Virginia Light/Sept 2013

Volume VII, Issue 2 September 2013

Table of Contents

Page 2 - SGIG Message Page 4 - What Did I Prom- ise? Page 6 - Crosses of the Scottish Rite Page 9 - Fundraiser Page 10– The Mason’s Word Page 12 - VA Scottish Rite Conference Info Page 13 - 2013 Orient of VA’s Honour Men Page 14 - Richmond Info Page 16 - 7th Degree Page 17 - 2013 Orient of VA’s Honour Men Page 18 - SRRS Info Page 19 - Valley Info

Copyright © 2013, The Orient of Virginia under

the auspices of The Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient and Accepted

Scottish Rite, SJ, USA. No part of this publication may

be reproduced without permission of its Editor at [email protected]

NOTICE OF PASSING

It is with a sense of great sadness and deep loss to re-port the passing of a great Scottish Rite Mason, community hero, and good friend,

Illustrious David Kruger, 33°

Past Grand Secretary General & Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Emeritus

Brother David died August 16, 2013

He was born June 5, 1922

Received his degrees in the Scottish Rite, June 5, 1946

Invested with Knight Commander of the Court of Honour, October 21, 1953

Coroneted a 33°, Inspector General Honorary,

October 23, 1963

Served as the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Virginia, 1985 – 2002

Grand Secretary General, 1989 - 2002

The Virginia Light©

Published quarterly for the Brethren of Virginia

Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33°

Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme

Council, 33°, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, SJ,

USA

Ill. James D. Cole, 33° Lt. Grand Commander and Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Virginia of the Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, SJ, USA

Ill. Clifford A. Parker, IGH Personal Representative to

the SGIG in Virginia

Ill. William L. Holliday, IGH Personal Representative to

the SGIG in Virginia Emeritus

Ill. David A. Burkus, IGH

Newsletter Editor

WEBSITE:

www.orientofvirginia.org

Bro. Patrick Murphrey, 32° Webmaster

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The 2013 Biennial Session Ill. Jim Cole, 33° Lt. Grand Commander & S.G.I.G. in Virginia August 2013 was quite a month in Scottish Rite Freemasonry. On August 5, the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite cel-ebrated the 200th Anniversary of the receipt of their Charter, in a cere-mony hosted by the Grand Lodge of New Y ork in New York City. A video of the charter reenactment was presented at the Southern Juris-diction’s Biennial Session later in August. The original charter, issued by the Mother Council (Southern Jurisdiction) was presented on Au-gust 5, 1813 and authorized the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction to es-tablish a separate Supreme Council to include 15 states, basically the northeast quadrant of today’s United States. Later, during August 16-20 in Washington, D.C., the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction held their Annual Session. Their Jurisdiction’s website at http://www.scottishritenmj.org/ is an excellent location to view much useful information. August culminated with the Biennial Session of the Supreme Coun-cil, Southern Jurisdiction, USA. On Friday, August 23, committee meetings were held among Active Members and Deputies. Early Satur-day, August 24, the Active Members of the Supreme Council met in Executive Session during which they elected seven new Active Mem-bers, elected and installed officers, reviewed and approved numerous reports, adopted resolutions and voted upon several changes to The Statutes. Items of note:

1. The Supreme Council formally recognized and established fraternal relations with the United Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Juris-diction, USA and the United Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Northern Juris-diction, USA. Visitation rights follow those authorized by the appli-cable Grand Lodge in each respective Orient.

2. Eligibility rules for the K.C.C.H. and 33rd degree were amended. Pri-or to receiving the 33rd degree, a member must be a K.C.C.H. for at least 44 months, instead of the former 46 month requirement. Prior to receiving the K.C.C.H., a member must be a 32° Scottish Rite Mason for at least 44 months, instead of the former 46 month requirement. These changes were made in order to coordinate with the earlier dates for the Biennial Sessions (August versus October).

3. Several procedural and policy items were changed, including docu-mentation of ritual manuals distributed to Active Members, updating travel reimbursement policies and roll call voting.

