By The Kansas Mason StaffA new Masonic charity has been

created by the Grand Lodge of Kansas.Developed to aidindividuals in needof charitable assis-tance, Kansas Free-masons Charities,Inc. (KFCI), has

recently received itsapproval from the IRS and will beginoperations as a 501(c)(3) charitableorganization soon.According to Grand Master Tracy

Bloom, the new charity fills a specificniche that has not been adequatelyaddressed.

“In accordance with the Strategic Plan– which calls for us to reexamine ourcharitable giving – the Council of Ad-ministration created a charity that canrespond to individual requests forassistance. The intent of KFCI is toaddress that need. For instance, if we geta request from a distressed worthybrother – something thatmany brothershave been asking about for some time --we will be in the position to do some-thing about it. If he needsHomeHealth,for example, this charity can provide forthat. Or if he has simply fallen on hardtimes –we can do something about that,too. In the past, we’ve handled thoserequests from discretionary funds built

into the Grand Master’s budget – butnow, really for the first time, we candispense Masonic

GRAND LODGE CREATES NEW MASONIC CHARITY

By The Kansas Mason StaffAt its September meeting, the

Council of Administration voted torestrict its members from serving onother Masonic-related boards duringtheir terms of office. Theunanimous vote, which affectsonly the Grand Master, DeputyGrand Master, and the GrandWardens, followed a lengthydiscussion which highlighted theconcerns about a conflict of interestbetween the duties owed by theseCouncil members to the Craft, andwhatever duties may be owed to otherboards.According to Grand Master Tracy

Bloom, “effective October 1, allCouncil of Administration membersresigned from all Masonic-relatedboards of directors or trustees wherethere were fiduciary responsibilities to

those boards and the Grand Lodge ofKansas. I suppose at some time in thepast as a sign of respect, or courtesy,members of the COA were asked tojoin a lot of boards. It all worked fine

for many years, but in the process of[the COA] looking into our corporatestructure these direct relationshipswere identified as potential troublespots should controversy arise. By theresignation from those boards weeliminate any possibility of aconflict of interest.”Deputy Grand Master Don

Newman agreed, stating that thedual role asked of COA membersrisked a conflict of interest,particularly “if a decision the GrandLodge was required to make for thegood of the Craft was not the decisionthat a board would necessarily wantto make.”Although COA members have

resigned from all other boards, in-cluding the Kansas Masonic Home,the Salina Masonic Temple Board,

A Publication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas

Volume #49 December 2011 Issue #4

IN THIS ISSUEWhat’s New 1From the Grand East 2Secretary’s Corner 2Editor’s Note 3Kansas Masonic Notes 4-7The Craft Abroad 8Awards & Honors 9Book Review 10Masonic Community Calendar 11Official Notices 12-14Annual Communication Form 15Questions Answered 16

(See CHARITY, pg. 10)

THE KANSAS MASONTHE VOICE OF KANSAS MASONRY

TTHHEE KKAANNSSAASS MMAASSOONNTHE VOICE OF KANSAS MASONRY

(See COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION, pg. 9)

COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION MOVESTO ELIMINATE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

2

Winter 2011

The Kansas MasonEstablished 1963

The Kansas Mason is the officialpublication of the Grand LodgeA.F. & A.M. of Kansas, formallyorganized March 17, 1856.

The Kansas Mason is published fourtimes per year from the offices of :

The Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. ofKansas320 SW 8th AvenueTopeka, Kansas66601-1217

Send address changes to: Kansas MasonPO Box 1217Topeka, Kansas66601-1217

The opinions expressed in TheKansas Mason do not necessarilyreflect those of the Grand LodgeA.F. & A.M. of Kansas, its officersor employees.

Articles, news items, and lettersregarding The Kansas Masonshould be sent to the editor. All submissions become theproperty of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Kansas.

EditorMichael A. Halleran editor@kansasmason.org

Book Review EditorHoward Duncanbookreviews@kansasmason.org

Questions Answered EditorNolan Sumpquestions@kansasmason.org

No compensation is allowed orintended for any articles,photographs, or other materialsubmitted or published.

NOTE: Permission to reprintarticles or any part thereofappearing in The Kansas Masonwill be granted upon writtenrequest to the Grand Secretaryfrom recognized Master Masons.

Other written requests will beconsidered by the Council ofAdministration.

When reprinted, articles shouldnote “Reprinted with permissionof the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M.(month and year)”.

By Robert B. PfuetzeSt. Johns Lodge No.113Grand SecretaryJan, Nancy, Tracy, Chuck and I want to wish all of you a

Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We very muchappreciate all the help and cooperation we get from theLodge Secretaries.We had 18 secretaries register for the Secretary’s Seminar

portion of the Leadership Academy on October 1. I hadseveral secretaries tell me they learned a lot, and enjoyedthe session. On the critique sheets everyone filled out afterthe meetings were over, a few of the secretaries remarkedthat they would like to see the Secretary’s Seminar and theLeadership Academy held on different dates. In retrospect,

I would agree that it would be better to separate them, and I will recommend thatfor next year.I would like to ask that all Secretaries encourage their Master, Wardens, Officers

and even members, to work especially hard to eliminate suspensions for non-payment of dues. On October 27, there were 619 Brothers in Kansas who weresuspended for non-payment of dues last December, and

