179th Grand Communication Issue

the

Volume XXIII Issue 3

Fall 2014

magazine

Official Publication of the Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M.

Masonry is a Gift: Receive It Share It Preserve It

179th Grand Communication Issue

Grand Communication December 4-6, 2014

Volume XXIII ? Issue 3 ? Fall 2014 the

magazine

Table of Contents

Page 1.................................................................................................................Grand Master's Message Page 2............................................................................The Form of the Symbolic Lodge ? Texas Style Page 3..........................................................................Santa Anna ? Masonic Membership Confirmed Page 4............................................................................... Timing of Events During 2014 Grand Lodge Page 5.................................................................. Summary of 2014 Resolutions & Recommendations Page 6............................................................................... Thanks from the Masonic Home and School Page 7................... Statements of Availability for Grand Junior Warden, Name Badge Order Form Pages 8 through 9..................Statements of Availability for Grand Treasurer, Committee on Work Page 10..............................................................................................................Ladies' Reservation Form Page 11......................................................................................................... 2014 Photo Contest Winners Page 12............................................................................ Message from Grand Secretary, Good Search Inside Back Cover............................................................................................... 2014 Merchandise Sales Outside Back Cover...................................................... Grand Lodge of Texas 2015 GM Conferences

The Texas Mason Magazine is an official publication of the Grand Lodge of Texas A. F. & A. M. It is published three times a year for the members of Texas Lodges and subscribers. Opinions expressed by the Editor and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Grand Lodge of Texas Copyright 2014, by the Trustees of the Grand Lodge of Texas. All rights reserved.

Publisher The Trustees of The Grand Lodge of Texas

Editor Benjamin Franklin Linduff

Copy editor Clinton M. M. McKenzie

The Texas Mason Magazine encourages submission of articles and photographs of general interest to Masons in Texas, reserving the right to edit and use the articles and pictures as needs and policies dictate.

News and articles from around the state will continue to be published in a web based format on the Grand Lodge of Texas website The Grand Lodge website is accessible at texasmasonmagazine.

Please continue to send your articles and Lodge events and news to the Editor of The Texas Mason Magazine.

The preferred method of submission is via email with an attached Microsoft Word document. Pictures should be separately submitted in JPEG format to Ben.Linduff@. If you do not

have email, submissions may be sent to the Grand Lodge of Texas, Attn.: The Editor of Texas Mason Magazine, PO Box 446, Waco, Texas 76703. All materials become property of the magazine and cannot be returned.

Subscriptions $6.00 per year U.S. and Canada, $15.00 for three years; $10.00 per year in foreign countries, $25.00 for three years

Permission to reprint Permission to reprint original articles appearing in The Texas Mason Magazine is granted to all recognized Masonic publications, provided that credit is given to the author and attribution to The Texas Mason Magazine.

On the Cover: Grand Lodge of Texas Building, Waco, Texas

GRAND MASTER'S MESSAGE

Brethren,

As the end of the 2014 year draws near, this is my last opportunity

to reach every Brother in our fraternity, and express my heartfelt

gratitude for allowing me to serve you and our fraternity in the office

of Grand Master. I enjoyed meeting and talking with you at the Grand

Master's Conferences, the many visits to Lodges for official visits,

installing officers, and at the Warden's Retreats. This is where you

really feel the heartbeat of Masonry; when you can be on the same

level with the brethren from all over the state, shaking hands, sharing

a hug, and talking about Masonry. I am humbled by the opportunity

you have given me, and I pray that I have earned the trust you have

reposed in me.

The events of this Masonic year would not have been possible

without the dedication and contributions of the 2014 Planning Team's

work on the conference program, training of future District Deputy

Grand Masters, and so much more. I would also like to recognize the

Grand Secretary and his staff, the Library and Museum staff, all of

the Grand Lodge Committee members, the Grand Lodge Trustees, and

appointed Grand Lodge Officers for their invaluable contributions to our fraternity this year. I especially appreciate the hard work and miles

Photo by Jerry Smith

of travel by my District Deputy Grand Masters who officially visited their Lodges two times, and conducted

a review of the Lodge records and other pertinent items.

At the beginning of the 2014 year, I had the District Deputy Grand Master's visit every Lodge in the state

and deliver a message asking who is the most important person in our fraternity. The answer is not the Grand

Master or any Grand Lodge Officer, but "you" the individual members. You are the most important because

you make new Masons, and you keep the lodges open every month of every year. You the voting members

of the Grand Lodge pass or defeat proposed new laws. These things are part of what makes you the most

important person in the fraternity, and I hope you will never forget that.

All year long at every opportunity, I spoke with you about the need to bring strategic planning to our Grand

Lodge. Strategic planning is always important at any time, and is essentially important at this point in time

in our Grand Lodge. As membership levels continue to fall at a rapid pace, it obviously has a terrific impact

on the finances of all our lodges and the Grand Lodge, and will continue to do so unless we can implement a

plan for increasing membership, finances, leadership, education, and technology usage. These are some of the

major things a strategic plan should address. Please come to the Grand Lodge Annual Communication this

December as there will be a Strategic Planning Resolution on the agenda for your consideration.