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During Saturday afternoon, the corporate meetings of the Scottish Rite Foundation and the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation were held. Saturday evening was devoted to a donor recognition dinner, at which time major donors to the Rite’s charities were acknowledged and thanked for their generosity. On Sunday, our new Active Members were crowned and Active Members and Deputies held a workshop to discuss membership and other issues impacting the Rite. Preliminary plans were dis-cussed for the 2014 Workshops, including the one hosted by Virginia (April 11-12 in Williamsburg). Later, a reception was held for all Session attendees followed by an inspirational Vesper Service con-ducted by the Grand Chaplain. Sunday evening, the Grand Commander hosted a dinner for 32 Grand Masters from around the Jurisdiction and Sovereign Grand Commanders and representatives from 40 countries around the world. The official open Session was conducted Monday morning, lasting just under four hours. The Ses-sion included several videos, including a welcome from author Dan Brown and an inspirational mes-sage from the late Ill. Ernest Borgnine, 33° G.C. (who began his Masonic journey in Abingdon, Vir-ginia). During the meeting, Ill. William “Gene” Sizemore, 33° G.C. was recognized as the first-ever Past Sovereign Grand Commander Honoris Causa (i.e., “honorary”). This honor was bestowed in recognition of Ill. Brother Gene’s retirement after almost thirty years of outstanding service as the Executive Director of the Supreme Council. The entire Session was “streamed” on the Internet. Re-cordings of the entire event can be viewed on the Supreme Council’s newly renovated website at http://scottishrite.org/ Monday afternoon and evening featured the Board meeting of the Scottish Rite Research Society, a meeting of the WSB Club (see http://scottishrite.org/members/wsb/) and a dinner hosted by the Vir-ginia and North Carolina S.G.I.G.’s for their Grand Masters, Grand Secretaries and the delegations from the Supreme Councils of Canada and the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Tuesday morning began with a second meeting of Active Members and Deputies to continue the discussion of issues impacting the Rite. Later, the Scottish Rite Research Society (see http://scottishriteresearch.com/) held its annual luncheon, followed by the conferral of the 33rd degree in the afternoon by a combined cast from the Orients of the District of Columbia and Maryland. The day and the entire Biennial Session culminated with a banquet on Tuesday evening, with former Baylor University football coaching legend Grant Teaff providing an inspirational talk. During the Session, Virginia’s attendees were treated to a hospitality suite managed by Ill. Jack Smith, 33° of the Valley of Newport News. In the suite, in the meetings and throughout the hallways of the hotel, good times, Fraternal times, were enjoyed by all. Personally, I was very proud of the way our members, guests and the 33rd degree recipients from Virginia conducted themselves. My hope is that each member who is able will consider attending the next Biennial Session, tentatively scheduled for August 23-25, 2015 in Washington, D.C.

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Sometimes it is hard for me to realize that this June 21 will mark 46 years since I was Raised a Master Mason – where did all of those years go? I remember that night and many of those men who were present – my dear friend and much older Brother, M:.W:.Ballard Lee Smith, 33°, PGM, was there sitting on the north side of the Lodge, and I went over and sat by him after re-ceiving the secret work – I was the first of three Raised that evening – and all three of us 'young men' were friends from elementary school and had all been very involved in DeMolay during our teen years – it was an exciting evening for us. Very few of those in attendance that evening are still present; most having transferred their membership to Lodge Eternal. Thinking back over the many years, the many Lodge meetings, many Degree conferrals, many hours lecturing candi-dates, working on the Lodge building, cooking meals, cleaning and preparing for meetings, lay-ing out officer aprons and jewels – so many years of Labor, there are so many pleasant and won-derful memories. Soon after being raised, I petitioned Scottish Rite and over two weekends, four days, received twenty-eight of the twenty-nine Degrees; one was communicated. Thus began another Masonic Journey that has taken me toward More Light and trying to master all of the lessons, pledges and obligations. I will never master them, but I have promised to keep trying. Through all of the many years, I have also tried to remember “what did I promise” during all of those Degrees. During your Masonic Journey, have you ever stopped to consider all of the promises that you have taken on bended knee, hands upon the Holy Bible, and repeating those words – those prom-ises, pledges, Obligations? How many have you taken over the years as a Mason? Many Broth-ers return to their Lodges annually for a Re-Obligation Night–it reminds, refreshes, re-instills. Our Scottish Rite's Feast of Tishri Ceremony held in the Fall reminds us of the promises, pledg-es and that Obligation in that Ineffable Perfect Elu Degree, that Fourteenth Degree–we made some serious promises in that Degree. Do you remember those vows? That Ceremony also re-minds, refreshes and re-instills. A recent article in the The Northern Light, the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's Scottish Rite magazine, had me think back over all of the 46 years in Masonry and the events mentioned above. The article was written by Sovereign Grand Commander Ill. John William McNaughton, 33°, and entitled, “Obligation”. He wrote that the one thing that we all have in common as Mas-ter Masons is that we each knelt at an Altar, placed our hands of Sacred Law, and before GOD, solemnly obligated ourselves to one another. Commander McNaughton wrote that an Obligation is something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things arising out of a sense of duty and honor, and as Masons it is that “mystic tie that binds”. He said that it is the cement of Brotherly Love and unites our society of friends and Brothers. The Grand Commander stated that rituals and customs may differ, titles and ranks may change, physical Masonic real estate may come and go, but our Obligations are our fraternity's universally recognized constant in a world where almost everything else becomes obsolete. The most striking words of the article stated that taking all of those Obligations never, ever obligated us to advance Masonry as a

