Special
KCCH Investiture for Brother Richard H. Baker
on Capitol
Hill
 |
On April
29, 2004, Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, 33°,
and several distinguished Brethren visited the offices
of Congressman and Brother Richard Hugh Baker, Representative
from Louisiana, for a special KCCH investiture. Pictured
above (l. to r.) are: Dr. S. Brent Morris, 33°,
GC, Director of Membership Development for the Supreme
Council; Todd E. Carton, 33°, Chief Financial
Officer; MW George R. Adams, 33°, Deputy in the
District of Columbia and Past Grand Master, Grand
Lodge of D.C.; Past Sovereign Grand Commander C.
Fred Kleinknecht, 33°; Congressman Richard H.
Baker, KCCH; SGC Seale; Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°,
Director of Development; and Dr. John W. Boettjer,
33°, GC, Managing Editor of the Scottish Rite
Journal. Ill. Dean R. Alban, Director of Information
Systems, was present but is not pictured since he
took this great photo from Representative Baker’s
balcony overlooking the Capitol.
Photo: Dean R.
Alban, 33°
|
On April 29, 2004, Grand Commander Ronald A.
Seale, 33° (right center above), and several distinguished
Brethren visited the offices in the Cannon House Office Building
on Capitol Hill of Congressman Richard Hugh Baker, Representative
from Louisiana (center above). Bro. Baker had been elected
by unanimous vote of the Supreme Council, 33°, to receive
the rank and decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honour
during the 2003 Biennial Session. However, state and federal
business prevented his attending either the KCCH investiture
at the Session or the KCCH ceremony held in his Valley, Baton
Rouge, where he has been a member since 1974. His Blue Lodge
is Baton Rouge #372.
In presenting Bro. Baker his red cap, SGC Seale said he was
particularly happy to participate in this investiture since
he and Congressman Baker have been friends since the fifth
grade. Similarly, Representative Baker commented on his lifetime
friend-ship with Ill. Seale and expressed his appreciation
for the honor of being invested with the KCCH. A graduate of
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Bro. Baker served
in the Louisiana State Legislature, 1972-1986, and was elected
as a Republican to the 108th Congress and to eight succeeding
Congresses, 1987 to the present.
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J.
Edgar Hoover Foundation Meets in the House of the Temple
|
| During the recent meeting
of the J. Edgar Hoover Foundation in the House
of the Temple, Cartha
D. “Deke” DeLoach
(left above), former Assistant to the Director of
the FBI, and William H. Webster, Former Director
of the FBI and CIA, visited the J. Edgar Hoover Law
Enforcement Museum located near the Hall of Honor
in the House of the Temple.
Photo: Peter J. Batvinis |
Over 180 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials,
together with professionals from business, government, academic
communities, and the press, visited the House of the Temple
on April 23, 2004, as the Supreme Council hosted the first
J. Edgar Hoover Foundation Seminar. The seminar was organized
by Cartha D. “Deke” DeLoach, Chairman of the
Hoover Foundation and former Senior Assistant to FBI Director
Hoover, who brought a panel of fascinating speakers to the
occasion. The day began with introductions of the Foundation’s
board members and opening remarks by Chairman DeLoach. Included
among guest speakers addressing the subject of terrorism
today and the FBI’s role in protecting America were
William H. Webster, former Director of the FBI and CIA; Cassandra
M. Chandler, Assistant Director in Charge of Public Affairs,
FBI; Chuck Lewis, Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief, Hearst
Newspaper Corp.; Kenneth R. Ramsey, Senior Sheriff, Kane
County, Illinois, and President of the FBI National Academy
Associates; and Cal Thomas, syndicated columnist and host
for the Fox News Channel. A delicious catered buffet luncheon
was served in the George Washington Memorial Banquet Hall,
which is adjacent to the J. Edgar Hoover Museum. Everyone
attending the seminar was invited to tour the Museum, and
rarely seen photographs and personal items from its collection
of J. Edgar Hoover memorabilia, the largest in the world,
were on display in the George Washington Memorial Banquet
Hall and Atrium of the House of the Temple.
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J.
Edgar Hoover Foundation Honors Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht
 |
Photo: Peter J. Batvinis |
During the J. Edgar Hoover Foundation Seminar
held on April 23, 2004, in the Temple Room of the House of
the Temple in Washington, D.C., Cartha D. “Deke” DeLoach,
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation,
honored Past Sovereign Grand Commander Kleinknecht by presenting
him, on behalf of the Foundation, an engraved glass plate that
reads: “To Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht,
whose sincere cooperation and friendship have been instrumental
in helping move The J. Edgar Hoover Foundation to heights of
great success.” Illustrious Kleinknecht responded noting
that the Scottish Rite, S.J., honored Ill. J. Edgar Hoover
with the 33° in 1955 and the Grand Cross in 1965. He added
that our Order has always supported the FBI in its mission
of Justice and Freedom based on Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.
