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Photo: Charleston Convention and Group Services, Inc. |
By October 2, 2001, over 3,000 Brethren and guests had indicated they would participate in some part of that day's Scottish Rite observances at five bicentennial sites in Charleston, S.C., relevant to the history of our Order in that city. At each site, as noted in the article following, one or more Active Members of the Supreme Council made appropriate remarks or participated in the dedication of a Scottish Rite monument. These remarks, abbreviated for Journal presentation, are presented here.
St. Philip's Church
Ill. H. Douglas Lemons, 33°, Speaking
St. Philip's church was first erected at the corner of what were then Broad and Meeting Streets between the years 1681 and 1682. The first structure was made of black cypress placed on a brick foundation. Charles-Town, as Charleston was then called, evolved into a prosperous colonial city, and the need for a new church was realized. As early as 1711, authorities approved "a new church built of brick with a tower or steeple, and a ring of bells therein," but a decade later, the church was still incomplete. In December 1720, the Commissioners of Charleston passed a measure to raise money for the construction of the church. Curiously, at least from our modern standpoint, their method was a bit unusual. They placed "an additional duty of three pence per gallon to be laid on rum, and five pence per gallon on brandy and other spirits."
| Ill. H. Douglas Lemons, 33°,
S.G.I.G. in California and Past. Lt. Gr. Cmdr., addresses the
Brethren at the laying of a wreath outside the fenced cemetery
of St. Philip's Church where Illustrious Brother James Moultrie,
Sr., is buried in Charleston, South Carolina. Photo: Ill. John W. Boettjer, 33°, G.C. |
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When the new edifice rose at the head of one of the town's principal thoroughfares, the street became known as Church Street in its honor. In this church, on December 27, 1762, and again in December 1784, the Right Reverend Robert Smith presented to the Masons of Charles-Town a Masonic sermon, which he called "Charity Sermon for the Masons." The 1762 sermon is perhaps one of the earliest, if not one of the first documented, Masonic sermons of its kind presented in Charles-Town. The Right Reverend Smith established the College of Charleston and the Society for the Widows and Orphans of the Clergy, which still exists today.
Illustrious Brother and Reverend Frederick Dalcho, M.D., our second Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, was a member of the Society for the Widows and Orphans of the Clergy, where his name first appears in the October 3, 1818, meeting minutes of the Society. On Christmas Day 1805, Dr. Dalcho and Mary Elizabeth Threadcraft were married in St. Philip's Church. Also, during the summer months of 1814, Illustrious Brother Frederick Dalcho officiated at St Philip's Church as Rector until a new Rector could be found to fill the vacant spot left by an untimely death.
Aside from Illustrious Dalcho, our second Sovereign Grand Commander, being married in St. Philip's and serving briefly as its Rector, this historic place of worship has a second tie to our Rite. You will find the grave of Illustrious Brother James Moultrie, Sr., in the graveyard of St. Philip's Church. Illustrious Moultrie, a Founder of the Supreme Council in 1801, later served as Grand Secretary General and Acting Lieutenant Grand Commander. It should be noted that Dr. Moultrie was the only native Carolinian among the Founders and, with Dr. Isaac Auld, the only American-born Founder of the Supreme Council. Like Illustrious Dalcho, Brother Moultrie was a prominent medical doctor in Charleston and an early member, the 28th, of the South Carolina Medical Society. In December 1804, he was elected President of the South Carolina Medical Society. Also, like Doctors Dalcho and Auld, he gave his services freely to the Charleston Dispensary serving the sick and needy. The Supreme Council recently placed a large marker over Illustrious Moultrie's grave near the entrance to St. Philip's.
Shepheard's Tavern
Grand Commander Kleinknecht, 33°, and Ill. H.
Wallace Reid, 33°, Speaking
Grand Commander: The corner of Church and Broad Street in Charleston, South Carolina, where we stand today, is a very special site. Here stood Shepheard's Tavern, one of Charleston' oldest and most historic buildings. Its image is etched on the slanting top surface of the granite monument we dedicate today. First, let me note that a tavern then is not what we call a tavern today. In addition to being a place to share warm fellowship, good food, and a brimming glass, Shepheard's was a civic meeting place. Here, men of every type—plantation owners, local merchants, professional men, day laborers—met and exchanged the news of the day. They shared opinions on important events and formed plans to benefit Charleston's business and community life. Charleston's first Chamber of Commerce and Post Office were housed in Shepheard's Tavern. The inn was also noted for theatrical performances as well as for political and social programs. During the American independence movement, for instance, Shepheard's Tavern was a meeting place for patriots and is described in histories of South Carolina as "a hotbed of revolution." It was truly a hub of Charleston's urban life, a center where important men met and important events took place.