What Did I Promise? By Ill. William J. Mollere, 33°

S.G.I.G. - Louisiana

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What Did I Promise? (Cont’d) health care or scholastic institution, or to promote and underwrite secular charities, or to obli-gate ourselves to ritual memorization, or to obligate ourselves to real estate. Ill. McNaughton observed that yet we, as Masons, put all of those endeavors before what is the most essential: each other. In the article, his point was well stated – we have moved away from the Obligation to take care of each other. We are supposed to be a Fraternity based on caring for our Brother! The ending of the article stressed the importance of being our Brother's Keeper and of our Scot-tish Rite's Almoner duty, and our need to regularly check on and care about the wellbeing and welfare of each other. All of the other parts of our activities in Masonry are superfluous to that primary purpose of caring for each other, and we tend to get so caught up in those other parts, that we forget what we did promise. Have you ever wondered if we have gotten the cart before the horse? Rather than spending time calling and visiting a Brother, we are patching the roof on our buildings. Ra-ther than visiting a Masonic Widow to check on her needs, we are worried about inserting a “the” rather than an “an” in the wording of that Degree. Rather than dropping off a bag of gro-ceries to a Brother who is out-of-work, we are trying to find the right man to move into that next officer line. We get caught up on formalities and forget the realities of our Brotherhood. Some say “form over substance”. Have we forgotten the true substance that is Masonry? Have we for-gotten what we promised? In Scottish Rite, we have changed the conferral process in our Reunions to the point that most candidates never have the opportunity to witness all of the Degrees other than the mandatory five Degrees–the Fourth, Fourteenth, Eighteenth, Thirtieth, and Thirty-second. One-day Reun-ions have become common. There is so much more to Scottish Rite than those five Degrees that we have compressed into a six to eight hour day with donuts and roast beef sandwiches. We need to get our Masonry in order and get back to the Basics of caring for each other–that in-cludes sharing the lessons offered in all of the Degrees with each other, the wonderful and beau-tiful lessons such as caring, being generous, practicing decency and compassion, being humble, and the on-going Mason’s quest for Truth. The Fourteenth Degree's Obligation brings it back to Commander McNaughton's intent–care for our Brother, attend to his needs and necessities; and for that Brother's family, while that Brother lives and after he is gone–love and honor GOD And love one another. If we live THAT Obligation, we are living ALL of the other promises, pledges and Obligations. Every day, may we try harder to live that Obligation. As always, thank you for continuing to be a Scottish Rite Masons, and for daily attempting to be the best Perfect Elu possible.

Valley of Newport News’ 100th Anniversary Coin

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Brethren, The Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite will be celebrating their 100th Anniversary on Octo-ber 27, 2013. To help commemorate this occasion, we will be producing a Memory Book to help us remember our past history and what’s to come. The Memory Book will be something like a yearbook or an annual that some churches and other organizations put out. The book will contain as a minimum:

100th anniversary medallion Various pictures of where the Temple has been situated and shots of our current

building inside and outside. Pictures of all of our Honour men – IGHs and KCCHs Pictures from our past and any Class pictures we can find The history of our Valley List of various groups:

All IGHS All KCCHs All Venerable Masters (LOP) All Wise Masters (CRC) All Commanders (COK) All Masters of Kadosh (CON) List of all Valley Secretaries List of all Valley Representatives

History of the Orient of Virginia List of Deputies & SGIGs of the Orient of VA Pictures of current members Advertisements & well-wishes

If you noticed, the last item mentioned was advertisements & well-wishes. We would appreciate any help we can obtain in helping to cut down our expenses and we would like to ask Lodges, businesses, and individuals to help contribute to this celebration to help make it a great one. Advertisement costs will be of $100 for a full page, $50 for a half page, $35 for a quarter page, & $25 for a business card size. Well-wisher or sponsor page will just list the name of the donor under these categories: Platinum - $100, Gold - $50, Silver - $25, and Bronze - $10. Mail check made out to “Valley of Newport News, AASR” to:

Secretary Valley of Newport News

65 Saunders Road Newport News, VA 23601 Please include the artwork for advertisement and contact name of person submitting (if

any questions need to be asked). If you are a sponsor, please print how you would like the names to be listed.