SECRETARY’S CORNER

By Tracy BloomSalina Lodge No. 60Grand Master

Seasons Greetings to you from the Grand East.There have been some changes at the Grand Lodge building

that I want to share with you. One of my favorite quotes is, “the more things change the

more things stay the same.” Sometimes we don’t understandthe full impact of why a change is made and sometimes thereare obvious reasons. A recent change that affects YourGrand Lodge and the Kansas Masonic Foundation is theFoundation’s decision to relocate to a different building. The

Foundation offices and center of business have for the past 45 years been located atthe Grand Lodge building in Topeka. For various reasons the administrators of theFoundation felt that their business model would be better served at a differentlocation. We hated to see the Foundation move from their longtime offices on thesecond floor of the Grand Lodge building but also understand that they felt the movewould better serve their purpose and wish them the best of luck.It’s amazing how the Grand Architect works, as one door shuts another opens!

While deliberating on what we could do with the space the Foundation had beenoccupying we heard rumors that the Grand Chapter of the OES might be looking fora place to move their Grand Chapter offices to. A couple of visits and a few discussionslater, I’m pleased to announce that the Grand Chapter of the OES of Kansas will nowgrace us with their presence in the second floor offices of the Grand Lodge Building.We look forward to working with them.

THE GRAND EAST

(See SECRETARY , pg. 8)

(See THE GRAND EAST, pg. 7)

Contact Grand Lodge of Kansas A.F. & A.M. at:320 SW 8th Avenue / P.O. Box 1217, Topeka, Kansas 66601Telephone: (785) 234.5518 Facsimile: (785) 357.4036

By Michael HalleranEmporia Lodge No. 12,Grand Junior Warden

This issue marks the end of twoyears of (what I hope have been)improvements in the content, lookand tone of the Kansas Mason. Mycolumn addresses some of thechanges we’ve made, your reactionsto those changes, and some changesyet to come.

When I took over as editor of the newsletter in early 2009,I was already the editor of the Scottish Rite ResearchSociety’s quarterly newsletter, The Plumbline. I resignedfrom that position in order to concentrate exclusively onthe Kansas Mason, but as many of you who receive theformer publication will realize, I used a lot of the samelayout and format to bring about some improvementsto our newsletter.In the first ofthose changes,we broke themagazine intodepartments -s t a t e w i d eMasonic news,a CommunityCalendar, etc., inpart to clean uphow each issuelooks, but also toclearly delivernews on certainareas every issue,instead of writingwhat - ever storiesthat randomlycome over thetransom.We also devel-

oped a style sheetto help with uniformity – where before there was none –and we have tried to make the newsletter easier to read byrequiring our writers to supply graphics with each story; apicture, as they say, being worth a thousand words. We’ve trimmed the heavy emphasis of past issues on

awards coverage – what Masonic writers refer to as “Pins &Grins” stories, and tried to bring you more Masonic news,both local and statewide, but also national news about theFraternity, when events warrant. And finally, we haveinstituted rigid deadlines to insure that you get your issue

when you’re supposed to. In most cases over the last twoyears we’ve been right on time, but on one or twooccasions, we’ve actually gotten you the issue earlier thanwe promised. We also post each and every issue online foryour convenience.With these positive changes, there has also been a change

that hasn’t been viewed as entirely positive. The KM is nowa digital process; that is, we don’t – actually we can’t –accept handwritten or typed paper submissions. Everythingwe do is done by email. I realize this has been irksome tosome of our brothers who are used to writing out notes inlong-hand and mailing them to the Grand Lodge, but ourvolunteer staff has to economize, and we simply don’t havetime to re-type the stories that come in by hand. I hopethe increase in the quality of the newsletter makes up forthis new change in operations.By and large, I think it does. Over the summer we posted

a survey on the Grand Lodge website asking for feedback onthe improvements we’ve made. We asked questions about

the newsletter,what you like anddon’t like, how itcompares to otherMasonic news-letters, and whatyou’d like tosee covered infuture, and theresults have beenencouraging.A summary of

the responses wereceived showthat most readersspend 15-30 min-utes reading eachnew issue (52.2%)with 30% spending30 – 60 minutes.Many readers toldus they read theentire issue from

cover to cover when they receive it (39%), while mostanswered that they read some articles at once, but savedothers for later (56.5%). Concerning the content of storiesand articles in the newsletter, our readers have given theimproved KM a passing grade with 34% reporting thatcontent was “good,” 43.5% described it as “very good,” and21% said it was “excellent.” Nearly 74% of all respondentscompared the KM favorably to other Masonic orAppendant newsletters they received. Commenting on ourdesign efforts, 86% of responding

The Kansas Mason

(See EDITOR , pg. 11)

EDITOR’S NOTE

From the Online Kansas Mason Survey

3

4

Winter 2011

KANSAS MASONIC NOTES

By by P. Todd DeckerMt. Zion Lodge No. 266Yes, Freemasonry has its secrets.Unfortunately, there is a Kansas Masonic

secret that even many of our Kansas Brothersknow little to nothing about. This secret isabout a special kind of lodge. You can easilyjoin, and participate, if you only knew aboutit—the Kansas Lodge of Research.The Grand Lodge of Kansas specially

chartered the Kansas Lodge of Research(“KLOR”) in 1982 for the purposessupporting Masonic study. If you areinterested in Masonic research, you shouldconsider joining. Your plural membership canhelp improve the education program back in yourMother Lodge for the benefit of all your lodge members.Oh, and it only costs $10 per year or $200 for a lifetime.Our mission is to:�• support our members interested in conductingMasonic research;

�• hold discussions on various topics in Masonry;�• gather and preserve Masonic information;�• assist in the maintenance of the Grand Lodge library

and museum;�• supply Masonic papers and Masonic speakers to

lodges; and,�• conduct programs of general service in the field of

Masonic education and information.In line with this mission, we have several projects

underway that, if they interest you, you too could contributeto their success.

