2009 Winter Bulletin Reduced

Official Organ of the United Supreme Council, 33Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry

Prince Hall Affiliation

Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, Inc.



Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, Inc.

Winter 2009 Vol. 1

The Winter BulletinThe Winter BulletinPublished by the Cathedral; Washington, D.C.

Sovereign Grand

Commanders Message

Passages

The Doctor Speaks

New Sovereigns

Break It On Down

Portriats Unveiled

Sovereign Grand

Commanders Allocution

123rd Annual Session

Commentary

Historical Session



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Sovereign Grand Commanders

Message

MyIllustriousBrothers:Asalways, IpraythatGodhasbeengraciousuntoeachofyou. Remember,ourfirstdutyistohonorandobeyAlmightyGodandliveaccordingtoGodsImmutableLaws.During the past year ninetyfive of ourdistinguishedBrotherscrossedoverinhomegoingsandnowresideinthatcelestialkingdomonhigh.I was deeply saddened at the passing of mymentor,ourbelovedSovereignGrandCommanderEmeritus Edgar Bridges, Sr. Notably SovereignGrand Inspector General Howard L. Woods(Arkansas) and Grand Inspector General (Dr.)Emerson Walden, MD (Maryland) departed ourranks. Dr. Walden often assisted our MedicalDirector and team. They as well as all of ourBrotherswereandarelovedbyus.Holdontothememoriesandrememberwepromisedandsworeinourobligationstocarefortheirwidowsandthatthisdutyisnevertobetakenlightly.Wepromised;weswore.DuringourOctober2009session,SovereignGrandInspectorGeneralAlvinK.Wilkins,Sr.waselectedGrand Minister of State for our United SupremeCouncil. We congratulate him and those GrandInspectors General who were coroneted asSovereigns.Theyarelistedinthisedition.Wearegrateful for theirpastserviceand look forward toworkingwiththeminthefuture.WecannotthankSovereign Grand Inspector General EmeritusWilbur F. Fernander enough for his many yearsservice.ThankyoubrotherFernanderandmayourGodcontinuetoblessandkeepyou.In my allocution (printed in this edition) I haveexpressed my concern about discord within ourmasonicfamilyandmyhopeforreconcialiation.IhaveissuedacallforunitythroughoutourPrinceHallfamily.Wemustbeunitedandworktogetherat every level if we are to remain strong. Ourexistencedependsuponitforunityisstrength.

Thisisnotatimetolayblamebutatimetoworktogetherforthebettermentofall.Ihavedirectedour Illustrious Minister of State to implement aseriesofwrittenpamphletstoensureopeningsandclosings of our several houses are uniformthroughout our Supreme Council Orients andValleys. Wewillpublish themas fastaspossible.This is essential for growth and education, andmustbeaccomplishedwithasenseofurgency.Finally, thank you for your dedication, zeal andsupport during the past year. We could not andcannot do itwithout you. Remember, We areonlyasstrongasourweakestlink.

GodandMyRight.DEARYVAUGHN,33oSovereignGrandCommander

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S.G.I.G. DEARY VAUGHN, 33

SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDER

S.G.I.G. MARVIN CHAMBERS, 33

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Prince Hall Affiliation Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. , Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

1924 - 14th Street, Northwest 1924 - 14th Street, Northwest - Washington, D.C. 20009-9998 - Washington, D.C. 20009-9998

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TO: SovereignGrandCommanderSolomonWallace,LieutenantGrandCommander Jones,ElectedOfficers,SovereignGrand InspectorsGeneral,OfficersandMembersof thisUnitedSupremeCouncil,MostWorshipfulGrandMasters, tothe leadershipoftheGeneralGrandConferenceofRoyalArchMasons,theGeneralGrandCouncilofRoyalandSelectMasters, theGrandEncampmentofKnightsTemplar, theAncientEgyptianArabicOrderNoblesof theMysticShrine,SublimePrinces,andtoguestsoneandall,GoodMorning.INVOCATION:FirstgivinghonorstoAlmightyGodCreatoroftheUniversethankingHimforallthegreatthingsHehasdoneandaskingforHisblessingaswedeliberateduringthissession.Eachyearasweassemble,missingfacesremindsusofourmortality.YesterdayeveningwepausedintributetothoseIllustriousSirswhohavecrossedthegreatdivide.Thelistislongeverynamecalledstruckapersonalcordwithsomeoneinthissession.Thelisthasnoend,forevenaswespeaknamesarebeingaddedtotheroll. Wehavesufferedagreat loss inthepassingofourbelovedmentorandleader,SovereignGrandCommanderEmeritusEdgarBridges,Sr.Weknowthatthenatureofthingstellsusthatsomeofuswillnotbeherenextyear.GodisgraciousandHehasgrantedeachofushereanothersunrise.Wecherishthisday,buttomorrowisnotpromisedthereforewemustalwaystaketimetothankHimforthelifeHehasgivenus.Becauseweknownotthetimeorplace,itisoursolemndutytomakethemostofwhatevertimewehaveleft.Welearnedearlyon toneverenter intoanygreatand importantundertakingwithout first invoking theaidofDeity. Asour IllustriousGrandPriorcomesforwardtoleadustotheThroneofGrace,IwantourGrandOrganisttoleadusinsongaswepraiseGod.Followingthesong,ourIllustriousGrandPriorwillleadusinprayer.AndletusprayforthoseBrothersandSisterswhohavegoneonbeforeusletusprayforthewidowsforthefamilies,andletusprayforourselves,thatwhatwedoinourdailyliveswillbepleasingtoAlmightyGod.Donotforgetthosethousandsofmenandwomeninuniformwhoareoverseasindangerousplacesinservicetousandtoournation.IwanttobrieflyspeaktoyouthismorninginthehopethatduringthecomingyearwewillbeofOneMind,OneHeartandOnePurpose.AswecelebratethisTriannualSession,IamremindedofFrankieBeverlyssong,WeareOne.InhissongheremindsusthatWehave our love,andnomatterhow itssaidordone,weareonenomatterwhatwedoweareonelovewillseeusthroughandweareoneandthatsthewayitis.Americaisindeeptrouble.IwishIcould tell you the StateOfOurNation is soon to recover,but the sad truth iswe are facing somedifficultmonthsaheadevenyearsbeforerecovery.AsweexaminetheSTATEOFTHENATION,itisimportantthatweasapeoplebeofOneMindamindthattellsus,tolovethyneighborasthyself.ThismeanswemustnotbedividedasanationasweseeksolutionstoAmericasproblems.ThestateofournationalandworldeconomyhasbeenandisespeciallyhardonminorityAmerica andminorities all over theworld. BlackAmericans represent a large partof theunemployed.AmericansaresufferingforeclosuresonourhomesstudentloanstoeducateourchildrenareextremelyhardtocomebymillionsofourcitizensarewithouthealthcareAmericacontinuestoincarcerateminoritiesdisproportionately.Asour incomedecreasesbasedon inflation, theprices for food,medicine, gasoline and services continue to rise. TherichestnationintheworldcanspendtrillionsonwarsinIraqandAfghanistan,butCongressionalleadersdonotwanttocreateahealthcareprogramtotakecareofourowncitizens.Grandmausedtosay,Charitybeginsathomeandthenspreadsabroad. Corporationsarecontinuingtosendrawgoodoverseastobeassembledthussavingthemmoney inmanufacturingcosts,yetstillsell thoseproducts tousathighprices. Theycontinue tomoveoperationsoverseas toescapeourtaxesandtohirelowwageemployeesratherthanhireAmericans.WearestillnotsatisfiedwiththewaytheVeteransAdministrationistreatingourveterans.Ourretirementsavingsand401Kmonieshavedisappeared.Where

