Masonic/Hungarian Celebration In The
House Of The Temple
At 2:00 pm on March 9, 2002, more than 250 representatives
of foreign governments and American Scottish Rite Masons gathered
in the Temple Room of the House of the Temple for a colorful
ceremony celebrating Louis Kossuth, Hungarian patriot and Freemason.
Among those attending were dignitaries from Austria, Russia,
Germany, Romania, the Czech Republic, the United States Department
of State, and several international institutions. They joined
with Hungarian and American nationals to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of the birth of Kossuth in 1802 and the 150th anniversary
of his being raised a Master Mason during a visit to America
in 1852.
| His Excellency Geza Jeszenszky, Ambassador
of Hungary, addressed a near-capacity audience of international
dignitaries and Scottish Rite Brethren in the Temple Room
of the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. |
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Among the Masonic dignitaries present with their ladies were:
M.W. Robert H. Starr, 33°, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of
the District of Columbia; Ill. Charles S. Iversen, 33°,
S.G.I.G. Emeritus, Orient of the District of Columbia; Ill.
Bernard E. Rothman, 33°, S.G.I.G. Emeritus, Orient of Maryland;
Ill. Leon Zeldis, 33°, Past Sov. Gr. Cmdr., Supreme Council
for the State of Israel; Ill. George R. Adams, 33°, Deputy,
Orient of the District of Columbia; Ill. Hans R. Wilhelmsen,
Deputy, Orient of Maryland; and Ill. Matthew N. Mezzanotte,
33°, a very special friend of the Supreme Council
Illustrious C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Sover-eign Grand
Commander, and His Excellency Geza Jeszenszky, Ambassador of
Hungary, were co-hosts of the festive occasion. After an organ
prelude by Ill. Floyd E. Werle, 33°, Grand Organist of the
Supreme Council, Ill. William G. Sizemore, 33°, G.C., Grand
Executive Director of the Supreme Council and Master of Ceremonies
for the event, greeted the assemblage. Then he introduced Bro.
William F. Jiron, Jr., 32°, who sang the American National
Anthem and Monica Janossy who sang the Hungarian National Anthem.
Following an inspirational invocation by the Rev. David A.
Balcom 33°, Grand Commander Kleinknecht rendered fraternal
greetings, gave a brief explanation of Masonry and proudly related
the history and significance of the national headquarters building
of the Scottish Rite. Then Margit Lee, a Hungarian-American
who initiated planning for the event as a celebration of Hungarian
and Masonic history, introduced Ambassador Jeszenszky. Speaking
with an authority reflective of his distinguished academic and
diplomatic background, the Ambassador described the importance
of Bro. Kossuth as "one of the nineteenth century's greatest
champions of liberty" and a world-famous representative
of national self-determination. Kossuth inspired the struggle
for Hungary's independence from Austria in 1848 and is often
characterized as "the George Washington of Hungary."
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On March 9, 2002, Grand
Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33° (center), and Ill.
David Kruger, 33° (right), welcomed His Excellency Geza
Jeszenszky, Ambassador of Hungary (left), to the House of
the Temple. Together, they presented a program celebrating
the bicentennial of the birth of Louis Kossuth, the "George
Washington of Hungary," and Kossuth's becoming a Mason
while visiting America in 1852. |
Following the Ambassador's presentation, Ill. David Kruger,
33°, Grand Secretary of the Supreme Council and S.G.I.G.
in Virginia, eloquently reprised the highlights of his article
"Louis Kossuth, Mason and Apostle of World Democracy,"
published in the June 2001 issue of the Scottish Rite Journal.