First, we are attempting to develop a web-basedencyclopedia dedicated specifically to Masonic knowledge--a private “wikipedia” for Freemasons. Masons were

traditionally on the cutting edge of technology.We have a long line of Masonic encyclopediasand it is our goal to bring these into the 21stCentury and demonstrate Kansas Masonicleadership.

Second, any lodge can request Masoniceducation in the form of papers and speakers fromthe KLOR. We would like to make it easy forlodges and speakers to find each other by creatinga “Speakers Bureau” where speakers can registertheir topics, lodges can find topics, andschedules can be coordinated. National

speakers should be accessible too and allavailable through the Kansas Mason web site. If you are aweb software developer, please contact us.Third, we are dedicated to providing guest speakers for

the 2012 Grand Lodge session.To learn more about us, download an application for

membership, and add yourself to our electronic maildistribution list, you can find us on the new Kansas Masonweb portal at http://www.kansasmason.org. Our page isunder the “Community Center” menu.Our next scheduled meeting is Saturday, February 4, 2012,

at Noon at the Grand Lodge in Topeka. We will then meetin at Junction City Lodge on June 2. Then, we meet again onOctober 6 at the Lawrence Masonic Center. Each time, weopen Lodge at Noon.We look forward to meeting you and working with you

to learn about real secrets.

KANSAS LODGE OF RESEARCH EXPANDS MISSION

LEGENDS OF MASONRYDo you have a “legendary” member in your lodge? Oneof those brothers who has always been there for yourlodge and its members, someone who is always ready tohelp out in the community in any way possible, one ofthose unsung heroes who is an exemplary Mason. If so,we would like to honor him at the upcoming AnnualGrand Lodge Communication in March 2012 at Salina.

All you have to do is send in a picture of this brother (600DPI or larger) and write up a short summary of whatmakes him a “legend” of your lodge (minimum of 150words, maximum of 250). Make sure you include hisname, address, and lodge name and number in yoursubmissions. Please submit them by February 17th 2012to legends@kansasmason.org.

5

The Kansas Mason

By Rick Reichert,Grand Senior WardenHancock Lodge No. 311Previous winners of the Relighting the Torch awards are

finding themselves struggling to accumulate acceptablehours. Grand Lodge is rigidly enforcing therule change enacted at the 2009 AnnualCommunication. Has the rule changesnuffed out the flame on the torch?According to Don Newman, Deputy

Grand Master, "I'm seriously consideringdoing away with the program altogether. Itdoesn't seem right to reward lodges fordoing what they should be doing anyway."However, there is still time to turn the rule-change hurdle into a significant win,especially for lodges that have not beencompetitive for this award in the past.There are fifteen $1,000 awards for whichfew lodges have yet qualified for the 2011-2012 year.Complete details are posted at KansasMason.org but

here is the essence: Do something charitable as a lodge-led endeavor with enough hours to qualify for the award.To level the playing field, smaller lodges are required toperform less hours than larger ones. The reward, however,is the same regardless of lodge size. This can be asignificant boon to the smaller lodges and they,likely being in lesspopulated areas, are mostlikely to succeed.The rule change is that

the hours accumulatedmust be a lodge-led effort.Individual charitable vol-unteer hours and sup-porting another charitableorganization, althoughencouraged and the rightthing to do, are notcounted for this award.The spirit of this award,and the reason for the rulechange, is to build theimage of your lodge andthe fraternity as a whole. Internally, we know we

have been Herculean withour quiet philanthropy. Our religious teachings tell us thatany boasting of our giving is its own reward and cannotserve as treasure in heaven. Promoting good works doneby a group of men who display brotherly love, relief andtruth is not boasting. By not making ourselves known bythe good works we do deprives the community the

knowledge of how to seek that charitable support whenneeded and most importantly, it denies potential brothersthe knowledge of how to seek out like minded men andjoin them. Hiding our light under a bushel basket ishelping drive our fraternity into obscurity.