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didthemoneygo?HowisitthatAmericaworkingclassAmericalostmostofoursavingswhilecorporateCEOsstillgethugebonuses?Someofusintheblackcommunityaredoingwellandprobablyinsixfiguresormore.Butthetruthiswearenotdoingwelluntilallofusaredoingwell. Thisdoesnotmeaneverybodyshouldbe insixfigures. ButwhenAmericanswork all their lives and pay taxes and Social Security, all our liveswe should be entitled to healthcare,education,safeneighborhoods,andasecureanddecentretirement.Weareanationincrisis,butweareanationthathaswithstoodmanystormsandchallenges.WemustbeofOneMindanationunitedinoureffortsandwemustletour voices be heard. If Congress continues to bicker and argue,wemust adopt amindset to change the face ofCongressthroughourvote.WemustsupporttheprogramsofPresidentObamanotbecauseheisblack,butbecauseheisthePresidenttryingtobringchangeforthegoodofAmerica.Wemustletourelectedleadersknowhowwefeelandwherewestandonissues.TheNAACP,Rev.AlSharpton,TavisSmileyandBillCosbycannotdoitalone.Wemustadd our voices to theirs. Call your leadersemail them and for those of youwho are not computer smartyourgrandchildrencansendtheemailforyou,butwemustspeakupnow.LetthemknowwewantthemtostopbickeringinWashingtonandcometothetableandcraftahealthcarebillwhichwillbegoodforallAmericans.ItdoesnogoodforustolookbackandcastblameonPresidentBush,VicePresidentCheneyoranyoneelse.Itdoesnotmatterhowandwhenwearrivedatthissadstate. What is important ishowwearegoingtoturnthingsaround. IfyouhaveneverwrittenyourCongressmanorUSSenator,nowisthetime.Theaddressissimple.Writehisorhertitleandname,Washington,DCandZipCode20001itwillgetthere.Last year I spoke to youabout themythwewere tellingour children for yearstelling them they cangrowupandbecomePresident.Themythisnowtruth.Ineverdreamedthatinmylifetime,IwouldseeamanorwomanofcolorasPresidentof theUnited StatesofAmerica. This countrywasbuiltwith the callousedhandsofminority citizens andimmigrantsWorldWarswere fought andwonwith the spilled blood ofAmericans ofmany different races, ethnicbackgroundsandreligiouscreeds. Roads,bridgesandbuildingshavebeenerected inthesweatofthemeltingpotofAmericans. Atevery level inoursociety,contributionsofblackAmericansareevident. WearepresentonthetenniscourtsandtheSupremeCourtandtousesomeofJesseswordswearepresentfromthewarehouse,smokehouse,pumphouseandouthousetotheWhiteHouse.Wearepresentandmovingaheadinsocietysarena,butallofthisisoflittle importance unlesswe use our influence and strength as a people to supportwhoever is in theWhiteHousebecauseAmericamustnotfail inoureffortstorecoveroureconomy. Wecando it ifweareofOneMindandalsoofOne Hearta heart dedicated to doing everything we can at every levelworking in our neighborhoods andcommunitiestofurtherthePresidentsaimsandgoals. Donot listentoformerLieutenantGovernorMichaelSteeleofMarylandlisten to the voiceof your conscious and listen to the voiceof theman at1600PennsylvaniaAvenue inWashington.Rememberthewordsofthatchampionforcivilright,SenatorTedKennedy.Keepthedreamalive.IstandheretodaytotellyoutheSTATEOFPRINCEHALLMASONRYisonshakygroundandweneedtoshoreupourfoundation. We have a proud history fromAfrican Lodge 459 to the present. Down through the ages therewereelementsdevotedtodestroyingPrinceHallMasonry. TallCedars inourforestsustainedourfraternity. WillardAllen,JnoG.Lewis,AmosT.Hall,ThurgoodMarshall,JosephL.H.Smith,BookerT.Alexander,X.L.NealandPrinceHallandahostofothersdevotedtheirlivestoourfraternity.OurfraternitysurvivedsomeverydifficulttimestimeswhensocietydidnottrustustomeetinsecrettimeswhenPrinceHallMasonswereaccusedofplottingagainstsocietytimeswhenwewereaccusedofbeingacultandplottingagainstourchurchesandmore importantly,timeswhenour leadersofthepastwerethevoicesagainstbigotryandinjustice.Externalforcestriedtodestroyus,butweprevailed.Ourleadersofold leftusa legacybuiltoutofdeterminationanddignity. Andnowwe fightwithin. Toborrowthewords fromafamouscomicstripfromsomeyearsago,Ihaveseentheenemyanditisus.Letmesaythatagain,Ihaveseentheenemyand it isus. Howmuch longerwillwe seediscord,distrust,discontentanddisharmonywithinour fraternalfamily?AgainIappealtotheheadsofallournationalfraternalbodiestheleadersofourGrandJurisdictionsandtheShrinetocometothetableandreestablishourunityofOnePurpose.ThediscordweareexperiencingisdetrimentaltothegrowthandfuturewelfareofallPrinceHallfraternalbodiesandtheimpactofthatdiscordisbeingfeltateverylevelandineveryhouse.Ourstrengththroughtheageshasalwaysbeenourunitynotournumbers.TheSTATEOFSCOTTISHRITEMasonry is indeedaffectedbythediscordwithinourMasonicfamily. OurmembershiptraditionallycomesfromBlueLodgeMasons.FormanyyearstheshrinesmembershiphastraditionallycomebywayofThirtysecondDegreeMasonsandFourteenthDegreeKnightsTemplar. Nowthissystem is in jeopardy. Ihopeandpray that all our difference can be resolved peacefully andmeaningfully through dialogue and not byway of legal

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actions. Ihavesaidbefore,the lifebloodofourfraternalfamily isourabilitytoattractyoungmenandyoungwomenand inducethemtojoinourranks. Wehave learnedthroughtheyears,thatthebestwaytoaccomplishthis isbytheexamplewesetandnotbywhatwesay.Ouractionsmustspeaklouderthanourwords.Wearebeingwatchedandthepicturewepaintapicture reflecting internalstrife is theworstexamplewecanshow. Threeyearsago IpennedaletteroutliningthedutiesandresponsibilitiesofaGrandInspectorGeneral.TotheClassof2009,youwillfinditinyourClassBook.ReaditshowittomembersinyourConsistory.Wemustholdourselvestohighstandards.Thoseofusinthis chamber areherebecausewe love freemasonryit is inourhearts. We areofOneHeart. Wemust conductourselveswithdignity. Dotherightthings inprivateaswellas inpublic. Rememberoneofourpurposes istomakegoodmen better. We can accomplish this aswe search for divine truth and aswe extend our hands to help ourfellowman. Wemustcontinue tobeapositive influence throughoutourcommunitiesasweseekways tobetter theconditionofmankind.Asalways,Imustremindyouofourdutytovisitthesickandshutin. Takecareofourwidows. Iaskyoutodothreethingsnothing newnothing difficultI am asking you to Lead, to beDedicated and to be Committed. Lead byexamplenotsimplywithinourfraternity,butleadwithinourcommunitiesandespeciallywithinourchurches.Thisistheabsolutebestwayto impressandteachouryouth. Letyourconductandhabitsspeakforyou. YouacceptedthemantleofleadershipwhenyouacceptedtherankandtitleGrandInspectorGeneral.Staydedicated.Maintainyourzealfortheinstitutionoffreemasonryandworktoeliminatediscordanddisharmony.Strivetobeapartofthesolutionandnotapartoftheproblem.WorktostrengthenourBlueLodgesandactivelyparticipateinallhousesinwhichyouholdmembership.Sustainyourcommitment.Saywhatyouwilldoanddowhatyousay.Ourwordmustbeourbond.Staystronginthefaiththatourfraternitywilllast.HelpitsurviveandgrowbybringinginanewmembereachMasonicyear.Participateinmeetingsnotsimplytobetherebutparticipateasaworker.Themoreyouwork,themorepleasureyouwillhave.Rollupyoursleeves.Aswedepart fromthissession, letusreturntoourrespectiveConsistoriesandreinforcethetheme:One Mind,OneHeartandOnePurpose.Beofonemindaswelaborinthepursuitofgoodandthedestructionofevil.Wehaveoneheartandthecauseofhumancondition isourcause. Thebrotherly lovewhichcementsusbindsourheartstogether.WeareofonepurposeservicetoAlmightyGodandtoourfellowman. JohnWesleyremindsusofourpurposewiththesewords:

AchargetokeepIhave,aGodtoglorify,

aneverdyingsoultosave,andfititforthesky.

Toservethepresentage,

Mycallingtofulfill;Omayitallmypowersengage

TodomyMasterswill!

Iamtrulygratefultoallofyouforthesupportyouhaveshownmethisyear.IthasbeenaverydifficultyearfortheVaughnfamily.Wewillneverbeabletoadequatelyexpresstoyouhowthankfulweareforyourcards,prayersandtheoutpouringofsympathytohelpusduringthedevastatinglossofourgrandson.Thankyousomuchforcaring.Continuetoprayforusthatwewillbeabletoenjoyafewmoredaysandthatwewilldotherightthings.AsIcloseIwantyoutoponderthisthought,someonesaid,Itisnotwhatwegetinthislife,butitiswhatwegive.ThankyouandIpraythatourHeavenlyFatherwillcontinuetoblessourUnitedSupremeCouncilandeachofyouindividually.DEARYVAUGHN,33oSovereignGrandCommander

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Elected Officers

The Winter Bulletin

Illustrious William O. Jones, 33

Lieutenant Grand Commander

Illustrious Alvin K. Wilkins, 33

Grand Minister of State

Illustrious Gilbert S. Reddings, 33

Grand Treasurer General, Holy Empire

Illustrious Marvin D. Chambers, 33

Grand Secretary General, Holy Empire

Illustrious Wilbert M. Curtis, 33

Grand Auditor General

Illustrious William A. Marsh, Jr., 33

Grand Attorney General

Illustrious Benjamin L. Hooks, 33

Grand Prior

Illustrious Deary Vaughn, 33

Sovereign Grand Commander

Illustrious Ralph Slaughter, 33

Grand Chancellor

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United Supreme Council, 33o

Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Prince Hall Affiliation,

Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

The United Supreme Council Elected Officers

2009 - 2012

God and My Right

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Passages

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In Memorium

Edgar Bridges, Sr., 33o Sovereign Grand Commander Emeritus

August 12, 1918 September 7, 2009

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Edgar Bridges, Sr., 33o

Sovereign Grand Commander Emeritus

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Edgar Bridges, Sr., Illustrious leader and mentor to thousands crossed over the calm sea of life on September 7, 2009 destined to take his rightful place in the presence of Almighty God. He fought the good fight; he funished his course. Our beloved Brother came into this world on August 12, 1918 in Mississippi to proud parents Kelly and Bessie Lewis Bridges. He knew God and Christ at an early age and embraced the teachings of the Holy Bible throughout his life. His faith never wavered. Many of us are old enough to know that as we travel our faith journey, we sometime encounter people who leave a lasting imprint on our lives. Through our interaction with them, we become stronger, more spiritual and sometimes wiser. Brother Bridges was such a man. He touched many lives and mentored thousands. He was a man of great character and dignity and carried himself in a way that set the example for Sisters and Brothers, not only within the masonic family, but throughout society at large. To some extent, he was a self-educated man who learned from people and was endowed with tremendous common sense. His passion for education and community service was always evident and he worked tirelessly, not only within his community, but throughout the world spreading the message that we must help others. Brother Bridges knew that one of his purposes in life was to help and support those in need, and he knew that when he emptied his cup, helping those in need, God was ever faithful in re-filling the cup. He attended a number of educational institutions: Lawrence County Public Schools, Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute, Waterman School of Technicians (Mobile, AL) and Pacific Training School (Los Angeles, CA.) He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Religious Education and Theology, and studies in Systematic Theology from Mississippi Baptist Seminary.

