William G. Sizemore, 33°, G.C.
1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103

Public education at every level is a primary philanthropic
focus of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

Bro. John E. Justice, 32°, K.C.C.H., addresses the George Washington Banquet, held in the Charleston, West Virginia, Scottish Rite Temple, where this article was the keynote address.

"Patriotism; it is moral behavior, at the national level. It is an abstract word used to describe a type of behavior as harshly practical as good brakes and good tires. It means that you place the welfare of your nation above your own even if it costs you your life." Robert A. Heinlein, one of the most important writers of our recent past, spoke those blunt and powerful words. They were part of an address he delivered as the James Forrestal Memorial Lecture to the Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy.

Whenever I read those words, or the words of Patrick Henry, or Thomas Jefferson, or George Washington, Lincoln, FDR, or any of the great men and women whose words gave birth to our nation, recorded its progress, and revitalized the ideas which keep us strong, I realize again the importance of the written word and how much our nation owes to writers. Madison and the other writers of the Federalist Papers gave shape to our republic. The words of the great Justices of the Supreme Court gave form to our laws, and long after their passing, what they wrote still affects us today. In fact, judicial decisions set precedents for the future.

In ancient cultures, to write was considered a sacred act-to commit words to paper was a mystery and a thing of power. In many ways, it still is, as we witness today during this special occasion in this very special place. We are honored to have so many notable writers, educators, students, cadets, Scottish Rite Brethren, and their guests present to recognize real merit and give heartfelt support to education and patriotism. It is an occasion for thanks and celebration. Thanks are certainly due to the teachers, administrators from the County Board of Education, and others who have created this educational system and who make it work-often against many obstacles, budget cuts, and public apathy. The proof of your efforts is self-evident in the students and JROTC cadets we honor.

Ill. C. B. Hall, 33°, S.G.I.G. in West Virginia (left), and Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, Director of Development for the Supreme Council (right), flank six JROTC Cadets receiving the Supreme Council's Education and Americanism Award at the Valley of Charleston's George Washington Day Banquet on February 22, 2003.

And celebration, like thanks, is equally appropriate. It is right that this prize-winning essay (see page 10) and the student who wrote it, should be acknowledged publicly. This young writer is already shaping the world through writing. Similarly, the second and third-prize student writers, along with their teachers who are present, should be celebrated for their accomplishments. In addition, as a military man myself, I am pleased to recognize the six JROTC cadets who are here (see page 8) to be honored for their academic accomplishments, civic service, and patriotic example. All these young men and women are the future of our nation. They deserve our congratulations and best wishes.

Also, it is a particular pride for me to acknowledge the work of the Scottish Rite in Charleston, West Virginia. Like the Masons of so many other Masonic Lodges and Temples, they have seen the importance of academic excellence and have developed several programs to advance public education through scholarships, grants to public schools and public school teachers, participation in JROTC programs, and the sponsorship of an annual Americanism essay contest. For many years the Scottish Rite Masons of Charleston have sponsored this contest which recognizes the outstanding writing of local high school students and extols the virtue of patriotism.

This essay contest is not an isolated instance of our Fraternity's civic involvement. The men of the Charleston Scottish Rite are the heirs of a long tradition. Freemasonry and the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, in particular, give support to every level of the public education system from elementary school to post-graduate university training. In middle and higher levels of education, Freemasonry contributes millions in scholarship support each year to high school and college students across America. In addition, Masonry sponsors grants in aid for teachers wishing to further their education, particularly in the field of Public School Administration. Then there are special advanced research and training grants in such areas as communication disorders in children and, in the Northern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, research in the cause and remedy of schizophrenia.

In fact, from the first years of a child's life, the Scottish Rite is involved in assisting our nation's youngest citizens to hear, to speak, and to understand. Presently, we in the Southern Jurisdiction have 165 clinics, centers, or program in 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These facilities, part of what we now call the RiteCare Childhood Language Program, treat young children with communication disorders so that their school experience can be a success. Too often early childhood language problems are not recognized or remedial treatment is not available because of a family's financial limitations. Also, many health insurance companies do not support this area of therapy.

The Scottish Rite is dedicated to filling this need. On average, the Scottish Rite today in the Southern Jurisdiction assists 28,500 children each year. Statistics indicate that a least 10% of school-age children have some form of language or learning disability, ranging from dyslexia to developmental delays, stuttering, aphasia, apraxia, and the like. Unless these conditions are caught early, within the first ten years of a child's life, he or she can suffer frustration, alienation, and difficulty in maintaining normal academic progress.

The result can be lifelong disability. Almost always, the child with a language or learning problem has normal or above-normal intelligence. The main philanthropic purpose of the Scottish Rite is to allow the child to develop his or her innate, natural abilities so that he or she can succeed in life and become a productive, happy citizen.

Public education at every level-preschool, primary, secondary, college, and university-is a primary philanthropic focus of Scottish Rite Freemasonry because our Order and its members realize the importance of a thoughtful patriotism. History teaches us that freedom is easily lost and that the true patriot carefully guards the freedom so many have paid such a high price to earn.

If it is the role of the warrior, the citizen soldier, to protect our American values from foreign enemies, it is the role of the writer to articulate and give shape to those values, so that everyone can understand them and share them. We need not fear controversy or the clash of opinion, but we do need to fear ignorance and silence. The written word can and does shape history. When President Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the woman who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, he exclaimed, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war." Great words from great minds-like the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, the Four Freedoms Address, and Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech-stand among the most powerful utterances in the history of the world. They have inspired individuals and moved whole nations.

The honest, perceptive writer, like our Americanism essay contest winners tonight, are young servants of Truth, and, as such, the Scottish Rite honors them and pledges to continue its support of public education in every way possible. Only through education and the achievement it allows individual initiative to attain can our nation continue to be a beacon of freedom to peoples around the globe.

Note: The above article is the text of an address written by Admiral Sizemore, Grand Executive Director of the Supreme Council, 33°. Due to the death of a close relative, he was unable, as previously planned, to attend the George Washington Banquet held on February 22, 2003, in the Scottish Rite Temple of Charleston, West Virginia. However, Bro. John Emery Justice, 32°, K.C.C.H., delivered the address in Ill. Sizemore's absence. Colonel Justice recently retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service with various branches of the Armed Services, NATO, and the CIA. Bro. Justice was raised in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, Lodge No 64, is the Founding Secretary of Peter M. Rasmussen Lodge No. 916 in Worms, Germany, a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Charleston, and a Noble of Beni Kedem Shrine. He is also a 30-year member in the Order of the Eastern Star and currently the Senior Warden of Acacia Lodge No. 155 in Thurmont, Maryland.

William G. Sizemore served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1982. Since 1989, he has served the Supreme Council as Grand Executive Director. He has been a Master Mason since 1948 and a member of the Scottish Rite since 1955. He is a Past Master and Past High Priest, R.A.M., and an active member of several Appendant Bodies and Masonic organizations.