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New
Display Salutes the “Greatest Generation”
 |
Painting:
John D. Mileus, 33° |
On
May 29, 2004, Memorial Day Weekend, the United States dedicated
the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors the
16 million American servicemen and women who served, fought,
and died to secure democracy, preserve freedom, and liberate
the oppressed. Celebrations honoring veterans of the “Greatest
Generation” will take place between Memorial Day and
Labor Day in the Federal City and throughout the country.
The Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, is among
the many sponsors or “Cultural Participants” in
these nationwide events. As part of the celebration, the House
of the Temple’s new Americanism Museum, dedicated on
October 5 during the 2003 Biennial Session, will include a
special display of photographs and artifacts related to well-known
military leaders and civilian officers of WWII who were Freemasons.
Among these many items will be the epic painting “Victory—World
War II” by Ill. John D. Melius, an American flag hand-stitched
by a U.S. soldier in a Japanese POW camp, the insignia of General
MacArthur’s PT boat, the Ill. Audie Murphy’s dog
tags. In addition, the Richard W. Pepe Collection of 735 volumes
devoted to WWII will be available in the Library of the Supreme
Council. Visitors to the Americanism Museum will be invited
to tour the House of the Temple where permanent displays relevant
to WWII will be highlighted. Among them are the Scottish Rite
Hall of Honor original oil portraits of Ill. Bros. Harry S.
Truman, Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, General James H. Doolittle,
Grand Cross, and General Douglas MacArthur.
To celebrate the “Greatest Generation” and the
dedication of the Memorial, copies signed by the artist of “Victory—World
War II” (pictured above; image 19” x 30”;
overall size 22” x 33”), may be purchased for a
special price of $25.00 (s/h included) by sending a check payable
to The Supreme Council to: The Supreme Council, 1733 16th St.,
NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103 (VISA and MasterCard accepted);
or fax requests to 202-464-0487; or order from the Scottish
Rite online store at http://www.srmason-sj.org/acatalog.
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Special
Conferral of Thirty-third Degree in Washington, D.C.
 |
Among the many
Brethren attending the special conferral of the Thirty-third
Degree on
May 6, 2004,
for MWB Gordon Lee Ferguson, Grand Master, Washington,
D.C., and Ill. André Gaston Salmon in the House
of the Temple’s Executive Chamber were (l. to r.)
Ill. Bros. Jerold J. Samet, André G. Salmon; George
R. Adams; MWB Ferguson; SGC Ronald A. Seale; Walter S.
Downs, GC; and William G. Sizemore, GC.
Photo: Michael E. Noonan, The Scottish
Rite Journal
|
On May 6, 2004, a special conferral of the Thirty-third
Degree took place in the Executive Chamber of the House of
the Temple in Washington, D.C., for two very distinguished
Brethren, MW Gordon Lee Ferguson, 33°, Grand Master, District
of Columbia, and Bro. André Gaston Salmon, Dean of the
College of Philosophy, Valley of Washington, Orient of the
District of Columbia. Grand Commander Seale, who attended the
ceremony, invited Ill. Walter S. Downs, GC, Personal Representative
and Secretary, Valley of Alexandria Virginia, to fill the office
of Sovereign Grand Commander for the conferral, and Ill. Downs,
in his usual manner, performed these duties with outstanding
ability and grace. Ill. Bros. Ferguson and Salmon had been
unavoidably absent from the conferral of the Degree on October
7 at the 2003 Biennial Session.
The following Grand Lodge of D.C. Officers were present to
witness the special conferral and honor Grand Master Ferguson:
Leonard Proden, 33°, Deputy Grand Master; Paul M. Bessel,
33°, Junior Grand Warden; Jerold J. Samet, 33°, Past
Grand Master and Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of D.C.
and Personal Representative, Valley of Washington; Akram R.
Elias, 33°, Senior Grand Deacon; David A. Balcom, 33°,
Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of D.C. and Prelate, Valley
of Alexandria, Virginia; George R. Adams, 33°, Past Grand
Master and Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of D.C., and Deputy
of the Supreme Council in D.C. Present to offer their congratulations
to Ill. Ferguson after the conferral were Bros. Joel R. Kahn,
KCCH, Secretary, Valley of Washington, D.C., and Brother Norman
Barshai, 32°, Chief Aide to the Grand Master.