To the Freemason it has special significance. The Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of South Carolina was founded here in 1737. Also, the Supreme Council, 33°, of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry was first opened here on May 31, 1801. Since it was the very first Supreme Council founded, it became known as the Mother Supreme Council of the World and now has nearly 60 Sister Supreme Councils around the globe. Today, we mark, with this beautiful Masonic memorial, the very spot where Shepheard's Tavern stood and where our Supreme Council was born. In doing so, we honor the Eleven Gentlemen of Charleston who had the insight to establish an Order known round the world today for its love of freedom and its eternal warfare against ignorance, intolerance and injustice.
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Grand Commander Kleinknecht
looks on as Ill. H. Wallace Reid, 33°, S.G.I.G. in South
Carolina, dedicates the Scottish Rite monument placed by the
Supreme Council at the site of Shepheard's Tavern, Charleston,
South Carolina, birthplace in 1801 of the Scottish Rite in America. Photo: Bro. George J. Stoklas, Jr., 32°. K.C.C.H. |
These 11 Master Masons, whose names are inscribed upon this marker, were men of varied talents, religions, and backgrounds. That diversity, which continues in our Rite today, has contributed greatly to the success of our Fraternity. They felt it was man's duty to labor to improve himself intellectually, morally, and spiritually that he might contribute in some way to making the world a better place in which all men could live in peace and harmony. Today we say thanks to them, and we are grateful that they could meet together on this special site to form our first Supreme Council.
Inspector Reid: It seemed proper in planning our Bicentennial Biennial Session that we would visit this special place, and the Bicentennial Subcommittee members felt it appropriate that some type of marker should be placed here to identify this important historical site. Once proper permissions were obtained, a committee consisting of Ill. Bros. Herb Goldberg, Robert M. Brunson; Hank Witt, and Irving Seyle was formed. Together, these dedicated Brothers did the legwork in getting the marker ordered and in place. To all, I thank you on behalf of the Supreme Council for your support, your encouragement, and your participation in this significant ceremony. Now, acting with the authority of Sovereign Grand Commander Kleinknecht, I will dedicate this noble Scottish Rite monument.
It has been a custom of Freemasons from ancient times to hold dedication ceremonies for special places and events. At the symbolic laying of cornerstones or foundation stones of Masonic or public buildings, the elements of corn, wine, and oil are used as a part of the ceremony. Their symbolic meanings are explained as the "corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy."
In the dedication of this noble stone, I will use a gavel made from wood, which came from the original Shepheard's Tavern. When the building was demolished, General Charles P. Summerall, 33°, who served the Supreme Council as Sovereign Grand Inspector General in South Carolina and Grand Minister of State of the Supreme Council, 33°, and as president of the Citadel, recognized the significance of this historic building. Thus, he secured pieces of wood from the structure and had them made into a number of souvenir gavels. I hold one of them, and I wield it today with great pride as I reflect on the dedication of all Scottish Rite Masons who, from 1801 to 2001, have labored to impress Masonry's tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth onto their hearts and into the affairs of men and the world.
At this special moment, I dedicate this monument to the memory of the "Eleven Gentlemen of Charleston" whose wisdom, leadership, and Masonic fervor joined them together to form the Mother Supreme Council of the World at this very spot two centuries ago. In dedicating this stone to their memory, these three raps represent the foundation blocks of our Order: [X] Friendship, [X] Morality, and [X] Brotherly Love.
I also dedicate this monument to the membership of the Scottish Rite, wheresoever dispersed over the face of the globe, in honor of their commitment to and labors in behalf of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: [X] Liberty, [X] Equality, and [X] Fraternity.
And last, I dedicate this commemorative marker to those Scottish Rite Freemasons of future generations who will follow in our footsteps and maintain the beautiful lessons of the Scottish Rite. I charge them to be ever mindful of our Virtues: [X] Faith, [X] Hope, and [X] Charity. May they ever remember it is our duty not to labor to be better than our fellowmen, but to be better than ourselves. In this spirit of rededication, may we all renew our commitment to our Order and the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. So mote it be.