Dr. Kruger pointed out that Kossuth was not a violent revolutionary,
but an advocate for peaceful, lawful change based on the three
principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Thus, it was
natural that he should be attracted to Freemasonry, an institution
he regarded with the highest esteem, and petition membership
in Cincinnati Lodge No. 133 while touring the United States
in 1852. After his raising as a Mason, Bro. Kossuth spoke at
Lodges as he traveled in America. Addressing the Grand Lodge
of Massachusetts, he said: "It will be the great aim and
effort of my life to walk worthy of the character of a Mason
and to fulfill the Masonic duties which devolve, according to
his ability and rank, upon every member of our noble institution."
A reception, provided by the Hungarian Embassy in the George
Washington Memorial Banquet Hall of the House of the Temple,
followed the formal program and offered an opportunity for both
cordial fellowship and tours of the House of the Temple. Clearly,
this very special event, a celebration of universal Freemasonry
and national patriotism, was a great success and a credit to
the Scottish Rite's place in the global community.
Ill.
Forrest D. Haggard, 33° Grand Cross, Receives First
Ill. Duane E. Anderson, 33° Excellence In Masonic Education
Award
The
Education Committee of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota recently
developed a new award in memory of Ill. Bro. Duane Edwin Anderson,
33°, Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge, who died unexpectedly
on March 8, 2000. At the time of his death, Ill. Anderson was
a member of the Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Research
Society, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society, and First Vice-President
of the Philalethes Society. The Duane E. Anderson Excellence
in Masonic Education Award will be presented annually to one
national Masonic scholar and two Minnesota Masonic educators.
The Grand Lodge of Minnesota chose Ill. Forrest D. Haggard,
33°, G.C. (pictured right), as the first recipient of this
high honor. The award was presented by the Rev. Terry L. Tilton,
Deputy Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Minnesota, at the Grand
Master's Banquet of the Grand Lodge of Kansas on March 14, 2002,
in Salina, Kansas.
Dr. Haggard, a renowned minister in the Christian Church, held,
until very recently, various prestigious offices in the Craft.
Among them were: President, Scottish Rite Research Society (SRRS);
Personal Representative, Valley of Northeast Kansas; Sov. Grand
Master, Nine Muses Council No. 13, Allied Masonic Degrees; Deputy
Abbot, Society of Blue Friars; and Grand High Prelate, United
Imperial Council Knight of the Red Cross of Constantine.
Regretfully, Ill. Haggard was recently diagnosed with a rapid
and profound form of A.L.S., often referred to as Lou Gehrig's
disease. Thus, he has resigned as SRRS President, and Grand
Commander Kleinknecht has appointed Ill. William B. Brunk, 33°,
S.G.I.G in North Carolina and SRRS Board Member, as Acting President
of the Society until SRRS elections are held at the 2003 Biennial
Session.
Radford
University Clinic Benefits From Scottish Rite Memorial
Bro. Joseph L. Kropff, 32°, has emotion in his voice when
he explains, "It's what Gypsy wanted" He lost his
friend, companion, and wife; and the Scottish Rite, Roanoke
Lodge of Perfection, lost its secretary when Gypsy Kropff died
last fall. It was her wish that in lieu of flowers, money should
be raised for a worthy cause. Bro. Joe knew his wife Gypsy had
a passion for children who receive treatment at the Speech and
Hearing Clinic of the Waldron College of Health and Human Services
at Radford University (RU) in Radford, Virginia. Dr. Lynn Adams,
of the clinic, recounts the times Gypsy would call to ask if
the children needed anything. Generally, her response was that
they could use some crayons, paints, and paper. It never failed
that, a few days later, Gypsy would show up with the van loaded
with supplies.
Friends and colleagues donated $1,300 to the Roanoke Lodge
of Perfection as a tribute to her memory. Bro. Kropff arranged
for those funds to be used to build a playground for the clients
of the Radford Speech and Hearing Clinic. Situated in a grassy
area steps from their treatment rooms, the young clients will
soon be able to fight off "dangerous pirates" or just
take a leisurely cruise on the mock sailing schooner SS Gypsy.
Plans call for other play equipment as funds become available.