The rule change was made to align ourgood works with the Image goal of Vision2020, our strategic plan. Making our goodworks visible, accessible, and significant arerequired to meet our strategic goals andensure the solid future of our Craft.The litmus test for lodge-led is simple. Ifthe lodge did not participate in thecharitable effort, would it continueanyway? If the answer is yes, it is not lodgeled. So what can a lodge do? First, look atyour own membership. Whoever saidcharity begins at home was right. In anygroup of men, there must be some cause

near to the heart of at least one of them. Once the need isidentified, attaining the requisite hours is the next step.The 300 member lodge must have 300 hours. That's one

hour per member or 10 hours for 30 members. Whetheryou do the effort all at once, like a toy-building workshopfor the underprivileged children in your community atChristmas, or spread out by providing a pool of free on-

call handyman for services made available toseniors that can'totherwise affordto winterize their homes,meeting the time re-quirement is certainlyachievable.The response to a lodge-

led effort like these wouldput your lodge in theforefront of yourcommunity's mind whenthey are in need of acharitable service youperform. You'll be build-ing up the image of yourlodge, bring unity to yourcharitable efforts, and putyour lodge on the map formen who are looking fora way to give back.The

community response will be, "That's what the lodge guysdo in our town - and it is great thing!”Hook onto something like that and making the hours

will be but a mere side benefit to the many otherrewards your lodge will reap. Your torch flame will burnmost brightly.

RELIGHTING THE TORCH: DID THE RULE CHANGE SNUFF OUT THE FLAME?

KANSAS FREEMASONSON THE LEVEL

Winter 2011

6

LINDSBORG LODGE TO HOLD SPECIAL CENTENNIAL EVENTBy Chet PetersonLindsborg Lodge No. 397While the past 99 years haven’t

been bad at all, 2012 is shaping up tobe a banner year for Lindsborg Lodge.On the evening of Tuesday, February

21, the Lodge will be celebrating itscentennial. Following a meal, scheduled tobegin at 6.30, Grand Lodge officers will assist themembers in rededicating the Lodge. The rededicationwill be an open ceremony.

Lindsborg Lodge has 113 members and seven perpetuallife members – 6.2 % of total membership. It has beenparticularly active this past year with the CHIPs program,

processing as many as 83 children in onelocation.

The Lindsborg Lodge is having adistinctive coin produced to com-memorate its 100th year. It can beobtained for $10 plus $.75 shippingfrom Lindsborg Lodge #397, P. O. Box

133, Lindsborg, Kansas 67456.

By Rick Reichert, Grand Senior WardenHancock Lodge No. 311

If you haven't received your duesnotice yet, rest assured, it will bein your mailbox soon enough. Sowhat will you do with it? If you'recontemplating not paying it, forwhatever reason, this message isfor you.Brother, you're owed wages. Don't

give up your membership before youcollect your symbolic payment. Youmay be on a fixed retirementincome, infirm, or living in anotherstate. You may be busy with otheractivities too numerous to name.

Worse yet, you may have become alienated by your lodgesomehow. Don't let any of these reasons stop you fromcollecting. By gosh, you've paid dues and you're owedsomething for that.It’s easy to determine your wages. There are myriad

great reasons to maintain your lodge membership.First, you've invested a great deal of your time andmoney to become a member of the world's oldest,most respected, and greatest philanthropicfraternity. You possess secrets that you'veaccumulated that unlock a significant portionof the world that would have otherwiseremained dark to you. Whether with yourhome lodge or elsewhere, you've cometo rely on brother Masons for friendship,brotherly love, and maybe even relief. You've been part oflodge events, picnics, degrees, and visits. You know youwant this noble institution to endure with its time-testedlessons on friendship, morality, and brotherly love. So, addup all the great benefits of Masonry, then subtract what youhave already received. Discount the results by all the times

the Craft could have used your support, participation, orencouragement and didn't get it. If you're like most of us,this equation yields a huge result already in your favor. Thismeans you’ve already collected your wages and owe dues. But wait. There's more. Without proof of membership, yoursworn oath is to take the secrets of a Master Mason to thegrave with you without being able to share them amongyour brothers. Speaking of grave, a member who enters thenext life is entitled to a Masonic Funeral. You know thatthe service does not serve as a passport to heaven, but itdoes show the bereaved that you were well invested in aband of brothers who believe in the vow to aid your widowand orphans. Now to collecting your wages, if aught be due. In the rare

case that the equation indicates you're still owed wages, youcan still collect. But, in order to collect, you must maintainyour membership. So that means, like it or not, you needto write a check and send in your dues at least one moretime. Then you get a whole year to get what you are owed.Collect by contacting your lodge. Attend meetings or, ifout of the area, attend a lodge where you are. If youwant to forget dues forever, consider a PrepaidPerpetual Life Membership. In addition to beingeligible to wear a nifty new pin, you collect thegratitude and esteem of all your brothers in thestate. Even more, you become legacy sinceyour dues are still being paid to your lodgefor you, in perpetuity. That means forever.

So, settle up, cowboy. It's true thatyou get out of Masonry what you putinto it. Moreover, Masonry adds back so

much more than what you pay in dues. It's more thanmoney can buy. That's what is in it for you. But it starts byyou keeping your membership current. That gets youleverage to vote, raise issues, and set the lodge on track tokeep your wages coming in without interruption. There'splenty in it for you. So, send in your check, today.

DUES NOTICE: WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME

Reichert

The Kansas Mason

7

By Robert PollardNorthstar Lodge #168Awards night at Northstar Lodge No.

168 in Wichita was an exciting eveningfor 7 year old Nathan Storck whenGrand Master Tracy Bloom visited topresent 25, 50 and 60 year emblems. Nathan is a normal 7 year old with one

exception; he has a lofty long-term goal.When Nathan’s grandfather, BennyTeague, a Past Master of Northstar Lodge,introduced him to the Grand Master,Nathan confidently said, “It’s my honorto meet you sir. I intend to be Master ofthis Lodge when I’m old enough.”“ I’m sure you will, and you will be a

very good one at that,” the Grand Masterresponded.“I practice being a good Mason everyday like my Grandpa

taught me, and I attend Lodge functions whenever I can,”Nathan said. After talking with Nathan about his schooland family the Grand Master presented Nathan with hispin which was a big topic at “show and tell” the next dayat school.