My wife, Betty, wishes to thank you for the tremendous support you have given in purchasing her

hummingbird pins and the Sharing Freemasonry book. As a result of your support, you will have new

cushioned chairs in the coffee shop area when you come to Grand Lodge. She is also having the ladies

restroom remodeled and hopefully it will be finished by Grand Lodge.

Finally, I leave you for the last time with my motto. Masonry is a Gift: Receive It - Share It -Preserve it.

May the Great Architect of the Universe bless each of you, and the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Sincerely and fraternally,

The Texas Mason Magazine

Jerry L. Martin Grand Master



Fall 2014 ? Page 1

The Form of the Symbolic Lodge ? Texas Style

By Richard A Vickery III

As a Mason in any part of your journey you are constantly talked to hear about the forms of the symbolic

lodge. It is part of our culture and something that we always hear about in our lectures, but reTahlley Fwohrmat oisf "thTeheSymbolic form of the symbolic lodge". In the Texas monitor on page 24, only contains a picture, above the picture aBrye Rthicehard A V words "The Form of the Symbolic Lodge". Little else is given as an explanation to this picture, beyond what we

are told in the Entered Apprentice Mason's degree, but if you look at tAhseapMictausroenthinearenyispmarotroeftyootuhrejostuorrnye.y you are con

At the top of the lodge labeled "east" it shows,

had two pillars with the label's TR Cancer and TR

symbolic lodge. It is part of our culture and something that

Capricorn. This alludes to the Tropic of Cancer and

really what

the Tropic of Capricorn, each lie at the 23.5 degrees latitude. Whereas the Tropic of Cancer lies at the 23.5 degrees north of the equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn lies at the 23.5 degrees south of the equatori. If you study the diagram further you see that the lines

Texas mon above the Symbolic L to this pict

from the two tropics continue from east to west. This

Apprentice

is to show and mark both the summer and winter solstice, or as we as Masons recognize them to be St. John the Baptist 24th of June (summer) and St John the Evangelist 27th of December (Winter). This also

picture the At

had two pi

illustrates the various positions of the sun as the earth

Capricorn.

rotates in a yearly cycle. You will notice that in the middle of the

parallelogram you will notice the words "Vernal Equinox", which is in reference to the March Equinox

Tropic of C latitude. W degrees no

(21 March). In the Abrahamic tradition, Jewish Passover usually falls on the first full moon after the Northern Hemisphere vernal equinox; Christian churches calculate Easter as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the March equinox. A

Capricorn l If you stud from the tw to show an

Masonic perspective some have postulated that the

or as we as

equinox is the measuring of our point within a circle, the plubmline finally resting at 0ii. This is a time for Masons to reflect on the renewal and changing states within their lives.

Baptist 24t 27th of Dec

various po

Next we come to the parallel lines of St John the

yearly cycl

Baptist and St John the Evangelist. It isn't surprising

that these two would be so intertwined with Freemasonry. St. John the Baptist, described as an intellectual, and esoteric in spirit. While St. John the Evangelist was described as somewhat fanatical and

FiFgiugruer1e-1Th-eTFhoremFoofrtmheoSfymthbeolSicyLmodbgoel,icpaLgoed2g4e, ,Mpoangiteor24,

Yo

Monitor of the Lodgoef the Lodge

parallelogr

Equinox", w

rigid in his faithiii. Between the Patron Saints John lies our e(f2fo1rtMianrcahll).oIfnotuhre lAaburdaahbalme ipc utrrasduiittiso,nb, oJethwiwshitPhainssover us

and outside of the Craft. The dedication to the St John's has bNeoenrthseinrnceHteimmeispimhemreemveorrniaall,etqhueineoaxr;liCehstriMstiaasnocnhicurches ca documents speak of the Saints and of "The Lodge of Saints JohfinrsattfuJellrumsoaolenmo"niv.or after the March equinox. A Masonic p

equinox is the measuring of our point within a circle, the pl

i withi

ii

iii Holy Bible

Next we come to the parallel lines of St John the Ba

iv The Saints John of Freemasonry, Samuel Steelman, Southern CaliforniasLuordpgreisoinf Rgetsheaartcthhese two would be so intertwined with Free

Page 2 ? Fall 2014

an intellectual, and esoteric in spirit. While St. John the Eva grandlodgeoftexas.oarng d rigid in hT is faithiii. BheetTweexeans tMheasPoantroMnaSgaainzitns eJohn lies

Santa Anna ? Masonic Membership Confirmed

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's 1825 Scottish Rite Certificate. This framed photocopy from the collection of The Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York confirms that Santa Anna was, indeed a 32nd Degree Mason. It was generously presented to the Library and Museum by IllM. Douglas Adkins, Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Texas.

Correspondence between Most Worshipful James L. Sullivan, Grand Master of New York and Brother Douglas Adkins traces the gift of the Santa Anna Certificate. Those involved in this lengthy process are Brothers Randon Reeves of Houston, G. L. History Committee Chair; Frank R. (Dick) Brown of Dallas, former President of the Texas Historical Foundation; Marshall Doak of Dallas and Manual Jimenez Guzman, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Mexico. In a letter to Most Worshipful Jerry L. Martin, Grand Master of Texas, Brother Adkins then gives the background of the historical scholarship involved in authenticating Santa Anna's Masonic membership.

The Texas Mason Magazine



Fall 2014 ? Page 3

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