He was a man of remarkable courage as exhibited during and before the civil rights movement. He traveled the dangerous roads of Mississippi in the fight for equality. He sought change for a better America and had a vision that one day, schools would be desegregated. He epitomized the words of Dr. King, He was a Drum Major for Justice. His masonic career is unparalleled. He served as Lieutenant Grand Commander, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction and later as Sovereign Grand Commander providing leadership and guidance to thousands of Grand Inspectors General and Sublime Princes, throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. To sit and listen to him was to learn, for he was a great teacher who was uncanny in his ability to simplify lifes lessons. He devoted many years service to the Most Worshipful Stringer Grand Lodge, F&AM (PHA) of Mississippi in numerous leadership positions and subsequently as Most Worshipful Grand Master. He was Grand Joshua Emeritus, Heroines of Jerico and he was a distinguished member and Lecturer for the Odd Fellows of America. He was a devoted family man. His wife, Willie Mae Newman Bridges and son Thad S. Bridges, Sr. preceded him in death. However, his legacy lives on through his sons, Alvin, Carvin, Edgar, Louis and Amos and daughters Erma, Golda, Eleanor, Carolyn, Ann and Betty as well as through thirty-nine grand-children, fifty great-grand-children and two great, great-grand-children. We loved him dearly and we will be telling his story for many years to come. Masons throughout the world join with his family, his friends and his community in celebrating his crossing the great divide. The winds will slowly erode his footprints in the sands of time, but his imprint on our lives is indelibly etched in our hearts and minds. Farewell Edgar Bridges, Sr., Servant of God.

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Rev. Howard L. Woods, 33o Sovereign Grand Inspector General

And I heard voices from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. It has been said that the one certainty in life is death. Each of us must return to the dust from whence we camewe know not the time or place. So it was that Gods faithful servant Reverend Howard L. Woods crossed-over to receive his heavenly reward on January 2, 2009. Brother Woods was born to Chester A. (Sr.) and Irene Elizabeth Colding Woods on February 2, 1931 in Natural Springs, Arkansas. He was reared in Chicago and graduated from DuSable High School and attended Philander Smith College. Upon his return to Little Rock, Brother Woods eventually united with St. Paul United Methodist Church. He discovered that he had been gifted with a voice and something to say, which led him to the ministry. He was a teacher, speaker, lecturer, and last but not least, a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Following his retirement as a Purchasing Agent with a realty firm in 1993, he continued his ministry and served faithfully at St. Paul as the Associate Pastor. He served on numerous boards and commissions, notably as Chair, Arkansas State Police Commission and as Troop Chair, Boys Scouts of America. MWGM Woods distinguished himself as a Mason among Masons and leader having served as Most Worshipful Grand Master for the

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas, Prince Hall Affiliation. He was a Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the United Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., and served as Grand Orator. In addition he was a Past Master, Past District Deputy Grand Master, Past Grand Secretary, Past Eminent Commander, Past Eminent Grand Commander and a Past Potentate. He was an Honorary Past Grand Master in five JurisdictionsOklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas and Florida. He was a walking Whos Who and Encyclopedia in Freemasonry. He truly spent his daypart in prayer, part in labor and part in serving a friend or Brother in time of need and his hands being an engineer were always prompt to execute the design. Brother Woods was a man possessing great wisdom and he was extremely tactful when interacting with Sisters and Brothers. Sisters and Brothers, far and near, join his family in lamenting his crossing. We are in prayer with his wife, Tollye Woods, sons, Simon and Michael, daughters, Anne Lorri, Neva, Michelle, Zana and Robin and his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Macklin, seventeen grandchildren, eighteen great-grand-children and many relatives and friends. We have lost a Brothera giant in Freemasonry which should kindle within us a spirit of gratitude and respect and we should strive to imitate the virtues of his mind and heart and keep his memory a pleasant remembrance. Freemasonry does not sit in judgment of the departed; however, one of Freemasonrys greatest divine attributes teaches us that one great lesson, that even if we have judged, we should at all times remain silent for the true motto of the Craft is, Audi, Vide, Tace (Hear, See and be Silent.) Brother Woods taught us this valuable lesson by example. We are convinced that Sovereign Grand Inspector General Ho ward L. Woods has earned a rightful place in that Celestial Kingdom on high. May he enjoy his heavenly rewards and bask in the light, bliss and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

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123rd Annual Session - Washington, DC

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Washington, District of Columbia

Washington Capitol Hyatt Capitol Hill

Dateline, Washington, D.C. Friday, October 9, 2009. I

arrived by air as did others. I encountered SGIG Charles

Davenport (South Carolina) and we rode to the hotel

together. We seem to always meet in the airport each year as

we come to the sessions. It was a very nice day in

Washington with a slight breeze blowing and a clear sky.

Upon arrival at the Capitol Hyatt, SGIG Willie Rucker, Jr.,

(Texas) Transportation Coordinator was busy assisting

Sisters and Brothers. The Rev. Dr. Paul Lowe (North

Carolina) was also outside greeting arrivals. SGIG Hubert

L. Reece (Texas) as usual, had done a remarkable job

coordinating rooms with the hotel staff, There were a few

minor glitches. All-in-all registration was fairly swift and

the hotel staff was very accommodating and courteous. The

hotel lobby was full as Sisters and Brothers used this time to

greet old friends, meet new one and get a bite to eat.

Unfortunately, one hotel cannot accommodate all of us and

Sisters and Brothers were registered in other hotels, but

many came to the Hyatt to fellowship.

Saturday, October 10, 2009. Sisters and Brothers

continued to arrive throughout the day. SGIG Dr. Allen

Stewart (Mississippi) President Of our Charitable

Foundation convened a meeting and presented a very

comprehensive report detailing our charitable contributions

for this year. A lot of things were ongoing at the same time.

SGIG Calvin Miller, II (Alabama) was organizing the Class

of 2009. SGIG Dr. Ulysses W. Watkins, Jr. (Texas) and his

medical team were medically screening Brothers. Don't

even think about what it would cost if we were to

compensate these fine doctors for their services.

To Dr. Watkins and the staff, thank you for what you do to

accommodate us. Class presidents were busy informing and

organizing class reunions. The Sovereign Grand Commander

convened an Executive Session. The Saturday night concert

was more than we anticipated. Ms. Dorothy McClung Lewis,

from Mississippi, billed as The Songbird of the South,

presented songs in a vibrant voice that is truly a gift from God.

Some of her songs were reminiscent of her childhood.

Sovereign Grand Commander Vaughn heard her on one of his

visits to Mississippi and invited her to come to our session.

What a treat. She was given a standing ovation and was

followed by the Howard University Chorus which was as

expected, near flawless. Brothers and Sisters continued well

into the night visiting hospitality suites.

Sunday, October 11, 2009. The morning began with

breakfast for Actives, the Northern Jurisdiction, the Shrine

Delegation and invited guests. The second Executive Session

was held prior to church services. During the Sunday

morning worship service, Rev. Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks

(Tennessee) the Illustrious Grand Prior gave us a soul-

stirring sermon. A special treat was that Ms. Dorothy

McClung Lewis sang with the Scottish Rite Choir. The

Illustrious Grand Minister of State, SGIG Alvin K. Wilkins,

Sr., (Korea) conducted a special elevation for the special

dignitaries of the United Supreme Council following church

services. Also during the afternoon, SGIG Wilkins, assisted

by members from the Orient of Korea, unveiled beautiful

portraits of three of our beloved deceased Brothers--Amos T.

Hall, Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Charles H. Wesley. More is

said about them in this issue. SGIG Wilkins Assisted by ?

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123rd Annual Session - Washington, DC ContinuedThe Winter Bulletin

SGIG William J. L. Crisp (Maryland) and GIG Robert H. Taylor (Maryland) conducted an Educational Symposium which was well received as indicated by numerous favorable comments. As usual the Divine Service on Sunday evening was sad but inspirational as we heard the names of those who have gone on before us. Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr. (AME) delivered a stirring sermon befitting the occasion.

Monday, October 12, 2009. We began breakfast very early but after having visited several hospitality suites on Sunday night, I had some difficulty with early rising and I am reasonably sure and probably right in suggesting some Brothers were in the same sleepy-headed mode as I. Nevertheless the breakfast was hosted by Most Worshipful Grand Master, David A. McWilliams, Sr., host Grand Master, MWPHGL of the District of Columbia. After breakfast the United Supreme Council convened in full ceremonial. Following the reception of various delegations and dignitaries and remarks, because of time constraints, Sovereign Grand Commander Vaughn decided to forgo his allocution and directed that it be included in its entirety in this edition of the bulletin. The Thirty-third Degree - We immediately prepared for degree work and The Edgar Bridges, Sr. Class of 2009 was escorted into the chambers where the Thirty-third and last degree was conferred upon them by a degree team from the Samuel T. Daniels Council of Deliberation, Orient of Maryland. This was the highlight of Monday's session. The team was headed by GIG Michael B. Allen, First Lieutenant Commander, Maryland COD. It was evident the team prepared quite well. They did a superb job and their Grand Master, MWGM Shelton D. Redden, Illustrious Lieutenant Grand Commander Emeritus and the Illustrious Deputy for Maryland, SGIG LeRoy A. Lassiter were beaming with pride. I was also extremely proud since several members of the degree team were my protgs during my years in Maryland prior to moving to North Carolina in 2003. The Sovereign Grand Commander expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the degree team and commended them for a job well done. He then issued the challenge for other Orients to step-up with a team p r e p a r e d t o c o n f e r t h e T h i r t y - t h i r d d e g r e e .