The Mason's Words: The History and Evolution of the American Masonic Ritual

By Ill. Robert G. Davis, GC Review by Ill. William A. Parks, Jr., IGH

"The purpose of this work is to trace the lineage of the words which are used in our lodges today; to dis-cover how the making ceremonies worked; how the lessons were imparted; how and when the ritual as we practice it today in American Lodges came to be." The Mason's Words, page 11. No easy task, given the volume of Masonic ritual and the constraints upon its publication imposed by our Obligations. Yet today, "there are only five Grand Lodges in the United States who do not have adopted ritual ci-phers as aides to the memory work." During the Scottish Rite Research Society meeting during the recent Biennial Session of the Supreme Council, Ill. Bro Robert G. Davis admitted that he had been working on this book for twenty years, but was afraid to publish it lest he be accused of revealing Masonic secrets. Eventually he realized that if he quoted ritual from previous Masonic "exposes" he could not be so accused. Davis's chronicle of the development of American Blue Lodge Ritual proves that his fears were well-founded. His work brilliantly illuminates the intrigue, genius, liveliness, flexibility, and constant evolu-tion of Craft Ritual -- and the dangers of perceived "disclosures" of secrets. The work of William Preston, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1742 remains current in American Lodg-es to this day. He sought to break down the Blue Degrees, to make them coherent, and to compose cate-chisms to aid the memories of his Brethren. Brother Roberts sets out several of Preston's catechisms which provide plenty of material for use in Lodge programs today. His work survives in contemporary funeral rites, the Fellowcraft and Master Ma-son Charges, and the ritual for the laying of cornerstones. Eventually, Preston's efforts irritated his older Brethren, who managed to portray Preston as a Masonic rogue, manipulator, and revealer of secrets. Preston's stout defense of his own efforts to educate and im-press the Craft resulted in his expulsion from Grand Lodge. Yes, expulsion. The Mason's Words teaches that clashes of Masonic egos have not only threatened the Craft's continuing viability, but have also revi-talized the Craft from time to time. Nevertheless, "There are few who left as rich a Masonic heritage. There are few who have displayed more zeal for our institution. And there are few indeed who have left a mark of scholarship on our noble fraternity equal to that of William Preston." Preston managed to procure reinstatement. Another contributor to the ritual had no such luck. On this side of the Atlantic, Brother David Vinton, composer of the funeral dirge for the Hiramic Ritual ("Solemn Strikes the Funeral Chime..."), among other works, found himself expelled from the Grand Lodges of South Carolina, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Virginia for creating ritual ciphers and notes "far less extensive than is normally found in monitors of the present day." The Brother whose words are sung at virtually every raising in the United States himself died destitute and ineligible for Masonic fu-neral rites.

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The Mason's Words (Continued)

Yet the Brethren did endeavor to create harmonious, consistent, and authoritative ritual throughout the United States. The National Masonic Convention convened in 1844, and was opened by John Dove of Virginia with the purpose of "devising some uniform mode of action by which the ancient landmarks of our beloved Order may be preserved and perpetuated." All seemed to be going well until the committee chosen to prepare and publish the "Trestleboard" of ritual adopted by the convention fell out, with Dove accusing another member of that committee with publishing "decidedly the most offensive, ridiculous, and objectionable book upon Masonry it has ever fallen to my lot to peruse."

Appropriately, Ill. Brother Davis's excellent, clear narration cre-ates for the reader the feel of an unraveling mystery, a tale of con-flict, brilliance, and suspense that still dominates the conscientious practice of Freemasonry.

Among the curiosities of current ritual practice in the U.S., Bro Davis includes a table of nine, yes nine, diagrams showing the various configurations of the three Lesser Lights about the Al-tar. Astonishingly, the Grand Lodges of the United States cannot even agree on where to place those lights.

Ill. Bro Davis writes with authority backed by solid research, his skills honed by frequent contributions to Heredom, the annual col-lection of essays published by the Scottish Rite Research Society. He currently serves on the steering committee of the Masonic In-formation Center.