St. Michael's Church
Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33°, Speaking
Today we are gathered at a most historic site, both for the history of the City of Charleston and for the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Southern Jurisdiction. St. Michael's Church, completed in 1761, is the oldest surviving church edifice in Charleston. By 1727, the town had grown too large for the smaller, original church built of wood, and this more spacious house of worship was started and built of brick. Three years after the church was dedicated, the congregation, in 1764, added the steeple's clock and ring of eight bells. These were imported from England and added greatly to the prestige of the church. In 1791, when George Washington toured Charleston, it was appropriate that he attended church services here.
| The towering white steeple
of St. Michael's Church, Charleston Photo: Charleston Convention and Group Services, Inc. |
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St. Michael's Church has a rich Masonic background from its early years, particularly as they relate to the Reverend Dr. Frederick Dalcho, M.D. Upon the death of Ill. John Mitchell, founding Sovereign Grand Commander, Ill. Dalcho became the second Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, 33°. That was on January 25, 1816, and Ill. Dalcho continued as Grand Commander until November 7, 1822. During these six years, Ill. Dalcho strengthened the fledgling Supreme Council as an important entity in the Masonic world.
Illustrious Brother Dalcho's known ties to St. Michael's began in 1807. In that year, after the installation of the Grand Lodge Officers, Grand Lodge of South Carolina, was completed, a procession was formed and paraded to St. Michael's Church where Rev. Brother Dalcho, then Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge, delivered the Divine Service. His sermon was based on the text John 12:36. This verse reads: "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." Dalcho remarked in his sermon that "FreeMasonry, like the Religion of the Redeemer, is eminently calculated to dispense 'peace on earth, and good will towards men.' And if the moral and religious state of the community in which it flourishes, be not increased and refined by its influence, it must be charged to the perversity of the Brotherhood, and not to the principles of the Institution. The general application of its principles and practice to the spiritual and temporal welfare of men cannot be doubted. It binds its members by the strongest sanctions, 'to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly before God;' and to 'love the Brotherhood.'" Certainly, these very Masonic words ring as true today as they did in 1807.
The next historical record we have of Ill. Dalcho, regarding his relation to St. Michael's, is in 1811, when he and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, are recorded as owning pew 68. Pew ownership generally meant activity in and support of the church. This was the case with Illustrious Dalcho. He became the Assistant Rector as well as the Superintendent of the Sunday School for Children. In a recently discovered letter written by Illustrious Dalcho, he asks the Wardens of the church for permission to locate a bookshelf in the balcony of the church for the Sunday School children to store their books.
Following a number of other part-time associations with St. Michael's Church, he was retained as an Assistant Minister on February 23, 1819. Then, in 1824, he established, with others, The Charleston Gospel Messenger and Protestant Episcopal Register, a monthly journal of the church's activities. This paper was published monthly until 1853. His monumental work at this period was a history of the Protestant Episcopal Church in South Carolina, the first published history of any diocese in America. It consists of more than 600 pages. From existing records, we know that this book and other similar books were sold at the, "The Theological Book Store," located at 51 Broad Street in Charleston. Ill. Dalcho, who was also a medical doctor of high repute in Charleston, and his wife are buried in the graveyard of this historic church.
Until recently, the St. Michael's Church memorial stone of Illustrious Dalcho was the only grave monument of a Founder to note membership in the Supreme Council. We can credit this recognition of Illustrious Dalcho, I believe, to the fact that the Masons in Charleston had this monument made for their late leader and friend whom they loved so much. We, too, reverence his memory and thank him for playing so significant a role in the history of St. Michael's and so fundamental a role in establishing our Supreme Council.
The Jewish Cemetery, Coming
Street
Ill. David Kruger, 33°, Speaking
For those of the Jewish faith and in keeping with the faith of our Fathers, whenever we come to a cemetery in remembrance of our dear ones, our loved ones or our family, we use a traditional prayer, the kaddish, which is a hymn praising God recited by a mourner. Also on a day such as this, the Scriptures say to us, "Great God above, we give thanks to Thee for giving us Light, for sustaining us." On this very special day, I would add, "Thank you, Lord, also for bringing us to this happy occasion of the 200th Anniversary of our Supreme Council."
