A Publication of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction

Tribute to Commander Webber at National Heritage Museum

Arriving from around the world on April 30, Masonic leaders converged on Lexington, Massachusetts, to pay last respects to Sovereign Grand Commander Walter E. Webber. Representing several Masonic bodies from many countries, more than 500 people attended a memorial service for the leader of the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.

Bro. Webber passed away on April 22 after an extended illness at the age of 62. The service took place in the auditorium at the National Heritage Museum adjacent to the Supreme Council headquarters. An overflow crowd watched the observance on a large screen via closed-circuit television.

The museum was constructed by Scottish Rite Masons as a gift to the nation during the 1975 bicentennial of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. As Sovereign Grand Commander, Bro. Webber was president of the museum.

The Masonic participants in the service were Ill. Charles E. Ridlon, 33°, Scottish Rite Deputy for Maine, and Ill. James L. Tungate, 33°, Grand Treasurer General of the Northern Supreme Council. Bro. Ridlon commented that whenever he got frustrated and discouraged, he would talk with Walter. “He would, in his soft spoken voice, change my way of thinking and instill in me confidence and excitement.” Referring to Commander Webber as an exemplar for all of us to follow, Bro. Tungate chose these words: “A generous heart, kind speech and a life of service and compassion are the qualities which renew the humanity in all of us.”

McNaughton Succeeds Webber

Ill. John Wm. McNaughton, 33°, who was elected Grand Lieutenant Commander at last year’s annual meeting, has been elevated to the position of Sovereign Grand Commander, following the death of Ill. Bro. Webber.

McNaughton has been active with the Grand Lodge of Indiana and the Scottish Rite Valley of Fort Wayne. He is president of a family-owned business, All Rite Distributing Company, in Fort Wayne.

Seeds of Liberty Camapign

A new cornerstone exhibition is in the works for the National Heritage Museum, located on the grounds of Supreme Council headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts, “Seeds of Liberty,” scheduled to open in April 2007, will tell the story of the battle of Lexington and Concord, the crucial events that led to it, and its evolution into a full-scale revolution, resulting in a new nation.

Many of the events depicted and explained took place less than a mile from the museum.

Ill. Forrest D. McKerley, 33°, general chairman of the campaign to make the plan a reality, says that he envisions the work in the coming months as “shared involvement between Masons and the community.”

According to the project overview, “it will provide the visitor with an interactive experience, providing opportunities for people of all ages to learn about the roots of the Revolution and our nation.” The National Heritage Museum, opened in 1975, was a gift from the Scottish Rite Masons to the nation during its bicentennial celebration.