This is no Masonic Ritual for Dummies. The Mason's Words

meticulously chronicles the constant accretions, adjustments, and modifications of ceremonies, cate-chisms, lectures, and music that have kept our ritual vital, organic and inspiring. He concludes: "Perhaps the secrets of Freemasonry lie in the communication of the spirit, the bond that exists between initiated men, the insights which appear only when conversations and instruction touch the deepest part of our inner nature that repository of the sacred breast which can never be breached by decoding a cipher or reading an exposure of a Masonic ritual. As Joseph Fort Newton, editor of The Builder wrote a century ago, "the truths of Freemasonry are passed silently from soul to soul." The Mason's Words will prove indispensable to any conscientious Brother confronted with the argu-ment that "we've always done it that way." To which one may respond, "and just which way might that be?"

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September 27 & 28, 2013 Holiday Inn Tanglewood ‐ Roanoke, VA

2013 Conference President

Illustrious William M. Keyser, IGH (Roanoke)

Valley Vice‐Presidents Illustrious Carlton L. Gill, Jr., IGH (Norfolk)

Illustrious Larry Alexander, IGH (Alexandria) Illustrious David E. Amstutz, IGH (Richmond)

Illustrious Foy A. Greenwood, Jr., IGH (Portsmouth) Brother T. Keith Rice, KCCH (Danville)

Illustrious George A. Hollingsworth III, IGH (Newport News) Brother William A. Robertson, Jr., KCCH (Lynchburg)

Honorary President

Illustrious and Most Worshipful James D. Cole, 33˚, SGIG

Secretary/Treasurer Illustrious and Most Worshipful William F. Perdue, 33˚, IGH

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Illustrious William M. Keyser, IGH - President

Richmond Valley Scottish Rite Friends Dinner and Auction By Bro. Herbert G. Turner, KCCH

The Richmond Valley, Orient of Virginia, recently held its 4th annual Scot-tish Rite Friends’ Dinner and Auction (SRFD). The event began in 2010 with a committee trying to find its way as we worked to establish a major fund raiser to benefit the Richmond Valley Childhood Language Center and the House of the Temple Preservation Fund. The committee was purposely limited to five mem-bers. A basic outline of the tasks necessary to stage the SRFD was developed. We then began to reach out to other Brethren of the valley for assistance. The first year was profitable however we quickly learned that our members were contrib-uting heavily to many Masonic charities and some found it impossible to increase their contributions by supporting the SRFD. By the end of the third year we truly began to understand the inclusion of “Friends” as used in naming the event. Local businesses that had not traditionally contributed to the Richmond Valley Childhood Language Center were contacted. Programs from the previous dinners were used as our advertising material. The response has been very positive. Previous year’s attendance averaged one hundred twenty three. With the outreach to “Friends” we registered two hundred twenty eight guests for this year event. The dinner patrons were greeted by our celebrity guest Miss Jaime Hughes, the reigning Miss Virginia United States. The SRFD is planned as a fun evening focused on the important task of raising funds for the Scottish Rite charities. One hundred champagne glasses are sold at twenty dollars each. Ninety-nine of the glasses contain a cubic zirconium with the lucky glass containing a 1/4 carat dia-mond. There is a silent auction preceding dinner which offers many unique items within the price range of everyone. After dinner we begin the live auction. Auction items range from donated antiques, items donated by local merchants and the al-ways popular three layer carrot cake and 8 foot replica of an East Coast light house. Those patrons who did not win items in the silent or live auction are given the opportunity to contribute via an appeal conducted by the auctioneers. It was heart warning to see paddles raised as $100, and $50 dollar contributions are re-quested. The final event of the evening is the announcement of the diamond win-ner. This year, after expenses, the valley raised approximately eighteen thousand dollars to be distributed to the Scottish rite charities. Plans for next year’s SRFD are under way. The planning committee meets monthly throughout the year to refine the many areas of responsibility associated with the staging and execution of this exciting “fun” fund raising opportunity.

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Summer Links to Literacy Program By Bro. Moring Gravitt, KCCH

Our Childhood Language Center’s Speech Pathologist and Audiologist had the particu-lar honor of presenting a Poster Session at the Annual Conference for the Speech, Language, and Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV). The session was held in March of 2013. A Poster Session is a program, or study, presented by professional peers in the field. It is literally present-ed in poster form. During the conference, Poster Sessions are scheduled at specific times and places.

During Poster Sessions, Speech Pathologists, Audiologist, and other professionals attend to learn about a study or programs. Professionals received continuing education credits for at-tending poster sessions. In order to present at one of these sessions, professionals must apply, and be approved to present at state conferences. Our RiteCare professionals did so and were ap-proved to present. This enabled our group an extra bonus, a discount on the conference registra-tion fee.

