of George Floyd and the senseless violence that has eclipsed the peaceful protests wasn't enough, anti-Masons are taking advantage of people's raw emotions to spread disinformation to further their agenda against the Masonic fraternity and cause further division.

As of late, this picture has emerged and has been frequently used as evidence that the Police are owned and ran by Freemasonry.

Anti-Masons, using this picture, come to the conclusion that the Police are not a legitimate body of government and are inherently evil by their subservience to Freemasonry. They think that an Obligation a Freemason takes overrides their loyalty and allegiance to anything else. Freemasons fail to understand or simply ignore the fact that our Obligations do not supersede the Obligations or duties to God, country, family, or friends.

Freemasons come from all walks of life and we take pride in our membership so many Masons have customized items personal to them to also reflect their membership. Those patches, pictured above, are collectibles only and not authorized for wearing on official uniforms or by any governmental agency.

Officers of a Priory of the KYCH

Jewel of a Past Prior

The basic organizational unit of the Knights of the York Cross of Honor (KYCH) is the Priory. The officers of the Priory are the Eminent Prior, Deputy Prior, Warder, Treasurer, Registrar, Prelate, Orator, Herald, and Sentinel.

The Eminent Prior is the chief officer of the Priory and is equivalent to the presiding officer in any other body of Freemasonry or concordant body. This officer carries the honorary title of Eminent which is rooted in the Latin word "eminentem" meaning "standing out, projecting, prominent, or high." A Prior is a traditional title used to represent a monk or priest who is the head of a religious house or order. This rank is below that of the abbot. Prior comes to us from the Latin tongue and is used to mean "former, previous, first, etc." from which it was used figuratively as "superior (in rank), forefather, and better." The KYCH is a Christian knighthood and the title presiding officer was commonly used by some among the medieval knighthoods.

The Deputy Prior is the second-in-command of the Priory, assists in the opening and closing of the Priory has a ritualistic part in the initiation of new Knights, and assumes the duties of the Eminent Prior in his absence. This officer carries the title of "Deputy" which is rooted in the Latin words "de" and "putare" which combined means to "to cut away or purne", but adopted in Anglo-French words meaning to "appoint or assign"

Third-in-command of the Priory is the Warder. It is interesting to note that in the Commandery of Knights Templar, the Warder is a junior appointed officer, but in the Priory is an elected official and has a part in the initiation ritual. The word "Warder", like Warden, comes from the Proto-Germanic word "wardon" meaning "to watch or guard."

The Treasurer and Registrar correspond to the Treasurer and Secretary (or Recorder) in other Masonic bodies. In some Priories, these two officers are combined and held by one Knight. This is often done in smaller Priories, but to counter any possibility of bad book-keeping, the Prior is required to assign a Finance Committee whose job it is to examine the records of the Priory and ensure all is in proper order.

Corresponding to the Chaplain in the Lodge, the Prelate is the spiritual leader of the Priory. A Prelate is traditionally a high ranking member of the clergy and the word is derived from the Latin word 'prelatus' referring to a clergyman of "high rank or of preference over others." 

There is no Orator known in the Blue Lodge or in the York Rite bodies, but in the Priory, the Orator is an appointed officer whose entire job is to announce the four Knights who will give the four lectures during the initiation ritual. An orator is a public speaker, often known for their eloquence. The word "orator" comes from the Latin word "orare" meaning "to speak."

The Herald is the first appointed officer within the door of the Priory and has duties similar to the Junior Deacon and Marshall within the Blue Lodge. A Herald was traditionally an officer who conveyed messages or proclamations as well as acted as diplomats or ambassadors for monarchs. This word derives from the old French word 'heraut' meaning "messenger or envoy."

The final appointed officer of the Priory is called the Sentinel and whose duties correspond with that of the Tyler in the Blue Lodge. The Sentinel guards the Priory from without the door to ensure the Knights are not caught or taken by surprise by those wishing to cause harm or those who are not entitled to be there. The Sentinel is one who stands guard over some kind of structure, whether it be an installation, a gate, or a passage. It is their job to prevent intrusion by enemies or those unauthorized. The word Sentinel stems from the Latin word "sentire" meaning "to watch or perceive by the senses."

York Cross of Honour Medical Research Foundation

Inspired by Saturday's meeting of Idaho Priory No.13 of the Knights of the York Cross of Honor, I am writing about the philanthropic work of the Convent General for the order which is known as the York Cross of Honour Medical Research Foundation.

The York Cross of Honour Medical Research Foundation supports research for causes, prevention, and treatment of cancer and in particular treatment of Melanoma. Currently, the Foundation supports the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Located with Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, this center is one of the nation's premier facilities for cancer treatment and research.

Since 1980, the Knights have donated more than $1.8 million to support the work of researchers at the Cancer Center who are exploring promising new areas of cancer research. Their most recent gift of $75,000 is making it possible for Drs. Angeles and Turk to continue their vitiligo research. Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin condition that targets normal healthy skin cells that produce pigment. Cancer patients with vitiligo survive longer or have a better prognosis, but the exact reason is not known. The Turk Lab has discovered that mice with vitiligo have specialized immune cells called T cells in their skin. These T cells are extremely long-lived and potent killers of cancer cells. Dr. Turk is currently working with oncologists at NCCC to investigate T cells in melanoma patients with vitiligo.

From the website, our donations are financing a second program that "involves the study of cancer-drug resistance":

Resistance to cancer-inhibitor drugs typically develops within just months of beginning treatment, and thus represents a major clinical problem. Dr. Turk’s lab has discovered that the same biological pathways that drive cancer drug resistance also suppress cancer immunity. The Lab is now exploring novel therapies to overcome drug resistance and simultaneously improve anti-tumor immunity.

“If it wasn’t for the Knights’ support, this line of research—and the knowledge we gain from it—would be on hold” 

 - Dr. Mary Jo Turk

References

1. Dartmouth College. (2016, August). Retrieved from Gifts from the Knights of the York Cross of Honour Fuel Immunotherapy Research at Norris Cotton Cancer Center: https://www.dartmouth.edu/~turklab/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/06/KYCH-2.pdf 

2. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. (n.d.). Retrieved from About Norris Cotton Cancer Center: https://cancer.dartmouth.edu/about 

3. Knights of the York Cross of Honor. (n.d.). Retrieved from About the Norris Cotton Cancer Center: http://www.kych.org/nccc.html 

4. Knights of the York Cross of Honor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Medical Research Foundation: http://www.kych.org/mrfinfo.html 

5. Knights of the York Cross of Honor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Long-Term Melanoma Immunity is Skin Deep: http://www.kych.org/nccc.pdf

Memorial Day 2020

Today, I remember my Brothers- and Sisters-in-arms who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. God bless them and God bless these United States.

If you say their names, they're never forgotten.