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Pictured (l. to r.) are
Mr. Charles Wood, Radford University Vice President of University
Advancement; Mrs. Matsue Dewese; Bro. George E. Dewese,
32°, K.C.C.H.; Dr. Lynn Adams, Radford University Associate
Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders; and Bro.
Joseph L. Kropff, 32°. |
Family friend and fellow Lodge member Bro. George E. Dewese,
32°, K.C.C.H., and his wife, Matsue, have soft spots in
their hearts for these children, too. They were on hand when
Bro. Kropff made the presentation to Charles Wood, Radford University's
Vice President for University Advancement. The Dewese's have
pledged to support the playground as well. RU Recreation, Parks,
and Tourism students will design the playground. Mr. Wood added
that additional support is welcome for this project and that
construction should begin this fall.
Woodley
Ensemble Performs In The House Of The Temple
Continuing its policy of welcoming appropriate civic and cultural
groups to our headquarters building, the Supreme Council made
the House of the Temple available to the Woodley Ensemble on
February 23, 2002. Founded in 1991 in Washington, D.C., the
Woodley Ensemble brings seldom-heard choral music to the public
through performances in classic venues. During its 2001-2002
concert season, for instance, the group of 19 singers, directed
by Frank Albinder, will perform at Temple Micah and the Basilica
of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in the Capital
City.
The Supreme Council responded positively to the group's request
to use the Temple Room of the House of the Temple for a concert
titled "Songs of Love, Ancient and Modern Madrigals."
Attended by over 100 music lovers, Brethren and guests, the
performance on February 23, 2002, at 8:00 pm, included pieces
by Claudio Monteverdi, William Hawley, and Augusta Read Thomas.
The formal dress of the singers, and the elegant setting of
the Temple Room contributed to a very pleasant and memorable
evening. During the reception in the Atrium following the performance,
House of the Temple guides offered abbreviated tours of the
building. Opening our Scottish Rite facilities to appropriate
groups is a wonderful way to introduce the public to our Fraternity
and to extend the civic mission of the Scottish Rite.
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Brother/Sister
Team Enjoys Therapy
 Wyatt
and Katie Maddox, pictured right at ages four and three,
have been coming to the Roseburg, Oregon, Scottish Rite
Clinic since April 2000. Wyatt had been receiving therapy
at his neighborhood school prior to that, but the school's
speech/language pathologist felt he needed more intensive
therapy than she could provide, so he was referred to the
Scottish Rite. Wyatt works very hard doing oral-motor exercises
to help him learn to make certain patterns with his mouth.
Also, he is learning how to hear the difference between
sounds and to pronounce them correctly, especially "t,"
"d," and "f" sounds. Katie accompanied
Wyatt to therapy almost every day since he started. She
liked to watch with her mother through the observation window
and to work along with her brother through his exercises.
Katie wanted to come into the therapy room and play with
all the fun games and toys, like Wyatt, but she was not
permitted, until recently, when she was evaluated as eligible
for speech therapy also. Now we have a brother/sister team
in therapy, and they are both delighted! |
Future
Plans In Austin, Texas
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| A new, state-of-the-art Childhood Learning Center will
be built east of and adjacent to the Scottish Rite facilities
located at 207 West 18th Street in Austin, Texas. This new
facility will provide ample space for student tutoring,
teacher and parent seminars, and general parking. Learning
via long-distance communications has been included in the
plans so that an even larger number of children and adults
can be reached. For instance, a teacher in the Austin classroom
could instruct students and/or teachers 500 miles away via
interactive video. |
Deputy
Kerr Installed In Panama District Grand Lodge
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At an impressive ceremony
held in Saint Andrew Lodge No. 1140 in Panama City on the
evening of January 28, 2002, two dedicated Scottish Rite
Masons of the Panama Canal Scottish Rite Bodies were welcomed
to the two highest offices of the District Grand Lodge at
the Panama Canal. R.W. Henry F. Smith, Jr., 32°, K.C.C.H.