Richmond RiteCare CLC created the Summer Links to Literacy Program. This program was developed in house, using diagnostic tests and materials on hand and available to the Cen-ter. They identified a population of children having similar weaknesses. They performed testing, and implemented the Summer Links to Literacy Program consisting of defined and structured instruction, during a period of eight weeks. The multi-sensory program was designed to im-prove decoding skills through strengthening sound blending, segmentation, and discrimination of words. Group instruction targeted strategies to address the development of sound–letter asso-ciation for vowels, consonants, diagraphs, and beginning /ending blends. Orton - Gillingham based spelling rules associated with closed syllables were also used. Development of skills were addressed through individual instruction using evidence based software and phonological awareness training programs. One component of the program included parent training and the development of a resource manual.

Comparisons, of pre and post testing, documented the effectiveness of intervention strat-egies with the students who participated in the eight week summer program. Children made pro-gress in areas of spelling, sound blending, and in the speech/accuracy of reading printed words.

Armed with proper data, Richmond Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center produced poster graphs demonstrating improvements. The posters were printed to cover a 6 foot display board for the conference. These posters were used at the Poster Session.

The Summer Links to Literacy Program Poster Session was very well received by the professional peers attending. Area Universities took great interest in the session, as it is a pro-gram that could be replicated to garner similar results. This session was an impressive accom-plishment for our Richmond Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center.

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Seventh Degree

Provost and Judge By Ill. Jim Tresner, 33°, Grand Cross

The white of innocence and the red of guilt-less blood, wrongly spilled, are the colors of the apron and cordon of the Seventh Degree. The blood is that of the Master Architect who died rather than betray a trust. The white represents not only the purity of his life, but the purity of act and motive to which every Scottish Rite Mason should aspire. But then we have a gold key, an ebony box, a balance (or scales), and, in the center of the white lambskin apron, a red-trimmed pocket with a red and white rosette just below its opening. The key is to a box of ebony, seen in the Degree, which represents symboli-cally the human heart where, to quote Mackey, “are deposited the secret de-signs and motives of our conduct by which we propose to erect the spiritual tem-ple of our lives.” The pocket, legend tells us, holds the records of Solomon’s tribunal along with the plans of the Temple. Embroidered on the flap of the apron is a hand of justice holding a balance or scales. Here, as throughout the Scottish Rite, the balance serves as a symbol for two important themes, equilibrium and justice. The Degree reminds us that we should never judge the motives of others quickly, and we should avoid judging them at all if that is possible. The simplest reason is that we cannot truly know the motives of another; they are locked away in his heart. But the other reason is that we are very inclined to apply dif-ferent standards to others than to ourselves. We excuse our own actions on the basis that our motives are good (our heart is in the right place), but with others, we often say “It doesn’t make any difference why he did it, it was wrong.” The gold key, ebony box, and balance or scales combine to remind us of the great lesson of the Seventh Degree: each thought, each action, each dream, each virtue, and each vice become a part of the plan for our own Temple, our own life, no matter how tightly we may lock them in our heart.

Reprinted from Vested in Glory by Ill. Jim Tresner, 33°, Grand Cross and picture by Bro. Robert H. White, 32°

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2013 Orient of Virginia’s New Honour Men

Inspectors General Honorary

Knight Commanders of the Court of Honour

Alexandria – Michael Robert Aulicino Norfolk – Philip Jay Taylor, Sr.

Alexandria – Jorge Ignacio Franchi Portsmouth – Foy Alvin Greenwood, Jr.

Alexandria – James Arville Loudermilk II Portsmouth – Ronald W. Rowe

Alexandria – Michael Arthur Riley Richmond – Gray Wilfred Bradford

Danville – Edward Titus Conner Richmond – Jeffery Eugene Hodges

Lynchburg – Robert Roy Eckenrode Richmond – Edward Francis Swansey, Jr.

Newport News – Hassel Johnston Richmond – Percy Wootton

Newport News – Harold Cooley Joyner Roanoke – William Marvin Keyser

Norfolk – Peter Joseph Gordon Roanoke – William Anthony Parks, Jr.