California has conferred the degree several times and this was the first time for Maryland. Obviously California and Maryland are ready and prepared to again confer the degree. Following another Executive Session, we then prepared for the evening banquet. The ladies were in their finery and the Brothers did not look bad either. One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement by the Sovereign Grand Commander of Deputy of the Year. This honor and distinction was garnered by the Illustrious Deputy for Louisiana, SGIG William Moore, Jr. We congratulate you Illustrious Sir. The Edgar Bridges, Sr. Class of 2009, led by their class leader, GIG Sanchez A. Briscoe (North Carolina) presented a sizable donation to our Charitable Foundation. In addition to remarks

By MWGM McWilliams, MWPHGL of DC, MWGM Kwami Acquash, AF&AM of DC, Sovereign Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, AASR, Sovereign Grand Commander, John Wm. McNaughton, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, AASR and our own Sovereign Grand Commander Solomon Wallace, Northern Jurisdiction, PHA, spoke briefly.

Four Sovereign Grand Commanders were assembled together. This was an historical first. Wow!! Renown U.S. Congressman John Lewis (Georgia) addressed the banquet audience. We were also honored to have with us during the banquet U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. (Georgia) and U.S. Congressman Al Green (Texas) both whom I was able to talk with after the banquet. All three congressmen are Thirty-third Degree Masons with the degree having been conferred upon Congressman Lewis during this session. It was an enjoyable evening for all and a fitting culmination of a very long day. Tuesday, October 13, 2009. The Council reconvened during the morning and Sovereign Grand Commander Vaughn called for reports from committees. Some Sisters and Brothers had already departed but there was still a very sizable crowd attending the morning session. Sovereign Grand Commander Vaughn expressed his gratitude for the support given him during the year and especially thanked all dignitaries for

rdjoining us during this 123 Annual Session. He especially thanked Sovereign Grand Commanders Seale, McNaughton, Wallace and the Imperial Potentate, Oliver Washington, Jr., AEAONMS, Inc., and national heads of other masonic bodies for their support. We then closed the session with our Chain of Union. Conspicuously absent was our beloved Brother, Illustrious Grand Minister of State, Emeritus, SGIG Wilbur Fernander (Florida.) Sir, we miss you and wish you well and God speed. (SGIG William J. L. Crisp)

United Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction Sessions Schedule

Year Dates Place

2010 October 8 12 TBA

2011 October 7 11 South Carolina

2012 October 5 9 Washington, DC

2013 October 11 - 15 North Carolina

2014 October 10 - 14 Texas

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An Historical Session

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The 123rd Annual Session was unlike any other in the history of our United Supreme Council. For the first time in the history of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, four Sovereign Grand Commanders were together in Washington, D. C. Just prior to our annual session, the Sovereign Grand Commanders, Northern and Southern Supreme Councils, The Honorable John Wm. McNaughton , Northern Masonic Jurisdiction and The Honorable Ronald A. Seale , Southern Masonic Jurisdiction invited and hosted our Sovereign Grand Commanders, Illustrious Solomon Wallace and Dr. Deary Vaughn at their session. All four distinguished leaders were present throughout our 123rd Annual Session. Our distinguished visitors from across the aisle, were warmly received including their wives. Sovereign Grand Commanders Vaughn and Wallace expressed their profound pleasure and gratitude that freemasonry is changing and someday we will realize a masonic family wherein barriers such as race and color will no longer matter. Sovereign Grand Commander Seale spoke of us coming together from all walks of life. He stated that although we have come together there are still questions to be answered, alluding to existing division which we must overcome to realize full and total acceptance by all subordinate bodies. It is enough to say the wall is coming down, slowly but surely. Sovereign Grand Commander McNaughton told the class they are the future of freemasonry and it is an honor to be a mason. Both Sovereign Grand Commanders Seale and McNaughton pledged and generously donated to our Charitable Foundation.

It was also mentioned and noted that there will be a conference in Canada convened sometime in the next year in which all Sovereign Grand Commanders the world over will attend. Sovereign Grand Commanders Seale and McNaughton extended invitations to our Sovereign Grand Commanders to join them during this forthcoming conference. Sovereign Grand Commanders Vaughn and Wallace graciously accepted the invitations. More History - Welcome from Two

Grand Masters We were more than happy to have the host Grand Master, Most Worshipful Grand Master David A. McWilliams, Sr., Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, P.H.A., officially welcome us to the District of Columbia. Most Worshipful McWilliams was with us throughout the session. Again another first occurred during our banquet. In addition to Most Worshipful Grand Master McWilliams officially welcoming all to the banquet, Most Worshipful Grand Master Kwame Acquaah, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of the District of Columbia also brought greeting and welcomed us in behalf of his Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. To our knowledge, Most Worshipful Grand Master Acquaah holds the distinction of being the first black person ever elected Most Worshipful Grand Master of an AF&AM Jurisdiction. He is an attorney and originally hails from Gyana. Yes the walls are slowly but surely coming down. (GIG Robert Taylor)

Portraits of our Leaders

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Several years ago, theCouncilofDeliberation,Korea, embarked upon a monumental task ofpreserving the history of our United SupremeCouncil,SouthernJurisdiction,bycapturingourpastleadersinoilpaintings.Ouraimisnotonlyto preserve our history, but to enhanceunderstandingandappreciation forwhatthesegreat men did not only for freemasonry, butwithintheircommunitiesandournation. Eachof our past leaders has a history as bravepioneerswhowere unwilling to settle for thestatus quo and who worked tirelessly anddiligently to change America from a nation ofsegregation and Jim Crowism into a nationwhereinmenandwomenof color couldenjoyequalopportunitiesandequalrights.Wefeelitis important to preserve our heritage andsustain our linkage to our glorious anddistinguished past. While I am no longer theIllustriousDeputyforKorea,IdosincerelyhopetheCouncilofDeliberation,Koreawillcontinuethishonorableandnobleprojectand continueto appreciate thisproject as a laborof love.Priortoour123rdAnnualSession,wepresentedsixportraits toourUnitedSupremeCouncil. Iwillnotendeavortoexpressthehistoryofeachfor their accomplishments and dedicatedservicetotheScottishRiteandFreemasonry ingeneral would require hours. While we havenot captured or unveiled Sovereign GrandCommander Dr. Willard Wallace Allen, wewouldberemiss ifwedidnotremindyouthatDr. Allen holds the distinction as the longestserving Sovereign Grand Commander havingheld theposition from1929untilhisdeathonOctober2,1961. Dr.AllenalsoservedasMostWorshipful Grand Master of Maryland forthirtyeightconsecutiveyears.Sovereign Grand Commander Jno GideonLewis, Jr., followed Dr. Allen and served fromOctober1961untilhispassingonApril1,1979.HewasalsoMostWorshipfulGrandMasteroftheMostWorshipfulPrinceHallGrandLodgeofLouisiana for many years and was often

describedasTheMasonsMason. SovereignGrandCommanderLewiswas regarded inveryhighesteemthroughoutthePrinceHallfamily.The Illustrious IsadoreHuddlestonClayborn,asLieutenant Grand Commander, succeededBrotherLewisasSovereignGrandCommander.He was also Most Worshipful Grand Master,Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge ofTexas. SovereignGrand Commander Claybornserved inthiscapacityfromApril1979untilhispeacefulandfinalrestonApril4,1994.Hewasa strong and forceful leader with greatcompassionandempathy.As Lieutenant Grand Commander, SovereignGrandInspectorGeneralSamsonJuliusBennettsucceeded Sovereign Grand CommanderClayborn and served as Sovereign GrandCommander from April 1994 until his eternalrest in 1999. Like his predecessor, BrotherClayborn, he also served as a Grand MasterMost Worshipful Grand Master, MostWorshipfulPrinceHallGrandLodgeofAlabama.In 1999, Sovereign Grand Inspector GeneralEdgar Bridges, Sr. transisted from LieutenantGrand Commander to Sovereign GrandCommander, upon the death of our belovedBrother S. J.Bennett. He servedas suchuntilOctober 2003. He too was a distinguishedGrandMasterof theMostWorshipful StringerGrand Lodge of Mississippi, P.H.A. He was afreedom fighterand traveled the rural roadsof Mississippi, at a dangerous time in ourhistory,oftenputtingthewelfareandsafetyofhisfamilyatriskforcivilrights.InOctober 2003, our current SovereignGrandCommander, SovereignGrand CommanderDr.Deary Vaughn, succeeded Sovereign GrandCommanderEmeritusEdgarBridges,Sr. Muchcanbe saidaboutDr.Vaughnandhismasonicjourney,buthislegacyisstillbeingwritten.

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Portraits of our Leaders Continued

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In addition to the five Sovereign GrandCommandersabove,webelievedthatSovereignGrand Inspector General James AlexanderMingos many years service as our IllustriousGrand Secretary General of The Holy Empirewarranted special recognition and so wehonored along with our distinguishedSoverweign Grand Commanders. BrotherMingo followed Dr. Charles H. Wesley asSecretary General and served under twoSovereign Grand CommandersSGC Jno G.Lewis, Jr. and SGC I. H. Clayborn. JamesAlexander Mingo went to higher ground onSeptember3,1993.During our 123rd Annual Session, we unveiledthree additional portraits of Scottish Riteleaderswho left their lasting imprintuponourfraternityandwhoareandwillcontinue tobeadmiredandrespectedformanyyearstocomeby masons far and near and citizens of ournation.