Following a wonderful fried chickenmeal with all the trimmings, servedby the ladies of Midian Shrine, about 75attendees adjourned to the Lodge hallwhere Grand Master Tracy Bloomintroduced the Grand Lodge officersin attendance and Past Grand MasterDean Osborn, a member of North-star Lodge. He then announced “Ihave one special honored guest I wouldlike everyone to meet, Nathan Storck,who says he will be Master of NorthstarLodge someday and maybe GrandMaster.”Pleased and honored, Nathan stood upto be recognized with a round ofapplause. The Grand Master thenproceeded to present ten honorees with

their 25 and 50 year pins. After speaking about the GrandLodge programs and Masonry in general the Grand Masterturned to Nathan and asked, “have I talked long enough?”Nathan nodded and said” I’m ready to pick out one of thepins you brought with you and it’s past my bed time”.Meeting adjourned!

GRAND MASTER’S VISIT INSPIRES 7 YEAR OLD

Grand Master Tracy Bloomand Nathan Storck

THE GRAND EAST (Continued from pg. 2)

As the holidays draw near, many of our thoughts turn tocharity, particularly towards Masonic Charity, But what is it,when does it happen, how do you give it, to whom do yougive it and more importantly why do we give it? All questionsthat seem obvious, but, how often do we do more thanconsider or think about it? Masonic Charity comes in all sizesand shapes; sure we have a Relighting the Torch Program thatis designed to aid the local lodges to be an active andcharitable part of the local community but is that enough? I’vealways said that, “it is way too convenient to just reach in yourpocket, dig out $20 and donate it”.Charity, and most especially Masonic Charity, is about caring

personally for others. I asked 7 questions in the previousparagraph, and now I’m going to ask but one more, when wasthe last time YOU gave another Brother some of YOUR time?It’s not rocket science, it’s not difficult to do, you just have totake the TIME and do it. I can guarantee you that it will begreatly appreciated by the one you share your time with!Some of my fondest memories after joining my lodge were

the time that the proverbial old Tyler (Brother Ancel Cleaver,PM) spent with me answering my 101 questions and feedingmy quest for Masonic knowledge and he helped instill in methat search for further light. For that I’m grateful and have felta need ever since to help others with theirs and hope I cancarry on WB Ancel’s legacy and be as charitable as he was. Yousee, he didn’t have a lot of money, but he did have time,knowledge and patience.

Each of us can make differences like that, perhaps not exactlythe same way, but as the leaves fall and the air turns cooler, a lotof things happen about this time of year. Kids head back toschool, Halloween comes and goes, Christmas is looming evercloser, and of course the dreaded letter from your lodge secretarytelling you that you owe another year of dues to your lodge!Some take care of the notice right away, some procrastinate

(by the way, this is my category), some just plain ignore it forone reason or another and yet others would like to pay it, butbecause of the downturn of the economy might not be ableto afford it. I would encourage each of you to call yoursecretary and ask him if he’d give you just three names ofbrothers that the lodge hasn’t heard from. Make a personalvisit or phone call to the Brother and spend just a fraction ofyour time with him. See if he forgot to send the check orperhaps it’s still setting on the counter ready to go out, andthen again, you might just find someone who needed one ofhis Brothers to call and check on him, he being too proud toever ask for help, let alone for someone to just call and chat.Who knows what might come of doing something ascharitable as that, which in my mind is much more valuablethe a dollar donation from someone’s pocket, and besides aswe are all traveling down that road to the same destination, itmight just be you that receives that knock at your door orphone call someday!I wish each and every one of you and your families a joyous

Christmas and a prosperous new year!

8

Winter 2011

By The Kansas Mason StaffThe Grande Loge Nationale Française (GLNF), formerly the

only French Masonic Grand Lodge recognized by the regularMasonic world … isn’t. Founded in 1913, by two lodges that

split from the larger and older GrandOrient de France, GLNF embracedprecepts of regularity issued by theUnited Grand Lodge of England,which had been abandoned by theGrand Orient. By 2010 it had grown to1600 lodges. But even though it stillprohibits membership by women andcloses its doors to atheists, the GLNF isin trouble.Last year, the French press began

publishing details of internal turmoilover several controversial rulings byincumbent Grand Master FrancoisStifani, some financial irregularities,and charges of meddling in French politics. Stifani has resistedcalls to resign. From there, according to Masonic blogger ChrisHodapp, the situation has gotten markedly worse.“More than 600 GLNF lodges have either withdrawn from

the Grand Lodge or have had their charters pulled by Stifani,and … a full blown fight broke out as a 65 year old memberattempted to enter the GL headquarters in Paris and wasknocked to the ground and dragged out by security officers for

failing to show his dues card.”In May 2011, several jurisdictions,among them the German GrandLodges, the Grand Lodge Alpina ofSwitzerland, and the Grand Lodge ofTurkey, formally renounced their tieswith GLNF. This was followed by thesuspension of Masonic relations bythe United Grand Lodge of England –the bellwether of Masonicrecognition. Since then, Americanjurisdictions have reacted, with severalAmerican Grand Lodges pullingrecognition, among them Iowa,Massachusetts and Connecticutbringing the total to 19 Grand

jurisdictions worldwide by September 2011.There is no word yet whether Kansas is considering

suspending recognition, although Grand Lodge is aware of, andfollowing, the controversy.