(left), was previously installed as the District Grand Master
in the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and Ill. Arthur J.
Kerr, 33° (right), Deputy of the Panama Canal Scottish
Rite Bodies, was installed as Deputy District Grand Master. |
Tennessee
Scottish Rite Club Aids Afghan Relief
Members of the Sullivan Council, Tennessee, Scottish Rite Club
have helped answer the call for aid to Afghanistan. Recently,
they delivered a vanload of shoes to a program sponsored by
the United Methodist Church, which will see that the shoes go
to needy victims of the Taliban regime.
Ill. Warren D. Lichty,
33°, Elected President George Washington Masonic National
Memorial Association
On
February 18, 2002, at the annual corporation meeting of the
George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association (GWMNMA)
held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ill. Warren D. Lichty, 33°,
First Grand Equerry of the Supreme Council and S.G.I.G. in Nebraska
(pictured right), was elected President of the corporation.
The Association was founded in 1910 for the purpose of memorializing
the Masonic membership of the Father of our Country. The GWMNM
was built and is maintained as a monumental building atop Shooters
Hill in Alexandria, Virginia. It is dedicated to the memory
of Washington as a Freemason, and the Memorial is a repository
for the many Washington artifacts, which he and his family donated
to his Masonic Lodge.
Ill. Lichty grew up in Dawes County in the Western Panhandle
of Nebraska and has been a resident of Lincoln for over 40 years.
During his career, he has been a Special Agent for the Counter
Intelligence Corps, a County Judge, and was for 36 years on
the staff of the Attorney General of Nebraska, the last 27 years
as Managing Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Division,
which represents the Department of Roads of the state.
He is a Past Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska. Being a Grand
Master is a prerequisite for being on the Board of Directors
or an officer of the corporation. Ill. Lichty was first elected
to the Board of Directors of the corporation in 1988 and has
served on the Board since that time. He has held various offices
in the corporation, up to and including Vice President, the
office he held when he was elected its President.
Scottish
Rite Fellows At Old Dominion University
Recently, William H. Graves III, Dean and Professor of Darden
College of Education at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk,
Virginia, wrote to Ill. David Kruger, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Virginia,
on behalf of his college, especially its Speech-Language Pathology
Program. He wrote: "I want to thank you and the Scottish
Rite Foundation of Virginia for your continuing generosity and
support. Our faculty and students appreciate not only the support
that the Foundation has given them but also your interest and
commitment to children having speech and hearing problems. The
Scottish Rite Foundation has enabled us to play an important
role in improving the quality of life for these children and
their families.
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Current Scottish Rite
Fellows at the Darden College of Education, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, Virginia, are (l. to r.) Wendy Walters,
Meg Gilbert, Nicole Crabtree, Christina Siazon, and Allison
Harper.
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"Because of your Foundation's financial contributions
to help us build the Child Study Center and to support five
graduate student fellowships annually, the program's faculty
has been able to achieve an outstanding reputation locally and
nationally. We are so grateful that the Foundation provided
$5,000 fellowships to support each of these students. I know
that they will become leaders in their field and will provide
quality services to the Commonwealth's children for many years
to come. The Scottish Rite Foundation of Virginia will be proud
of the role it has played in their careers and the quality of
services that they provide to children with speech and hearing
disabilities."
New
Scottish Rite Club On Olympic Peninsula
On February 21, 2002, Ill. William R. Miller, 33°, S.G.I.G.
in Washington, journeyed, with several other distinguished Scottish
Rite Brethren, to Sequim to install the officers of a new Scottish
Rite Club on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula. This area
is now a magnet for retirees, among them many Scottish Rite
Masons who wish to remain active in the Fraternity. During the
festive ceremony, Ill. Gordon W. Sumner, 33°, Personal Representative,
Valley of Bremerton, installed Bro. Albert T. Carter, 32°,
as President of the new Club, which will meet the third Thursday
of every month at the Sequim Masonic Center. Club Officers and
activities are listed on the web page of the Bremerton Valley
at www.bremertonvalleysr.org.