Dr.CharlesH.WesleyIt was our distinct honor and privilege topresent Dr. Charles Harris Wesley, PhD. Dr.WesleywasanotedAfricanAmericanhistorian,educator,writerandauthor. Born inLouisville,Kentucky,hegraduated fromFiskUniversity in1911.HewasawardedagraduatefellowshiptoYalewherehewaited

ontablestoearnhisboardwhilecompletinghisMasters Degree in 1913. He received hisdoctoratefromHarvardandacceptedapositionatHowardUniversitywhereheservedasDeanoftheLiberalArtsCollegeandsubsequentlyasDean of the Liberal Arts Graduate School. In1942 he became President of WilberforceUniversity (now Central State) from 1942 to1947 then as President of Central State from1947 until 1965 when he ended his teachingcareer. Dr.Wesleywas the fourteenth and afive term General President and NationalHistorian for seven decades of Alpha PhiAlphathe first Greekletter fraternityestablished for AfricanAmericans. As one ofthe nations most eminent black scholars, hewrote numerous works that broke ground inpreserving black history. His doctoraldissertation,NegroLabor in theUnitedStates1850 to 1925: A Study in American EconomicHistory, was considered the first scholarlyexamination of the black labor force in theperiod after slavery. Published in 1925, theNew York Times called it a valuablecontribution to the economic history of theUnitedStates.Dr.WesleywasanordainedministerintheAMEChurch and Presiding Elder of the AMEChurches in Washington, D.C. He was also acandidate for Bishop. He was a Prince HallMason in the Jurisdiction of the District ofColumbiaandamemberoftheUnitedSupremeCouncil,SouthernJurisdiction,ScottishRite.Heauthored several books on Prince HallFreemasonry, including Prince Hall: Life andLegacy and wrote a dozen books on blackhistory. In1974,at theageof82,Dr.Wesleycame out of retirement to become the firstDirector of the AfroAmerican Historical andCultural Museum in Philadelphia. Dr. CharlesHarris Wesley accepted his reward of eternallifeonAugust16,1987inWashington,D.C.andis buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery,Suitland,Maryland.

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JudgeAmosT.HallRenownPrinceHallMason, Lawyerand Judge,AmosT.HallbecameoneofOklahomasmostsignificantcivilrights lawyers. BornOctober2,1896 in Bastrop, Louisiana he was educatedlocally and graduated from Rust College inMississippi and Gilbert Industrial College inBaldwin, Louisiana before moving to Tulsa,Oklahoma in1921. Whileworkingasachurchjanitor,heacquiredanoldsetoflawbooksanddeveloped an interest in law. He became aJustice of the Peacewhich did not require alawdegree,andcontinuedtostudylawatnight.Aselftaught lawyer,hepassedthebar in1925and was admitted to the Oklahoma BarAssociation and the Tulsa County BarAssociation. Although softspoken, he was adynamic advocate and articulate trial lawyer.AstheattorneyfortheOklahomaAssociationofNegro Teachers, he led the fight for equalsalaries for teachers via the case, Freeman v.Oklahoma City School Board, 1948. He wasvery active as a member of the NAACP andservedastheattorneyfortheOklahomaNAACPandwas Presidentof the TulsaNAACP. For anumberofyearshe servedasattorney for theStateConferenceofBranchesoftheNAACPandasamemberof theNational LegalCommitteeof the NAACP. Brother Hall was appointedSpecial Judge,DistrictCourtofTulsaCounty in1969. In 1970 he became the first AfricanAmerican elected to a judicial position inOklahoma.

Judge Hall was very active in Prince HallFreemasonry and served as Most WorshipfulGrand Master, Most Worshipful Prince HallGrand LodgeofOklahoma from1941 to1971.HewasapioneerwhodispatchedPrinceHallFreemasonry abroad by establishing lodges inGermany, Korea and Alaska. In April 1963,WorshipfulMasterErnestW.Armstrong(PHMLNo. 140) wrote a letter to Sovereign GrandCommander Jno G. Lewis requesting aConsistory in Germany. The Sovereign GrandCommander granted the request and in April1963 sent Lieutenant Grand Commander,SovereignGrandInspectorGeneralAmosT.HalltoGermanytoconfertherequireddegreesandconstitute Prince Hall Military Consistory No.304.Judge Hall was very active in his churchMorningStarBaptistChurchofTulsaand laterin theFirstBaptistChurchofNorthTulsa. Forhispublic serviceofmore than forty years,hereceivedmany honors and citations from civicorganizations including honorary doctoraldegrees from Wiley College and LangstonUniversity.Thisquiet,peacelovingandhumblemanwasaleaderinthefightfordesegregation.JudgeAmoT.Hallwent tohis final rewardonNovember 12, 1971 in Tulsa. Hewould havebeen impressed by the list of distinguishedcitizenswhoattendedhisfuneral.PresentwereU.S. SupremeCourt Justice ThurgoodMarshall(oneofhisclosestfriends)RoyWilkins,NationalDirector, NAACP, Oklahoma Govenor, TheHonorableDavidHall,and theMayorofTulsa,The Honorable Robert LaFortune among themorethanfifteenhundredwhocametomournhis death, extol his memory and hear theseventyfiveyearoldjuristeulogized.Intribute,Justice Marshall said, He led the fight (fordesegregation)hereandaround thecountry inthedayswhen itwasa littleroughandtosaya little rough is putting it mildly. It takesstrengthtostandupquietly,lawfully,peacefullyandsay, Iwillnotbemoved. Iamgoingdownthatroadandnobodysgoingtostopme.AmosT.Halldidjustthatandhecarriedsomanywithhim.

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JusticeThurgoodMarshallWe were delight to pay tribute to ThurgoodMarshall(thegrandsonofslave)whowasborninBaltimore,MarylandonJuly2,1908.Earlyonhisfatherinstilledinhimanappreciationfortheconstitution and the rule of law. After highschool in 1925, he followed his brother toLincoln University in Pennsylvania. Hisclassmates included a distinguished group offuture black leaders such as poet and authorLangston Hughes, the future President ofGhana, Kwame Nkrumah and musician CabCalloway. In1930heappliedtotheUniversityof Maryland Law School but was deniedbecause he was blackan event that was tohaunt and direct his future professional life.ThatsameyearhewasacceptedintheHowardUniversity Law School and was influenced byDeanCharlesHamiltonHouston. ParamountinHoustonsoutlookwastheneedtooverturnthe1898 SupremeCourt ruling,Plessyv. Fergusonwhich established the legal doctrine separatebutequal. His firstmajor case came in1933when he successful sued the University ofMaryland to admit a young AfricanAmericannamed Donald Gaines Murray. Author H. L.Mencken lauded him and at the same timechidedtheUniversitysdenialofblacksintothelaw school as brutal and absurd. Thurgoodfollowed his Howard University mentor(Houston) toNewYorkand laterbecameChiefCounsel for theNAACP. During thisperiodhewasaskedbytheUnitedNationsandtheUnitedKingdom to help draft the constitutions of

emerging nationsGhana and what is nowTanzania.After amassing an impressive record ofSupreme Court challenges to statesponsoreddiscrimination, including Brown v. Boarddecision in 1954, President John F. KennedyappointedMarshalltotheU.S.CourtofAppealsfor theSecondCircuit. Whileon this courthewrote over one hundred and fifty decisions.Biographers Michael Davis and Hunter Clarknoted that, none of his ninetyeight majoritydecisions was ever reversed by the SupremeCourt.By 1948 Marshall was well known and wasdeeply involved in a series of cases to helpblacks gain admission to law schools in TexasandOklahoma. Theseeffortshademptied thetreasury of the NAACP. Amos T. Hall, theNAACP lawyer in Oklahoma, was President ofthe Prince Hall Conference of Grand Mastersand suggested to Marshall if he joined thelodge,he(Hall)couldgetsomemoneyforhim.Hejoinedandfromthenonreceivedsubstantialcontributions from theMasons. Hebecame astaunchmason and supporter of Freemasonryand receivedmanyawardsover theyears. HewascoronetedanactivememberoftheUnitedSupremeCouncil,SouthernJurisdiction,ScottishRite inOctober 1951. In 1961,when hewasappointedaFederalJudge,hewasalsoelectedGrandMinisterofStatefortheUnitedSupremeCouncil, Southern Jurisdiction. In 1965President Lyndon Johnson appointed JudgeMarshallU.S.SolicitorGeneral. Inthiscapacityhe successful won fourteen of the nineteencaseshearguedbefore the SupremeCourtonbehalfof thegovernment. In1967hebecamethe first AfricanAmerican appointed as anAssociateJustice,UnitedStatesSupremeCourt.Hewasa champion for justiceanda voice forvoiceless Americans and a man of greatsensitivity toward racial injustice. AssociateSupremeCourt JusticeThurgoodMarshall,oneofthegreatestjuristofthiscentury,closedhisbookoflifeonJanuary24,1993.(SGIGAlvinK.Wilkins,Sr.)

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Constitutional Matters

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Constitutional Changes and Ritualistic Matters The Committee on Ritual and Ritualistic Matters is reviewing and addressing concerns, making corrections and making changes as they pertain to the ritual and ceremonies of the Rite. During the 123rd Annual Session, this committee presented some significant recommendations. One is the revision of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Consistory. Note there are no changes to the actual ceremony, but more definitive instructions on how to set-up and move about the Consistory. In additon, more information will be included in the revised pamphlet such as duties of officers and motions according to Roberts Rules of Order. The recommended revision was adopted and will be forthcoming soon. A dispensation was approved and issued for a Consistory and other houses in Iraq. We wish our Brothers in arms well and pray this Consistory will grow. Remember to keep praying for the safety of our Sisters and Brothers serving in harms way. Another recommendation which was adopted is that the bible will be open in all

AASR Houses during the opening and conferring of all degrees. Research by the committee revealed that by direction of Sovereign Grand Commander I. H. Clayborn, the late Rev. (SGIG) Howard L. Woods had previously researched and provided biblical scriptures for each house and these scriptures were accepted and approvel by Sovereign Grand Commander Clayborn. They were published in the United Supreme Councils Quarterly in 1981. The following biblical scriptures will be used in all Orients of the United Supreme Council, 33o, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA: Lodge of Perfectio n 2 Chronicles, Chapter 3, Chapter of Rose C roix Isaiah, Chapter 53, Council o f Ka dosh Isaiah, Chapter 6:8, Consistory John, Chapter 15:13. Official notification of adopted changes will be forthcoming from the office of the Illustrious Grand Secretary General and this information should be passed to all AASR bodies in all Orients. (SGIG A. K. Wilkins, Sr.)