THE CRAFT ABROADFRENCH GRAND LODGE REJECTED BY UGLE, OTHERS

GLNF Grand MasterFrancois Stifani

SECRETARY (Continued from pg. 2)

who have not yet been restored. Obviously we cannot doanything about losses from death, which are also very high,but we can do something about suspended members.Often all it takes is a personal call or visit from a Brotherasking him if he realized he had let his membership lapse.Tell him that the fraternity will suffer from losing a valuablemember like him. Explain to him that we really do needhim, not only to pay dues, but also to come to meetingsand participate. Realistically, however, without his dues, wemay not be able to afford to continue the good works ofour Fraternity into the future. An approach like this willwork much better than threatening letters from the Lodge.Everyone needs to remember that retention is easier thanrecruitment, so work harder on keeping our currentmembers than you do on getting new ones, and we canreverse this trend.It is almost time for the Annual Reports to be sent out to

the Lodges. Please remember that the by-laws require thatyou return this report along with your per-capita tax paymentno later than January 10, 2012. Like so many other jobs wedread, this one is not difficult once you get started. If theSecretary has been making the required monthly reports,either on paper or by database exchange, the only difference

between your records and ours should be those changes thattake place during the last three weeks of December. I sincerelybelieve that, except for the half-dozen largest Lodges in thestate, completing the Annual Report should take no longerthan an hour, once you get started. Please don’t put it off toolong. As you know, there are penalties for failure to meet thedeadline mandated in the by-laws.As of the writing of this article, fifty-nine Lodges still have

not returned their corrected rosters or sent the order formfor dues cards. No doubt there are a lot of Brotherswondering why they have not received their dues card for2012. If you are one of those Secretaries, you should knowby now that I will not send your dues cards until youcomply with the requirement that you return your correctedroster. It makes no sense to print dues cards which are notaccurate. If you have misplaced the roster or order formwhich we sent in July, please call the office and we will getyou another so you can get dues cards for your members.Again I wish you, your families, and all those you love

(even Brotherly love), a Happy Holiday Season, and a verysuccessful year for 2012. The Grand Lodge office will doeverything we can to help make your job easier and yourLodge a success.

9

The Kansas Mason

By The Kansas Mason staffDonald K. Baker, a member of Clay Center Lodge No.

134, was recently honored with a rare award from the BoyScouts of American -- the Daniel Carter Beard MasonicScouter Award.The award, named for one of the founders of Scouting, as

well as an active Freemasons, honors members of theMasonic Lodge who act as role models and providededicated service to the Boy Scouts.After he was presented the award, Don said he was

“completely surprised” by the honor. Hisbrothers at the Clay Center Masonic Lodgenominated Don for the award.Don is presently a registered member of

Cub Scout Pack No. 55 and Boy ScoutTroop No. 54, both of Clay Center, aswell as a member of Lodge No. 134,Clay Center. He has been veryinvolved and active in Boy Scoutsfor close to 34 years.

SCOUTS HONOR CLAY CENTER MASON

By C. Max Pittman, King Solomon Lodge No. 10On October 8, for the second time in less than a year, the

Grand Lodge officers, theirwives, other brother Masonsand their ladies gathered inGreensburg with Most Wor-shipful Brother Tracy Bloom.This trip was to dedicate theKiowa County High School. The next morning the group

awoke to a soaking rain that thecommunity had not seen forseveral weeks. The Grand Lodge party arrived

at the school amidst a largecrowd of students and parentsinvolved in a league volley Ball tournament being held intwo brand new gyms.The new School building has Pre-School through High

School grades plus two Gyms and a Cafeteria under oneroof. A great new facility. Since the Greensburg and theneighboring Mullinville school Districts have been

combined, and the neighboring Haviland High Schoolnow attends at Greensburg, the name of the new School

has been changed to KiowaCounty Schools.Because of all the activity aroundthe volley ball courts, thededication ceremony which wasscheduled to take place in theHigh School had to be moved tothe Grade School end of thecomplex.Following the School Dedi-

cation, the Grand Lodge mem-bers and attending Brothersmoved to the recently dedicatednew home of Kiowa Lodge No.

293 for a Masonic award ceremony. The Grand Masterhonored 60 year member W. E. Stewart with an emblemand a certificate for his long service to the fraternity. Lunchwas served to the group following the presentation. The Day’s activities had resulted in a memorable occasion

for everyone attending.

GRAND LODGE RETURNS TO GREENSBURG

Grand Master Tracy Bloom and Assisting BrethrenDedicate Kiowa County High School

AWARDS & HONORS

COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION (Continued from pg.1)

and the Kansas Masonic Foundation, Grand SeniorWarden Rick Reichert said that “Masonic unity andcooperation for the betterment of the Craft in Kansas isstill the top priority.” He also indicated that some GrandLodge presence is warranted and needed on these boards.“The Grand Lodge of Kansas wants to cooperate and

continue the good works that these related Masonicorganizations foster,” said Michael Halleran, Grand JuniorWarden, “and the decision of the COA to step away frombeing voting members on these other boards frees up theCouncil from having to serve two masters.”