Orient
Of California Opens Fourteenth Clinic
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Recently, Brethren measured to mount signage
for the new Scottish Rite Children's Center in Santa Ana,
California. It is the "Golden State's" 14th clinic
and is already treating seven children, with several more
being evaluated for treatment. Pictured in the photo left
are (l. to r.): Ill. Dean F. Bradley, 33°, General Secretary;
Ill. William A. "Bill" Pettifer, 33°, Vice
President, Orange County Masonic Memorial Foundation; and
Ellen S. Bradley, Center Receptionist. |
California
Child ID Program
For the second year in a row, members of the Atascadero State
Hospital Police Services, with the assistance of Bro. Andrew
C. Davis, 32°, Valley of San Jose , California, have used
the California Grand Lodge's Child ID Program as a Law Enforcement
Community Services Project for the "Cops and Kids Field
Day" held in Arroyo Grande, California. This annual community
event is sponsored by the International Footprint Association.
All local Police Departments, as well as State and Federal Law
Enforcement Agencies in the County of San Luis Obispo, are invited
to participate. Kids have a good time at the event, learn about
law enforcement agencies in their communities, and are enrolled
in a child ID program.
| Left to right, Officer
Fammy Acosta, Eddie Davis, Mary Simonson, Lt. Andy Davis,
32°, Officer Candy Barnes, and Sgt. Marcy Robertson
participate in a child identification program in California. |
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Austin
Learning Center Graduates First Dyslexia Teacher Class
This past summer, the Austin, Texas, Scottish Rite Learning
Center sponsored its first teacher education courses: both the
advanced and introductory courses of Basic Language Skills and
an Alphabetic Phonics derivative, developed at the Neuhause
Education Center in Houston. Forty-nine teachers from 13 school
districts, private schools, and private practice enrolled in
the 15-day introductory course (photo above). The advanced course
of Basic Language Skills was smaller, but the teachers were
no less dedicated. Thirteen teachers from eight private and
public schools districts completed 10 days of advanced instruction.
The Learning Center is awaiting its site visit in January to
complete the accreditation process to become a nationally recognized
training site, sanctioned by both the Academic Language Therapy
Association and the International Multisensory Structured Language
Education Council. These two organizations are raising standards
for professionals who work with students with dyslexia. Pat
Sekel, Director of the Austin Learning Center, reports that
currently there are 22 educators enrolled in the rigorous two-year
certification process to become Certified Academic Language
Therapists. Pat closely monitors these therapists in training
throughout the two years.
Another first was a special summer program for students with
dyslexia entering first through sixth grades. Goals for the
session were maintenance and enrichment of reading skills. Two
dyslexia teachers from Round Rock taught classes for 15 students
four days a week for six weeks.
Beginning this fall, the Learning Center experienced another
first-students accepted at the Learning Center work directly
with tutors rather than utilizing the Scottish Rite Hospital's
videotape series, as in the past. Pat supervises three tutors
who are also seeking certification as Academic Language Therapists.
She reports that one aspect of the tutoring won't change: "Tutoring
will continue to be provided at no cost to students, thanks
to the continuing generosity and support of the Scottish Rite
Masons of the Valley of Austin."
Radford
University Hosts DeMolay
 Radford
University (RU) recently hosted the 2002 Big South Basketball
Championship at the Roanoke, Virginia, Civic Center. The
Big South is a NCAA Division I athletic conference with
nine member institutions across the Southeast. Local members
from the Roanoke Valley and Hanging Rock Chapters of DeMolay
International were invited by RU to attend the games, which
started on February 27 and ran through March 2. Ill. Louis
K. "Kerry" Campbell, 33°, Personal Representative;
Bro. David C. Wells, 32°; and Bro. Leonard A. Rowe,
32°, K.C.C.H., Scottish Rite Bodies for the Valley of
Roanoke, and DeMolay Mom Lisa Sleeper, accompanied the boys.