Annual Educational Symposium

Each year during our annual session, we conduct an Educational Symposium. We present lectures pertaining to Scottish Rite and time permitting, answer questions from the floor. We present topics of historical and philosophical relevance to the Rite and Freemasonry. This forum is open to all grades in the United Supreme Council and we encourage all to attend. While some members may feel this forum is only for the class, I assure you this is not the case. (SGIG A. K. Wilkins, Sr.)

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Editorial Staff

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Efforts of worthy Sublime Princes, Grand Inspectors General and Loyal Ladies

We are more than willing to highlight efforts of worthy Sublime Princes, Grand Inspectors General and Loyal Ladies who have distinguished themselves through community service and other significant endeavors. We do ask that you channel your articles and pictures through your Illustrious Deputies. Please caption pictures on the reverse sides or at the bottom if transmitted via email. We, the staff do reseve the right to edit articles, but we will always endeavor to maintain the context and content befitting our Illustrious Brothers and Sisters accomplishments. We prefer you email articles and pictures to us at [email protected] or [email protected] or mail to William J. L. Crisp, 3804 Sunchase Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28306, and when in doubt, call me at (H) 910-864-1669, (C) 910-818-5892.

The Bulletin Staff

Printed twice each year by The United Supreme Council, 33o

of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry,

Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

Editor-in-Chief: Ill. Deary Vaughn, 33o Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Ill Alvin K. Wilkins, Sr, 33o

Senior Editor and Staff Writer: Ill. William J. L. Crisp, 33o

Assistant Editors: Ill. Marvin D. Chambers, 33o Ill. Robert H. Taylor, 33o Ill. Michael B. Allen, 33o

Pictorial Editors: Ill. Alvin R. Kirk, 33oand Ill. Danny A. West, 33o

The United Supreme Council, 33oof the

Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Prince Hall Affiliation

Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America

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New Sovereigns

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Congratulations New Sovereigns On Saturday, October 10, 2009, The Illustrious Grand Minister of State, Sovereign Grand Inspector General Alvin K. Wilkins, Sr., (Korea) assisted by several Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, in ceremony coroneted two Grand Inspectors General to the rank and title Sovereign Grand Inspector General (Active.) We congratulate Arvin W. Glass, Illustrious Deputy for the Orient of Tennessee and Pink J Garner, the Illustrious Deputy for the Orient of Kentucky. Also on Saturday, six Grand Inspectors General were coroneted to the rank and title Sovereign Grand Inspector General (Active Emeritus.) They are Charles L. Perkins,

Orient of Korea, Jessie Smith, Orient of Nevada, Dr. Donald R. Ware, MD, Orient of California, Dr. Jackson L. Davis, III, MD, Orient of the District of Columbia, Anthony Ackwood and Anthony Bowen, Orient of Oklahoma. On Sunday, October 11, 2009, the Illustrious Grand Minister of State coroneted Robert M. L. Walker and Wade Parham, Orient of North Carolina to Sovereign Grand Inspector General (Active Emeritus.) To each of you we offer our congratulations and hope that you and the members of your Orients are pleased with your distinguished perferment. We anticipate that you will acquit yourselves in demeanor and acumen befitting the rank and title bestowed upon you. (SGIG William Crisp)

New Deputies Appointed

During our 123rd Annual Session, SGIG Charles Alexander, Deputy for Missouri, recommended to the Sovereign Grand Commander that he be replaced. Based on SGIG Alexanders recommendation, the Sovereign Grand Commander appointed Grand Inspector General John L. Bogan, Deputy for the Orient of Missouri. To Brother Bogan, we congratulate you and pray that you will do well in your new assignment. We cannot possibly thank SGIG Alexander enough for his many years of dedicated service to our United Supreme Council. He has been a tremendous asset to his Orient but also a valuable contributing citizen to his state. Although he has stepped-down, we are confident he will still be a voice of reason. Thank you Brother Alexander for the man you are and for the example you set in conduct and character.

Sovereign Grand Inspector General Jessie Smith was appointed Deputy for Nevada. We have known Jessie for many years and we have always been impressed with his ability to interact quietly but forcefully with Sisters and Brothers. Congratulations Brother Smith. Sovereign Grand Inspector General Charles L. Perkins was appointed Deputy for the Orient of Korea. Brother Perkins now heads an Orient, primarily of military members and an Orient which will challenge him because of constant changes, as many of his members leave Korea for other military assignments. Although the constant rotation of Brothers ans Sisters presents unique problems, Korea remains a strong Orient. We congratulate you Brother Perkins. (GIG Robert H. Taylor)

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SGIG Wilkins was more than busy on Saturday and Sunday conducting degree work for a special class of distinguished persons and was ably assisted by GIG Gale M. Collins (North Carolina) and GIG Nicholas Padilla (Maryland) and others. Advanced to the Thirty-second degree were: George E. Dickerson, Sr., Jacob Gillison, Derrick A. Humphries, Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr. and Tim Smith. Following the advancement, SGIG Wilkins, in a special ceremony, elevated seventeen Sublime Princes to the rank and title of Grand Inspector General. Perhaps many of you will recognize names as some are well known within their respective Orients and even nationally. Elevated to the Thirty-third degree were: Illustrious John Lewis, U.S. Congressman, Georgia, Illustrious Barrington D. Scott, Illustrious Kenneth Brewer, Sr., Illustrious Monroe Murdock, Illustroius Carl Redus, Jr., Mayor of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Illustrious Jacob Gillison, Illustrious Derrick A. Humphries, former Attornye for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Illustrious Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the NAACP State Conference, North Carolina, Illustrious Mike Espy, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Illustrious Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., AME Bishop for Arkansas and Oklahoma, Illustrious Herman W. Young, Illustrious Louis Smitherson, Illustrious James V. Blake, Jr., Illustrious Tim Smith, Illustrious George E. Dickerson, Sr., Illustrious Dr. Ivan T. Moseley, Sr., PhD and Illustrious Dr. Robert P. Brissett, DPM. We congratulate each of you and hope you will associate with well informed Scottish Rite Masons in your endeavors to learn. Well done and well deserved.

The annals of the U.S. Congress are filled with contributions to our nation made by members of the Masonic Fraternity. Over the years Prince Hall Masons have played a prominent role. In recent years several Prince Hall Brothers have continued to serve our nation well. Among those in the 1990s have been Congressmen Jim Clyburn, South Carolina, John Conyers, Jr., Michigan, Al Green, Texas, Sanford Bishop, Georgia, Charles Rangel, New York, G.K. Butterfields, North Carolina, William Lacy Clay, Jr. and Emmanual Cleaver, Missouri just to name a few. As previously stated, during our 123rd Annual Session, Congressman John Lewis received the Thirty-third degree. GIG Lewis has a distinguished history. He was born the son of a sharecropper on February 21, 1940 outside Troy, Alabama and grew up on his familys farm and like many of us born to that era, he attended segregated public schools. As a youngster, he witnessed the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired him to become active in the Civil Rights Movement. He was active in demonstrations from Fisk University to the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. It is enough to say he has dedicated his life to equal rights and equal opportunities for all people. He was elected to Congress in 1986 and has served the people of Georgia and the nation continuously since then. John Lewis is a legend and we are more than proud to acknowledge him as a Prince Hall Brother. We thank you Congressman Lewis, for your unblimished service to the people of our nation. May God continued to bless you. (SGIG William Crisp)

Special Degree Work Conducted

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The Doctor Speaks

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SovereignGrandInspectorGeneralDr.UlyssesW.Watkins,Jr.,MD

IllustriousGrandMedicalDirectorandMinisterofHealth

FINDING A FAMILY PHYSICIAN

Eighty percent of the medical services needed by a family can be provided by a family physician. Annual medical examinations can give the physician vital information needed at the time of an emergency. If medical specialists and hospital care are needed, the physician can arrange for them. The detection and treatment of most diseases by the family physician can result in complete cures. Early diagnosis of a chronic health condition can save a persons life. The physicians knowledge of each family members health can save unnecessary treatment, time, money, and frustration. There are both reliable and unreliable sources of information about selecting a physician. The reliable sources include county medical societies, hospitals registered with the American Medical Association, and accredited local hospital departments. Medical schools, as divisions of accredited universities, can also assist in the selection of a physician. Unreliable sources of information may be rumors and listings in

telephone directories. Other sources of information include testimonials, quack doctors, and advertised amazing cures available on money-back guarantees. The fact that a person has a medical degree does not, by itself, mean that he or she is competent to practice medicine. First of all, a physician must have a valid, current license to practice. Second, physicians should be expected to observe the ethical standards of their profession, whether or not they happen to be members of local medical societies. Finally, in order to provide patients with the best possible care, a physician must continue to study and learn the most accurate scientific knowledge available and the most recent improvements in medical techniques.

PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS

All medicines are drugs under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Under this law, drugs are divided into two classes, prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. Prescription Drugs can be used safely and effectively only under a physicians supervision. It is a violation of federal law to sell such a drug without a prescription from a physician. Medical doctors and dentists are licensed to prescribe drugs for human use. Registered pharmacists fill prescriptions and a prescription is as personal as your name. It is designed for one person and is based on that persons age, height, weight, condition of health, illness, and other factors. No one should ever take a drug prescribed for someone else. When taking a prescription

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The Doctor Speaks (Continued)

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drug, you need to know: 1) How much to take each time, 2) How often and when to take the drug, 3) When to check back with your physician on the drugs effects, and 4) How to follow special instructions if the physician has any. The label of the prescribed drug also will give instructions. For example, the label may read, Take before meals. If the person thinks the prescribed drug is not doing what his physician intended, the person should check with the physician immediately. The original prescription may specify whether refills are permitted. If not, your physician should be asked whether the prescribed drug can be refilled. Over-the-Counter Drugs are safe and effective if used according to instructions on the label. These drugs can be sold legally without a physicians prescription. The law requires that over-the-counter drugs labeling which tells the person how to use the drugs for specific conditions and what to avoid. The label indicates the specific conditions for which the drug will bring relief. Also, the label tells you how to use it safely and when not to use it. Typical warning may be: Do not drive while taking this medicine, or, Discontinue use if rapid pulse, dizziness, or blurring of vision occurs. All labels should be read and followed exactly. The amount of the drug given to children differs from the amount for teen-agers and adults. Over-the-counter drugs are used for minor illness which lasts a short while. No one should become a steady user of over-the-counter drugs except at the physicians order. The most common over-the-counter drug is aspirin. Other over-the-counter drugs which are popular are drugs for colds, coughs, sore throats, and constipation. If you are in doubt about any over-the-counter drug, contact your physician.

HEALTH MISCONCEPTIONS There have been numerous research studies concerning health misconceptions of Americans. The number of health misconceptions is far greater than the average consumer may imagine. These misconceptions are the results of beliefs passed from generation to generation, claims made by faddist, misinformation obtained from various sources, fear campaigns sponsored by groups opposing efforts to improve community health, biased propaganda distributed by cultists, and publications prepared by persons not qualified to write on particular health problems.

MISCONCEPTIONS VITAMINS Taking vitamin pills will ensure

good health.

Vitamin pills can cure most diseases. If one vitamin pill a day is good, two

or three vitamin pills are better.

Vitamins need not be prescribed by physicians.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is stored in the body.

Potatoes have no vitamins. Vitamins provide the human body

with sufficient calories.

Vitamins rebuild blood. Vitamins take the place of iron in the

human body. (Summer Edition Quackery and more misconceptions)

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Orients on the Move - Virginia

The Illustrious Deputy for Virginia, SGIG George M. Ellis, Jr. and members of the VA COD accomplished a historic first in May 2009. Members of our PHA Scottish Rite and Scottish Rite Masons, AF&AM held a fellowship dinner at the Scottish Rite Temple in Richmond, Virginia to discuss future relations between the two entities. The occasion drew 110 participants with several guest speakers from both sides of the aisle. Speakers included GIG Robert Carpenter, General Secretary, GIG Robert C. Jacobs, KCCH, Venerable Master, GIG Malcolm R. Holley, Jr., Junior Warden, Lodge of Perfection, our own SGIG George M. Ellis, Jr. and SP Wayne K. Rachel, Sr., Commander-in-Chief of our Richmond Consistory 22A. Future meeting are expected to take place between the two Scottish Rite bodies. As expected, we were well represented by our Loyal Ladies and at the conclusion of the dinner, email addresses and telephone numbers were exchanged. Our Virginia COD consists of nine Consistories. Seven Assemblies comprise the State Grand Assembly. The Virginia

COD will hold its 85th annual session in March 19-22, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn, South Park Drive in Colonial Heights, Virginia. SGIG George M. Ellis, Jr. has served as the Illustrious Deputy since 2002. Great progress has been demonstrated in the Orient due to his leadership and innovative ideas. During our annual session in Washington, DC this past October, George announced he intends to step-down as the Illustrious Deputy following Virginias forthcoming session. He has recommended SGIG Michael Parris to be his successor. Our Illustrious Sovereign Grand Commander, Dr. Deary Vaughn has commented numerous times in praising Brother Ellis for the fine work he has done and for the progress made within the Orient of Virginia. The May gathering of Eagles and Doves is but another example of Georges dynamic leadership and how Virginia Scottish Rite Masons are working to further relations between the two Scottish Rite bodies. Yes, the walls are slowly but surely coming down. (GIG Robert H. Taylor)

GIG Robert C. Jacobs, KCCH, Venerable Master, SP Wayne K. Rachel, Sr., Commander-in-Chief of our Richmond Consistory 22A, GIG Robert Carpenter, General Secretary, SGIG George M. Ellis, Jr., and GIG Malcolm R. Holley, Jr., Junior Warden, Lodge of Perfection.

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Orient on the Move District of Columbia

A few years ago, the Sovereign Grand Commander decreed that each Orient must have a minimum of three Consistories. The Orients of England and the District of Columbia immediately began organizing additional Consistories. At the time of the decree, Washington, D.C. had one ConsistoryJohnathan Davis Consistory No. 1 and one Assembly--the Richard Howard Gleaves Assembly No. 2, OGC. The late SGIG Bert A. G. Overby, then Deputy for the Orient of D.C., successfully expanded his Orient in a very short period of time. In addition to Jonathan Davis Consistory, the Orient now has three additional ConsistoriesJames W. Banyard No. 11, Henry A. Dove No. 15 and Johnnie L. Doctor No. 18. Henry A. Dove Consistory was opened under the leadership of the current Deputy, SGIG Robert E. Wheeler. SGIG Wheeler also opened four Assemblies and constituted a State Grand Assembly, OGC. The S. Matthew Ellis State Grand Assembly, OGC consists of the James W. Banyard Assembly No. 11,

Henry A. Dove Assembly No.15, Edward E. Marshall Assembly No. 18 and of course the Richard Howard Gleaves Assembly No. 2. The S. Matthew Ellis State Grand Assembly, OGC celebrated their third anniversary in November 2009, and Sovereign Grand Commander Deary Vaughn visited with them. He was accompanied by the Illustrious Grand Treasurer General of The Holy Empire, SGIG Gilbert S. Reddings and the Illustrious Grand Secretary General of The Holy Empire, SGIG Marvin D. Chambers. The anniversary program was followed by a reception and cake cutting ceremony. The Sovereign Grand Commander was gracious in his praise and confidence in the Illustrious Deputy Robert E. Wheeler and the State Grand Loyal Lady Ruler, Ruth C. Smith. This was his first visit with this State Grand Assembly and he assured them he will return for future visits. (GIG Robert H. Taylor)

LtoR: GrandSecretaryGeneralChambers,Grand Treasurer General Reddings, SGLLRRuth C. Smith (DC) and Soivereign GrandCommanderDr.DearyVaughn

Visitation toDCStateGrandAssembliesDeputyRobert E. Wheeler with Council of DeliberationOfficersandCommandersinChief

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Special class elevated to 33 Grand Minister of State A.K. Wilkins and

Special Degree Team

Newly Coroneted Sovereigns Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr.

Sunday morning service

Scottish Rite Choir

with Ms. Dorothy McClung Lewis

Sunday morning service

Rev. (Dr) Benjamin L. Hooks

Divine Service

123rd Annual Session Pictorials

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Class of 2009 attend Divine Service Loyal Ladies and Guests

Divine Service

Divine Service

Grand Secretary General Chambers

calling the rolls of departed Brothers

L to R: SGC McNaughton, SGC Vaughn,

SGC Seale and SGC Wallace

Educational Symposium

SGIG William Crisp


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Educational SymposiumGrand Minister of State A. K. Wilkins, Sr.

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Receiving SGC Wallace and

Northern Delegation

Receiving SGC McNaughton Northern

Masonic Jurisdiction

Receiving Host Grand Master

MWGM David A. McWilliams, Sr. (DC)

and MW Grand Masters

SGC Vaughn preparing to escort

MW Grand Masters to East

MWGM Redden (MD) responds to

welcoming for Grand Masters

MWGM McWilliams (DC) gives

official welcome


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Welcoming

MWGM Acquaah, AF&AM (DC)

Remarks by SGC Seale Southern

Masonic Jurisdiction

Remarks by SGC McNaughton

Northern Masonic JurisdictionCongressman John Lewis (GA)

Congressman Sanford Bishop. Jr. (GA) Congressman (GIG) Al Green (TX)


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GIG Michael B. Allen (MD) and the

Maryland Degree Team that conferred o

the 33 Degree

Remarks by Class President

GIG Sanchez A. Briscoe (NC)

Ms. Dorothy McClung Lewis

featured performer during the

Saturday evening concert

GIG Robert H. Taylor Educational

Symposium presentation

Grand Minister of State A. K. Wilkins, Sr.

and members from the Orient of Korea

presenting portraits


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Rapt attention -Saturday Evening Concert

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Sovereign Grand Inspector General

William J. L. Crisp

Senior Editor and Staff Writer

BREAK IT ON DOWN

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The Ineffable Names of God

TheJewishCongregation,ShemaYisraelhas written a very thorough andcomprehensive article on, The NamesandTitlesofGod,someofwhichIhaveextracted and included herein. I thinkmost of youwill agree that in the lastthirty or forty years, societysknowledgeofGodhasdeclined. God isforbidden in our schools, in ourgovernmentagencies, inourbusinessesand inour communities. Idont knowwhere to lay the blame, but what isevidentisthatasourknowledgeofGodand the presence of God decreasedwithin our society, there appears tohave beenacorresponding increase incrime.Also,ifyouexamineouryouthasthey stroll through the shoppingmalls,we are able to witness moral decay.They exhibit little respect and humandignity.Remarkably, as we teach our children,our grandchildren and ourselves aboutGod, we can see changes in theircharacter as well as in own. Shema