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Ill. David Kruger, 33°,
Grand Secretary General and S.G.I.G. in Virginia (l.), joins
Ill. Bros. Reid and Kleinknecht in laying a wreath at the Jewish
Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, where four Founders of
the Supreme Council are buried. Photo: Ill. John W. Boettjer, 33°, G.C. |
Charleston was a very unique city in America. It was a city with friendliness, a city that stretched forth its hands and invited people of all religions and nationalities to come to join together in a bond of brotherhood. It was, therefore, a wonderful and appropriate place to give birth to our Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction.
The book Eleven Gentleman of Charleston describes the eleven Founders of the Supreme Council and points out that four of these gentleman brought with them, from different parts of the world, their culture, their beliefs, and their hopes for the new world. These four men were Jews—Ill. Bros. Abraham Alexander, Sr., Moses Clava Levy, Emanuel De La Motta, and Israel De Lieben. Freemasonry offered these Brothers the ability to join in a common Masonic bond with men of different religions and cultures. The Fraternity, then as now, stretches forth its hands and only asks of us that we believe in God as a Supreme Being. Representative of this fact, Freemasonry in 1801 in this city welcomed these four gentlemen and gave them the opportunity to be part of the greatest Fraternity mankind has ever known.
Aside from the unity of their faith tradition, if you look at where these people came from, you see great diversity. One came from Costa Rica, one came from London, England, one came from Prague, Czechoslovakia, and one came from Poland. Yet, when these diverse men came to Charleston, they found an institution, Freemasonry, where they could bond as one, calling themselves and every other Freemason "Brother."
This Jewish cemetery also is evidence of the contribution that not just these men but all those of the Jewish faith have made to America. Many men of the Jewish faith fought in our Revolution. Later, they fought during the Civil War and every war since. They glorify the Jewish faith by exemplifying what men can do when given the chance and the opportunity, which comes through Freemasonry.
I would like to share with you a personal note. In 1948 when I was on my honeymoon and we came to Charleston, my bride and I went to the local synagogue, and there we found a museum that had among its most treasured possessions the Masonic memorabilia of these four gentlemen who are buried in this cemetery and who were Founders of the Supreme Council. Then and there, I said to myself, "The Scottish Rite will be my home in Freemasonry, and I will carry on in the faith of my Fathers and my Brethren."
So, my Brethren, what a glorious day this is for all of us as Scottish Rite Masons, Jew or Gentile. Here, we exemplify what we mean when we respond affirmatively to the most fundamental question in Freemasonry, "Do you have a belief in a Supreme Being?"
Charleston Masonic Center
The Grand Commander and Ill. Bros. Reid and Seale
Speaking
Grand Commander: This visit to the Charleston Masonic Center is, in a very real sense, the climax of our tour of Scottish Rite Bicentennial sites in this great city. Here, we see the fruit of the seed planted two centuries ago by the Founders of our Order. In this building today, in 2001, Brethren carry on the traditions of community service and moral character building begun two centuries ago in Charleston in 1801. I congratulate them on this fact and thank them, more specifically, for all they have done to make this Bicentennial Biennial Session of the Supreme Council a great success.
Inspector Reid: Six years ago, the Supreme Council voted to hold the 2001 Bicentennial Biennial Session in the City of Charleston, the birthplace of our present Supreme Council. A special 2001 Bicentennial Subcommittee was formed to make plans for this very important 200th Anniversary Celebration and to form other Subcommittees they felt might be necessary. Needless to say, there was much excitement and enthusiasm generated in the Orient of South Carolina. The Brethren readily accepted the challenge of making the 2001 Biennial Session a most outstanding and memorable event. The local Scottish Rite Masons for many years had reveled in the fact that Charleston was the See of Scottish Rite Masonry since the Mother Supreme Council was organized here on May 31, 1801.
| As the Grand Commander and
seven Active Members look on, Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33°,
Lt. Gr. Cmdr. and S.G.I.G. in Louisiana, leads dedication ceremonies
at the Scottish Rite Center of Charleston, South Carolina, where
a granite obelisk was placed by the Supreme Council, 33°,
to commemorate our Order's Bicentennial. Photo: Ill. John W. Boettjer, 33°, G.C. |
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The first concern of the members of the Bicentennial Subcommittee was to determine what type of program had been held in the observance of the Centennial Session in 1901. What special events, if any, were held? Much to their surprise and concern, very little had been done to mark the observance of the Centennial Session. An immediate and obvious concern was that apparently no effort had been expended in locating the sites where the original eleven Founders of the Supreme Council were buried.