As a group (minus Mom Sleeper and Bro. Rowe), they had a
chance to pose for a picture (left) with the lovely RU Rockers.
Radford University plans on hosting the DeMolay at future
events. |
Virginia
Scottish Rite Masons Support Old Dominion University Clinic
The Valleys of Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth joined
forces, in 1998, to form the Tidewater Scottish Rite Speech
& Language Foundation, Inc. The purpose of the foundation
is to support the Childhood Speech and Language Center at Old
Dominion University (ODU). That support is in the form of helping
to fund various programs, as needed, and providing two fellowships
for the graduate program. The foundation is comprised of three
members from each of the Valleys and one member from ODU. Dr.
Joe Sever, from ODU, is the Foundation's President. Bro. Robert
L. Campbell, 32°, K.C. C.H., from the Valley of Norfolk,
is the Vice President. Ill. Carl W. Gaborik, 33°, from the
Valley of Newport News, is the Secretary. Ill. John R. Goodwin,
33°, from the Valley of Portsmouth, is the Treasurer.
| Ill. Klaus-Otto Schumann,
33° (r.), presents $1,000 check to Dr. Joe Sever at
the Old Dominion University Child Care Center. |
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The Foundation, with the assistance of the individual Valleys,
has set about its task of raising funds through various activities.
Major contributions have come from the Eastern Shore Scottish
Rite Association, Portsmouth Scottish Rite Ladies, Newport News
Scottish Rite Ladies, Norfolk Scottish Rite Ladies, and Norfolk
Scottish Rite Foundation. Also, individual members have significantly
contributed through the dues structures and memorial donations.
This past fall, a golf tournament was held. Though it took place
when our country was in crisis and the funds raised were not
as great as originally hoped for, it was considered a success.
It is planned to be an annual event. Recently the Valley of
Portsmouth had its annual yard sale and raised $1000 for the
Foundation. Dr. Joe Sever was on hand to receive the check,
and Ill. Klaus- Otto Schumann, 33°, from the Valley of Portsmouth
made the presentation.
The Tidewater Foundation has two new programs. One is the hiring
of a part-time clinician to assist in testing at the Child Care
Center at ODU. The other is the development of a video tour
of the Child Care Center at ODU to be shown at various meetings.
These programs are made possible through the combined efforts
of the members of the Portsmouth, Newport News, and Norfolk
Valleys working together toward this common goal.
Pearl
Harbor Vet Honored In Oakwood, Georgia
The
city of Oakwood, Georgia, declared December 7, 2001, "William
H. Brotherton, Jr., Day" to honor the Pearl Harbor survivor
and local businessman. Bro. Bill, an 84-year-old member of the
Valley of Atlanta, was aboard the USS Sumner on December 7,
1941, and was later headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, with
General Douglas McArthur, 33°.
Pictured left in his U.S. Navy Lieutenant's uniform in the
council chamber of the City of Oakwood, Bro. Brotherton was
presented a plaque by Oakwood's City Mayor, Lamar Scroggs, Master
Mason. Among other accomplishments, the plaque noted that Bro.
Brotherton was a member of the national champion Southern Methodist
University football team playing in the 1936 Rose Bowl, that
he built a successful career in insurance and real estate after
WW II, and that he rendered longtime service on the City of
Oakwood's Development Authority. The plaque also specifically
cited Bro. Bill's "civic membership, participation, and
leadership as a Master Mason who became a 32nd Degree in the
Scottish Rite" and a Past Master of Georgia Lodge No. 96.
Congratulations, Bro. Brotherton, on a well-deserved honor recognizing
your distinguished career of service to your country, community,
and Craft!