Addressing the need to continue working together, theGrand Master said that he would be appointing GrandLodge liaisons to the various boards. “In the past,” he said,“Council of Administration members have filled that role,but as the Council steps away from those responsibilities,we’re looking to have appointed representatives fill theirplaces. They obviously won’t have voting privileges buttheir presence and recommendations will insure that thereis two-way communication and continued opportunitiesto work together towards the betterment of KansasMasonry. And that's what we should be concerned with.”

10

Winter 2011

arrange his scientific knowledge to be compatible with theFreemasonry belief in a Supreme Being and his Masonicoath regarding God to be compatible with his scientificbelief in a Cosmic Mind.The third story is a presentation of Masonry in Great

Britain, revealing much of the customs and even the ritual.One question which Lomas does not address is how hedetermined which parts of the ritual were covered by hispledge of secrecy and which were not. England hasspecialized Symbolic Lodges which cater to men withunique interests common to the group. Lomas foundMasonic happiness and a home in Living Stones Lodgewhich meets in Leeds at Castle Grove Masonic Hall. LivingStones practices meditation to form a group-mind or groupconsciousness. At high twelve, wherever dispersed, themembers seek out a quiet place and with closed eyes seekcomradely warmth and inspiration from a Cosmic Mind incommunication with their Brothers. The Lost Key by Lomas is a book which will not likely

appeal to most of the readers of this Kansas Mason review.Many of them when asked to describe the book wouldprobably use the term “boring.” Hopefully this review willlet you anticipate what you are likely to find when youundertake this complex book.

Reviewed by: J. Howard Duncan, Lawrence Lodge No. 6Coronet, 2011, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-444-71059-5.Available from amazon.com at $21.69 hardcover and $14.21Kindle electronic.

BOOK REVIEWROBERT LOMAS – THE LOST KEY Subtitled: The Supranatural Secrets of the Freemasons Brother Robert Lomas is an English

Freemason who co-authored thehighly popular book The Hiram Keyand is now venturing on his own withthis intriguingly promoted and verycomplex book. The advertising hypenotes “Astrology, angels, chakras andthe powers of the mind to operateindependently of the body, such as inremote viewing, are all a part ofFreemasonic lore” which secret teach-ings Lomas reveals to a wider publicfor the first time.A better understanding of this book comes with the

realization that it is three stories tightly interwoven into onepresentation like the fibers of a rope. The first story ortheme is Lomas’ autobiography. His academic struggleagainst dyslexia from the first day of school to receiving aPhD as a physicist for his research in solid state physics andcrystalline structures is inspiring. The English system ofacademics assigned him to the educational scrap heap oftrade school following the basic first eleven years. Throughhis genius and top scoring on aptitude exams he advancedthrough the higher educational levels, essentially buckingthe system each step of the way. The second theme is his struggle with the concept of God

in the conflicting viewpoints between Freemasonry andscience, particularly as held by many physicists who believethat the universe is a meaningless accident. He was able to

CHARITY (Continued from pg. 1)

charity in an organized way from within the Grand Lodge.”Grand Master Bloom said that he will work in concert

with Deputy Grand Master Don Newman and the Councilof Administration to appoint board members andorganize the structure of the charity in the verynear future. The goal, he said, is to announceKFCI as fully operational by the AnnualCommunication.“We’re not ready just yet to start evaluating

requests for giving,” he said, “but very soon,our members can make tax deductiblecontributions to the fund and we’ll beup and running.”Noting that a public charity is

required to consider requests for aidfrom the public as well as members of the fraternity, Bloomsaid that Masonic charity knows no boundaries.

“What is unique about KFCI, though, is that now we havea formal charitable organization that can handle requestsfor assistance in accordance with our Masonic obligations

to help brother Masons.”Deputy Grand Master Newman agreed.“We’re pretty excited about the chance to beable to help individuals in the community,”he said. “A charity like this is open to be ableto help anyone in need – Mason or non-Mason – but the Council felt very strongly thatwe need a charitable organization that can

specifically address the needs of adistressed worthy brother, his widowand orphans.”According to the Grand Master, KFCI

now has a page on the Grand Lodge website where furtherinformation will be posted as it becomes available.

The Kansas Mason

11

DISTRICT MEETING SCHEDULEAll meetings start at 9 a.m.

#4 Baldwin City, Jan. 14 (Rector)

#5 Shawnee, Jan. 7 (Rector)

#6 Paola, Jan. 21 (Rector)

#7Williamsburg, Jan. 14 (Salts)

#8 Parker, Jan. 14 (Crane)

#9&10Hiattville, Feb. 11 (Williams)

#11 Parsons, Jan. 28 (Sellen)

#12 Elk City, Feb. 11 (Main)

#13 Chanute, Jan. 7 (Crane)

#15 & 18 Topeka #17, Jan. 21 (Sellen)

#16 & 17 Topeka #225, Jan. 14(Williams)

#19 & 20Manhattan, Jan. 28 (Main)

#24Howard, Jan. 14 (Talbott)

#25 Belle Plaine, Jan. 14 (Main)

#26Haysville, Feb. 25 (Detwiler)

#27 El Dorado, Jan. 28 (Snyder)

#28 Newton, Jan. 21 (Detwiler)

#29 Clearwater, Jan. 21 (Snyder)

#31McPherson, Feb. 11 (Detwiler)

#33 Belleville, Jan. 28 (Rector)

#35 Plainville, Jan. 28 (Butt)

#36Hays, Jan. 7 (Talbott)

#38 & 39 Johnson, Jan. 21 (Butt)

#40 Goodland, Jan. 21 (Mtn Time)(Williams)

MASONIC COMMUNITY CALENDARWyandotte Lodge #3Grand Master visitJanuary 6. 6:30 p.m.