The Subcommittee felt that it seemed only proper, in observing the anniversary of the founding of the Supreme Council, that some attention should be directed to the men who were the Founders. A search was launched to locate the sites, which might contain the physical remains of the original eleven Founders, and to see if some kind of marker identifying each, as one of the first members of the Supreme Council, was present.
Referring to the Supreme Council's publication, Eleven Gentlemen of Charleston, printed in 1959, it was relatively easy to locate the gravesites of Frederick Dalcho and the four Jewish Brethren who were Founders. This book also identified St. Philip's Church Cemetery as the burial site of Dr. James Moultrie. His grave could not be located until one of the secretaries of the church remembered an old book, which was hidden away in a church vault. She found where it was noted that he was buried in plot number 111. There was not a marker at the grave, but, through careful study, the site was identified, and a marker was placed by our Supreme Council identifying him as one of the original eleven Founders of the Supreme Council. The site was visited today.
However, from there on, little information was available regarding the cemeteries or burial sites of the other Founders. The Subcommittee was surprised to learn that the Supreme Council had maintained no permanent record, and it was determined to rectify this situation. The immediate challenge of finding the resting places of all the eleven original Founders was undertaken. As of this date, all but three have been located. Through the kindness and hard work of Illustrious Brother Nat Granstein, 33°, of France, the burial sites for Brothers De Grasse and Delahogue have been located in cemeteries in Paris, France. They were buried in communal graves, which was a common practice in France during the early 1800s. Brother Granstein is trying to secure permission for us to place some type of memorial or marker.
Dr. Isaac Auld, a Founder, moved to Edisto Island to treat the black citizens who were undergoing a terrible epidemic of the fever. Dr. Auld died there, and, according to information secured from relatives, he was buried on a peninsula jutting out from the island. The peninsula was later destroyed by a hurricane.
The best information the Subcommittee learned regarding John Mitchell and Thomas Bowen is that they were buried on the Lining Plantation, which was located on an island in the Ashley River. The mausoleum in which their bodies were placed was desecrated during the Civil War. Their remains were removed by members of the Lining family and taken somewhere in North Carolina for reburial. We do not know, yet, exactly where. An ongoing search by this Subcommittee continues, and, hopefully, someday all the sites will be discovered, and appropriate markers will be placed.
These eleven Founders were very distinguished citizens in the Charleston community, not only for their professional skills, which contributed much to the city during a time of great development, but because of their concern for the welfare of their fellowmen. They truly exemplified by the lives they lived the lessons taught in the Degrees of the Scottish Rite. They were men of diverse callings. Six of the eleven were merchants, three were medical doctors, one a Rabbi, and one a French nobleman. Their religious convictions were as varied. Four were Jewish, two Catholic, and the other five Protestants representing different denominations. The element uniting them was their active and zealous work in Symbolic Masonry. Pike in his observation of such diversity among the eleven Founders stated: "When and where has there ever been exhibited a more striking proof of the strength and value of Masonic Brotherhood?"
These men, with their diversified backgrounds, formed the beginning of our beloved Scottish Rite, and this is the reason we honor them at this 2001 Bicentennial Biennial Session by placing their names upon this obelisk. May the examples of their lives be a guiding light for Scottish Rite Masons for centuries yet to come.
[At this point, acting with the authority of Sovereign Grand Commander Kleinknecht, Inspector Seal conducted the dedication of the Charleston Masonic Center's Bicentennial monument with the same Masonic ceremony used at the dedication of the Scottish Rite monument at Shepherd's Tavern (text above). The Grand Commander then spoke.]
Grand Commander Kleinknecht: It is a great honor for me to participate in the dedication of this obelisk at the Charleston Scottish Rite Center in memory of the "Eleven Gentlemen of Charleston" who founded our Supreme Council. This marker is placed in their honor in the hope that future generations will continue to emulate their examples. During this tour of historic Scottish Rite sites in Charleston, we have, in effect, traveled back in time and glimpsed the lives of the great men who founded our Order. May we be inspired by having walked in their steps and heard of their accomplishments. We inherit a noble tradition. May we ever be worthy to carry the Scottish Rite into its third century of excellence and accomplishment. So mote it be.