Supreme Council officers present for the conferral were Ill.
Bros. SGC Ronald A Seale, William G. Sizemore, GC; John W.
Boettjer, GC; Arturo de Hoyos; Earl E. Ihle, Jr.; S. Brent
Morris, GC; and Dean R. Alban. After the ceremony, SGC Seale
extended his personal congratulations to Ill. Bros. Ferguson
and Salmon and reminded them that, while the 33° is a high
honor, it is also a very great responsibility in that the new
Illustrious Brethren must realize that the conferral obligates
them, even more than in the past, to continue their great service
to God, County, Freemasonry, and all Humanity.
When offered the opportunity to respond to their receiving
the 33°, Ill. Salmon spoke movingly of his family’s
long heritage of Masonic service and his humble acceptance
of the 33rd Degree as the “ultimate Masonic honor.” Similarly,
MW Ferguson noted that he will keep his white hat in the cap
carrying case which belonged to his father and that he will
use it frequently as he continues to participate in the work
of the Scottish Rite.
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President
Trachtenberg Presented Grand Cross Pin
 |
Photo:
Elizabeth A. Williams
The Scottish Rite Journal |
For more than a decade, President Stephen J.
Trachtenberg, 33°, Grand Cross, President, The George Washington
University, Washington, D.C., has worked closely with the Supreme
Council to advance and expand the Scottish Rite’s scholarship
programs at the University. As of 2002, there were 21 Scottish
Rite Fellowships, six Scottish Rite Language Disorders Fellowships,
and a Scottish Rite Public Service Award Program for U.S. students
planning careers in government or public service. A member
of Benjamin B. French Lodge #15 and the Scottish Rite Bodies
of Washington, D.C., Ill. Trachtenberg has participated as
principal speaker in many Blue Lodge and Scottish Rite events
in the capital. In addition, he donated, on behalf of The George
Washington University, a heroic bronze bust of George Washington,
by the noted sculptor Avard T. Banks, to the House of the Temple
Garden during the 1995 Biennial Session. In recognition of
his significant contributions to Masonry generally and especially
to the Scottish Rite over the years, he was elected to receive
the honors of KCCH, 33°, and, then on October 3, 1997,
our Order’s highest recognition, the Grand Cross. Appropriately,
an original oil portrait of President Trachtenberg was received
into the House of the Temple’s Scottish Rite Hall of
Honor in 1997. As a special honor, Ill. Bros. Ronald A. Seale,
SGC, and William G. Sizemore, GC, Grand Executive Director
(respectively left and right in photo on previous page), visited
President Trachtenberg (center) at his George Washington University
office on April 1, 2004, to present him with a custom-made,
ruby-encrusted Grand Cross pin.
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A
Special Visit by Inspector William R. Miller, 33°
 |
Photo: Elizabeth A. Williams,
The Scottish Rite Journal |
Inspector
William R. Miller, SGIG in Washington State, and his wife,
Maralyn, visited the House of the Temple on April 5, 2004,
with their grandson, Colin Ancel, age 12. Colin had selected
Washington, D.C., for a spring break trip, during which the
family visited with Congressman George R. Nethercutt Jr., 33° (Fifth
District, Washington State) who is a candidate for the U.S.
Senate. It was a special pleasure for Colin to tour the House
of the Temple and see his grandfather’s official portrait
(photo right) in the hall of sitting Sovereign Grand Inspectors
General.
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A
Special Degree in Frederick, Maryland
 |
Photo: Franklin L. Fisher, KCCH
Assistant Personal Representative |
On Thursday evening, March 11, 2004, the exemplification
of the 14° by 14 Brethren of the Scottish Rite Lodge of
Perfection, Valley of Baltimore, in the Scottish Rite Temple
of Fred-erick, Maryland, was truly a demon-stration of Masonic
cooperation and fellowship. The dignitaries present included
six new members from Frederick; 6 members from other Southern
Juris-diction Orients; 74 members from Baltimore, Cumberland,
Frederick, and Southern Maryland; Dr. Hans R. Wilhelmsen, SGIG
in Maryland (far left in photo); MW John A. Young, Jr., 33°,
Grand Master of Masons in Maryland (next to Ill. Wilhelmsen);
and SGC Ronald A. Seale (center). All 100 of the Brethren present
sensed the wonderful display of Masonic Unity, appreciated
the excellent Degree work, and enjoyed a delicious dinner following
the Degree.
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The index for the 2003
Scottish Rite Journal is available. It and indexes from
previous years may be ordered for $3.50 each. Please send remittance
payable to the Supreme Council to: Grand Executive Director,
The Supreme Council, 1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103.