YisraelSynagoguebelieves thatwe canbestlearnwhoGodreallyisbylearningGodsnamesasGodhasrevealedtousin theHoly Scriptures. God hasmanynamesandeachnamerevealsaportionof Gods character, such as strength,might, power, compassion and so on.Thisgivesusalittleinsightintowhyourancestors and our parents gave mygeneration biblical namesnameswhich had meaning. For example,MosesmeansthemanofGod.(Deut33:1.) Today,childrenhavenames likeJowanda.Whatdoesitmean?God has many names, but we havelearnedthatthetruename is ineffable.That is, Gods name is incapable ofbeingexpressedinwords,andaccordingtotheJewishfaith,Histruenameisnotto be uttered. The Jewish peoplestoppedsayingGodsnamebythethirdcentury AD. Thus the truepronunciation isno longerknown. Thetruewordwaslostsoundfamiliar?Our introduction into the Scottish RiterevealedtoustheIneffableDegrees4through 14. Each of these degreesteaches us important lessons, whichpointtoattributesincharacter.Eachofthese attributes such as fidelity (4thdegree) loyalty (6thDegree)honor, loveandhumility(8thDegree)canbedirectlylinkedandattributedtooneormoreofthemany,manynamesofGod.IntheTenach(OldTestament)Elohimisthe firstname forGod. InGenesis1:1,thethirdword(intheHebrewScripture)is, In the beginning Elohim (God)created theheavenand theearth. In

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the Hebrew Scripture, Elohim is usedmore than 2300 times to refer to theGod of Israel. The Hebrews oftencombined Elohim with other words todefine the different attributes of God.For example, Elohay Kedem God ofthe Beginning (Deut 33:27.) ElohayMishpatGodofJustice (Isaiah30:18.)Elohay KedoshimHoly God (Leviticus19:2 and Joshua 24:19.) Mostimportantly, Elohay Elohim God ofGods(Deut10:17.)El is another name for God. It is asimple form and relates to Elohim.When combined with other words,againattributesofGodas revealed. ElRahee The God Who Sees (Genesis16:13)meaningThePowerfulOne seesandknowsall.ElSaliGodOfMyRock(Psalm42:10)meaningTheMightyOneis my defender, my stronghold, myprotectorfromallattacks. ElShaddaiGod, The All Sufficient (Genesis 17:1.)Shadmeansbreast inHebrew. Thus,like a nursing mother, God completelynourishes and satisfies His people andtakes care of all our needs. Notice ineach of these examples given, I haveunderscored certain words which areattributesbelongingtoGod.Inthe13thDegree,weareinvestedwiththe Tetragrammaton. Therefore, withyour prior knowledge, I will simplyremind you that Tetragrammatonmeans The Four Letters because itcomes from letters in the HebrewalphabetY, H, V, H, which wewere directed to refer to simply asYHVH. YHVH isaname that translatesasLord.Itisusedapproximately7000times in the Tenach (Old Testament)and is the name most used than anyother name for God. The root of theTetragrammatonisthespecialmemorialnamethatGodrevealedtoMosesatthe

burningbush.AndGodsaidtoMoses,IAMWHO IAM, andHe said, thusyoushallsaytothesonsof Israel, IAMhas sentme to youthis ismy eternalnameandthisishowIamtoberecalledforallgeneration.(Exodus3:1415.)EventhoughthenameYHVHappearsinGenesis2,GoddidnotrevealHimselfasYHVHuntilGenesis 3. YHVH is from aHebrew verb meaning, to be. Thisemphasizes Gods absolute being, allreality, and all existence. Everythingelse derives its being from Him.Therefore,God(YHVHLord)isbeyondHis creation. Therefore, God (YHVH Lord) iswithoutbeginning andwithoutendbecauseHealways is. SinceGod isbefore thebeginning andwithout end,we understand how God is the AlphaandOmega.AlthoughsomepronounceYHVH as Jehovah or Yaweh, we nolongerknowthetruepronunciation.AsI earlier stated, the Hebrews stoppedsaying this name by the third centuryAD. for fear of mispronouncing Godsname and of violating thecommandment,Youshallnot take thename of YHVH your God in vain.(Exodus20:7.)AccordingtotheRabbis,the Tetragrammaton may not bepronouncedunderanycircumstance.Adonai (Adddoughnye) is anothername usually substituted in place ofYHVH. Again,whenYHVH is combinedwith other words the Lords differentattributes are emphasized. Forexample,YHVHElohimLordGod;YHVHYirehThe Lord Who Sees (Genesis22:14.) Adonai isall seeingandawareofourproblemsandourneeds. YHVHShalom The Lord Of Peace (Judges6:24.) Shalom means wholeness,completeness, peace. Adonai iscomplete in and ofHimself. Adonai isthe rabbinical substitute for the

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Tetragrammatonand translatesas MyLords. It is an emphatic form of theword Adon, which means Master orLord.We now understand the implicationsinherent in the several passwords orsacredwordsgiventousintheIneffableDegrees. Each of the degrees in theLodge of Perfection teaches usimportantlessonssuchasfidelity,honorand humility, to name a few. Fromtheselessons,perhapswecanconcludethat the overriding lesson is that thesubstitutenamesforGodaretoremindus to continuously try and cultivateGodlike attributes in ourselves. Eachtime we traverse the several degreeswithin the Lodge of Perfection, bemindful of: Adonai, Jehovah, Shekinah,JahHuaYevayShekinah,GaboraiKhayil,Alkhanan, Adonai, El Shadi, YHVH andAdonaiYHVH.The4thVerseofthe27thPsalmofDavidtellsus,OnethinghaveIdesiredofthe

Lord, that will I seek after; that I maydwell in the house of the Lord all thedaysofmy life,tobeholdthebeautyoftheLord,andtoenquire inhistemple.Seek ye the kingdom of God, myBrothersnow, inthis lifethatwemaycometoknowGodstemple. Theoverriding lesson in theLodgeofPerfectionisthatwemustforeverstrivetobeGodlike in our quest to become perfectbeings and that we are forevermarried to God and MUST liveaccordingtoGodsImmutableLaws.(Disclaimer: The text of this articlealthough compiled by me, is acomplilation of information gleanedfrom more than forty years inConsistory. It is intended to engenderthought and speculation and isinformation,someofwhichwaspassedon tome by sage and august Brothersand some gained by painstakingresearch..(SGIGWilliamJ.L.Crisp)

WinterBulletin2008QuestionAnswered

ThecoveroftheWinterBulletin2008askedreaderstoidentifytheportraitsonthecover.GIGWilliamC.E.Sayles(WE)correctlyidentifiedtheportraitsofSGCEdgarBridges,Sr.,SGCJnoG.Lewis,Jr.,SGCIsadoreH.ClaybornandSGCSamsonJ.Bennett. GIGSaylesalsoprovidedthedateseachofourdistinguishedleadersservedourUnitedSupremeCouncilasSovereignGrandCommander.CongratulationsGIGSayles.

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Commentariolum(Latin for Commentary)

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Millions of us sat home and watched the eulogy for Senator Ted Kennedy on television. We watched and admired the poise and grace of his wife Victoria as she held her composure at probably the most difficult time in her life. We watched his children as they witnessed the distinguished citizens and elected officials laud the accomplishments of Senator Kennedy. Then we watched as he was flown to our nations capitol for his congressional staff and others to say farewell. Much was said and printed about his many years in public service as a congressman and senator. For me, it was much more personal. Like many of you, I am old enough to remember the civil rights era and could not help but focus on Senator Kennedys life as a civil rights advocate rather than his legendary feats in Congress. His demise brought to mind that this was one of the most courageous men of my time. He lost his fight with cancer, but cancer did not conquer his spirit or his soul. During it all, I could not help but reflect on the Kennedy familys role in helping to fight for equal rights for all people. Even after the deaths of his brothers, Ted continued to sponsor legislation and speak-out contesting racism and bias whenever and wherever he saw it and heard it. He was forever steadfast in his belief that every American was constitutionally entitled to equal rights and equal justice. No other family in America has given as much as the Kennedy clan to change the face of America. As I watched the honor guard bringing his casket from the cathedral to the hearse, it was pouring rain and I thought, how fitting that a driving rain, like many obstacles placed in his path over the years could not stop him. More importantly, I thought here is a man who can never be replaced. I hope I am wrong and that God will give us another champion of his caliber.

Even in his last days, he continued his efforts on the national level. He was quick to voice his support and campaign for then Senator Obama. Now we are confronted with a disturbing trend. I believe President Carter was and is absolutely correct in his assessment concerning racism and bias toward President Obama. This gentleman knows the people of America. What is most disturbing is that there are millions of Americans, as well as members of Congress, who would rather see President Obamas economic programs fail than for America to successfully emerge from our recession. The opposition simply does not want him to succeed. The question is why? To me the answer is evidentracial prejudice. Never in our history have we seen such open disdain for a sitting President. Have you listened to the young lady on The View? She is in essence a poster child for the poisonous opposition. No matter how much it is denied, there is much resentment that a black family is in the White House. It is amazing that nations abroad have embraced President Obama and are willing to work with him on world affairs, while at home every decision he makes and every action he takes is unjustly criticized. The world is seeing the ugly side of America and nations are shaking their heads at the devisiveness which is evident in our society. January 2010 will mark his first year in office and already many are branding him a failure. Need I remind you he did not create the national debt. He did not start the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but he has accepted these challenges. Yet, plotting is already underway to oust him during the next elections. How will it end? I do not know, but I am just as afraid now as I was in the sixties. (SGIG Marvin D. Chambers, Grand Secretary General, The Holy Empire)

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The BulletinIssued from the Cathedral1924 14th Street, NWWashington, DC 20009

Non-Profit Organization

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PAID

WASHINGTON, DC

Permit No. 23

UNITED SUPREME COUNCILANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE FREEMASONRY

SOUTHERN JURISDICTION, PRINCE HALL AFFILIATION

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS - UNITED SUPREME COUNCIL

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2009 Winter Bulletin Reduced

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