Alexandria – Allen Dale Beckner Lynchburg – Raymond Thomas Heinrich Portsmouth – William Oscar Watson

Alexandria – David Benjamin Browning, Jr. Newport News – Steven Franklyn Dowd Richmond – Charles Thomas Batten

Alexandria – Keith Gregory Gawrys Newport News – William Wilson Green, Jr. Richmond – Harvey Lee Fleshman

Alexandria – Raymond Lee Lambert Newport News – Ryland Vincent Mundie Richmond – Daniel Louis Freye

Alexandria – Thomas Gayle Little Newport News – Patrick Craig Murphrey Richmond – William Robert Heltzel

Alexandria – Hector Nibaldo Mujica Newport News – Page Simpson Neale, Jr. Richmond – Terry Francis Hilton

Alexandria – Philip Niemann Rhodes Newport News – William Franklin Overby Richmond – Roy Michael Kenney

Alexandria – Richard Edward Saunders Norfolk – Lawrence Wayne Crocker Richmond – Robert Canter Puffenbarger

Alexandria – Howard Michael Sobel Norfolk – Christopher Winston Douglas Richmond – John Douglas Runnett

Alexandria – John Thomas Tillery Norfolk – Robert Paul Kaylor Richmond – Jeffrey Donald St Onge

Danville – James Leslie Hodnett Norfolk – James Horatio Pate Richmond – James Thomas Wadkins III

Danville – James Terry Ley Norfolk – Samuel Grant Welty Roanoke – Fredric Evans Dooley

Danville – Edgar Leroy Little, Jr. Norfolk – Phillip Lewis Williams, Jr. Roanoke – James Ernest Glovier

Danville – Fletcher Bangs Watson Portsmouth – Ney Calloway Austin Roanoke – Jasper E. Reynolds

Lynchburg – Kenneth Lee Frederick Portsmouth – Jeffrey Charles Flowers Roanoke – Robbie Lee Robinson

Lynchburg – William Bradley Gardner Portsmouth – Roy Allen Myers Roanoke – Robert John Rohrback

Lynchburg – Matthew Victor Gibson Portsmouth – Major Green Stephenson III

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Valley of Alexandria Valley of Danville

Valley of Lynchburg Valley of Newport News

Valley of Norfolk Valley of Portsmouth

Valley of Richmond Valley of Roanoke

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Valley of Alexandria

Stated Meetings on the 2nd Friday @ 7:30PM

Chartered October 1911

Ill. Edmund Cohen, IGH

Personal Representative of SGIG

Ill. David C. Morris, IGH Secretary

Bro. Oral M. “Neil” Marple, KCCH Treasurer

Ill. Norman A. Mayo, IGH Almoner

Masters of the Four Bodies

Bro. Jason W. Lotz, KCCH Venerable Master

Bro. Paul R. Evancoe, KCCH Wise Master

Bro. Michael R. Aulicino, KCCH Commander

Bro. J. Patrick Weyant, Jr., KCCH Master of Kadosh

Building Address: 1430 West Braddock Road

Alexandria, VA 22302 Mailing: P.0. Box 175 Alexandria 22313

Office: 703.998.9904 Fax: 703.778.2804

[email protected]

Office Hours Monday through Friday

10AM till 4PM

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Valley of Danville

Stated Meetings on the 2nd Tuesday @ 7:30PM

Chartered May 1923

Ill. William A. Wells, Jr., IGH Personal Representative of SGIG

Bro. J. Terry Ley, 32° Secretary

Bro. Johnnie C. Dodson, KCCH Treasurer

Ill. Harold N. Wilson, IGH Almoner


Bro. Edgar L. Little, Jr., 32º Venerable Master

Bro. Ted K. Rice, KCCH Wise Master

Bro. James L. Hodnett, 32º Commander

Ill. Robert L. Warren, IGH Master of Kadosh

Building Address: 134 Tunstall Road

Danville, VA 23601 Office: 434.793.9805

Fax: 434.793.9805

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2418

Danville, VA 24541-0418

E-mail: [email protected]

Valley of Lynchburg

Stated Meetings on the 2nd Friday @ 7:30PM

Chartered

October 1920

Ill. Lonnie L. Godfrey, IGH Personal Representative of SGIG

Bro. Robert R Eckenrode, KCCH Secretary

Bro. Jimmy P. Carter, KCCH Treasurer

Bro. Benjamin F. Smith, KCCH Almoner


Bro. Ken Frederick, 32º Venerable Master

Bro. Mark Smith, KCCH Wise Master

Bro. Matthew A. Gibson, KCCH Commander

Bro. Obediah A. Martin, 32° Master of Kadosh

Knights of St. Andrew

Bro. Nate Lacy, 32° Venerable Master

Building Address:

214 Lemon Drive Lynchburg, VA

Office: 434.385.4103

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 521

Lynchburg, VA 24505


Page 21

Valley of Newport News

Stated Meetings on the

4th Wednesday @ 7:30PM


Ill. Jack L. Smith, IGH

Personal Representative of SGIG

Ill. Adrian “Pete” Eure, IGH Secretary

Ill. Gerald E. Burks, IGH Treasurer

Bro. Harold C. Joyner, KCCH Almoner


Ill. Danny O. Belott, IGH Venerable Master

Bro. Harris T. Luscomb, KCCH Wise Master

Ill. George A. Hollingsworth, III, IGH Commander

Ill. Jimmy C. Willis, IGH

Master of Kadosh


Bro. Page S. Neale, 32° Venerable Master

Building Address: 65 Saunders Road

Newport News, VA 23601 Office: 757.599.6617

Fax: 757.599.0021


Office Hours Monday-Wednesday and Friday

between 9AM and Noon

Valley of Norfolk

Stated Meetings on the

3rd Thursday @ 7:30PM

Chartered December 1874

Ill. Carlton L. Gill, Jr., IGH Personal Representative of SGIG

Ill. T. Dudley Myers, IGH Secretary

Ill. Donnie E. Baines, IGH Treasurer

Ill. Shepherd W. McClenny, IGH Almoner


Bro. Joseph L. Stocks, KCCH Venerable Master

Ill. Shepherd W. McClenny, IGH Wise Master

Ill. Aaron S. Zeno, IGH Commander

Bro. Ralph M. Clark, KCCH Master of Kadosh


Bro. Samuel G. Welty, 32° Venerable Master

Building Address: 7001 Granby Street

Norfolk, VA Office: 757.489.1076

Fax: 757.489.1742


Office Hours Monday thru Friday

9AM till Noon

Valley of Portsmouth

Stated Meetings on the 1st Monday @ 7:30PM

Chartered

October 1955

Ill. J. R. “Jack” Goodwin, IGH Personal Representative of SGIG

Ill. W.H. ‘Andy’ Anderson, IGH Secretary

Bro. Franklin D. Edmondson, KCCH Treasurer

Ill. Franklin D. Peters, IGH Almoner


Bro. Foy A. Greenwood, KCCH Venerable Master

Ill. Charles J. Whitmore, IGH Wise Master

Ill. Terry L. Wilburn, IGH Commander

Bro. Ronald W. Rowe, KCCH Master of Kadosh


Bro. John Brown, 32° Venerable Master

Building Address: 3401 Cedar Lane P.O. Box 7276

Portsmouth, VA 23707 Office: 757.484.2930


Office Hours

Monday thru Friday 9AM till 1PM

Page 22

Valley of Richmond

Stated Meetings on the 4th Monday @ 7:30PM


Ill. John R. Quinley, IGH Personal Representative of SGIG

Ill. Robert W. Carpenter, Jr., IGH Secretary

Ill. Mack T. Ruffin, III, IGH Treasurer

Ill. Clarence E. Whitley, IGH Almoner


Bro. V. Stuart Cook, KCCH Venerable Master

Bro. Daniel L. Freye, 32° Wise Master

Bro. Herbert H. Eades, Jr., KCCH Commander

Bro. Daniel L. Rose, KCCH Master of Kadosh


Bro. Willem H. Hacken, 32° Knight Commander

Building Address: 4204 Hermitage Road

PO Box 9136 Richmond, VA 23227 Office: 804.264.2050

Fax: 804.261.0071


Office Hours

9:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. on M-Th

Valley of Roanoke

Stated Meetings on the 2nd Tuesday @ 6:00 PM


Ill. James M. Scearce, Jr., IGH Personal Representative of SGIG

Bro. David H. Dew, KCCH Secretary

Bro. Robert J. Rohrback, 32° Treasurer

Not Currently Assigned Almoner


Bro. John F. Hartsock, KCCH Venerable Master

Bro. Warren W. Schmid, KCCH Wise Master

Bro. William A. Parks, Jr., KCCH Commander

Bro. Thomas E. Purves, KCCH Master of Kadosh


Not Applicable

Building Address: 622 Campbell Avenue, S.W. Roanoke, VA 24016-3597

Office: 540.343.6666 Fax: 866.266.4990


Office Hours Monday thru Thursday 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

www.mastermason.com/roanoke_aasr/

By Brother Cy Kramer, 32° Valley of Danville

Documents

Virginia Light/Sept 2013