Paola Lodge #37150-year celebration and dedicationFebruary 18 12 p.m.

Lindsborg Lodge #397Centennial and RededicationFebruary 21 6 p.m., Lindsborg

Annual Communication of theGrand Lodge of KansasMarch 15-17 Salina

EDITOR (Continued from pg. 3)

readers told us that the magazine was “clean anduncluttered” or that they considered it had “up-to-dategraphics, good design.” Just 13% deemed it “dull [or]ordinary.” A variety of responses followed from ourquestion on what our members want to see in future issues,as the graphic shows below. Finally, the survey was almost evenly split on whether our

members wanted to see the newsletter delivered as a papercopy, or only available online; 34.8% prefer a copydelivered by the postman, 30.4% would like the newsletteravailable on-line only, and 34.8% reported “I don’t care.” There are no plans to change distribution of the newsletterin the near future, and as this was an online survey, manyof our members who do not regularly access the internetwere unable to sound off. However, we plan to continuesoliciting reader feedback as our time and budget allow sothat we may more effectively serve your needs. I hope inthe near future to have the space to put a survey in thepaper copy of the KM, but until then, the online survey isstill available at http://www.kansasmason.org/?p=1457.In other news, the Council of Administration, which iseffectively the publisher of the Kansas Mason, was faced

with a difficult question over the summer. As you areaware, the Kansas Masonic Foundation has included asupplement in every issue of the newsletter. Two otherMasonic groups inquired if they could also be allowed toeither place a supplement or advertising in the KansasMason. After much deliberation the Council decided thatadvertising or competing supplements detracted from themission of the Grand Lodge newsletter and that in theinterest of fairness to all concerned, no advertising orsupplements will be included in the Kansas Masonbeginning next year.Finally, please know that this newsletter could not beproduced without the able and tireless assistance of somevery dedicated Masons: Howard Duncan, Chet Petersonand Nolan Sump who provide content, advice andassistance that I find invaluable. And, I must add, webenefit from one eagle-eyed non-Mason, Jan Nelson, theExecutive Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. Herproofreading and editing skills are sans pariel. I hope we are meeting your expectations, we will continueto strive to bring you the best Masonic newsletter we canproduce.

12

Winter 2011

OFFICIAL NOTICESPROPOSED CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAW CHANGES FOR 2012

Note that wording to be removed has been struck out, these words for example, and any additions are boldfacedand underlined, these words for example.

Proposal #1

5-239. Crimes Involving Sexual Activities with Children.

Duty to Report. It is hereby made the duty of any member convicted of such a crime to notify the Grand Masterwithin thirty (30) days of conviction and to provide a certified copy of the court’s proceedings. It is also the duty of amember who has actual knowledge of another member’s conviction of such a crime to promptly notify the GrandMaster.

d. Duty to Report. It is hereby made the duty of any member who has actual knowledge of anothermember’s conviction of such a crime to promptly notify the Master of his lodge.

Rationale: The first sentence in section d makes no sense at all and will never be followed. To be honest for thissentence to be obeyed the accused would have to read the trial code before he went out and had sex with a childand then be dumb enough to report himself. I doubt if anyone has read the entire trial code and if they had thiswould not have been written this way.

Both the first and second sentences of section d are in direct conflict with three other sections of the trial code asfollows. In section 5-201 it says: “Every proceeding against a brother shall be brought in the Lodge of which he is amember or by the Lodge wherein the offense was committed except in those cases where the Grand Lodge hasoriginal jurisdiction.” This says EVERY proceeding no exception unless Grand Lodge has original jurisdiction. Thisis covered in Article III of the trial code where Grand Lodge or the Grand Master can bring charges when there is aconflict between two lodges and that is all.

The second sentence is also in direct conflict with section 5-209 and 5-210. When these two by-laws are obeyedand the Grand Master receives the charges with proof he can go ahead and expel the brother without going to theTrials and Punishment Committee.

Fraternally submitted,

Don E. Robinett, PGM

Proposal #2

5-239. Crimes Involving Sexual Activities with Children.

Summary punishment. Any Mason subject to jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge who has been, or hereafter shall be,convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of a crime regarding sexual activity with or involving a child shall, bydirection of the Grand Master, be summarily expelled from Masonry, suspended, or reprimanded, depending uponthe severity of offense, without the preferring of charges and the usual Masonic trial. However, before issuing suchorder of expulsion, suspension, or reprimand, the Grand Master may refer said matter to the Trials and PunishmentCommittee for their recommendation as to the punishment suitable for the offense. The Trials and PunishmentCommittee shall forward their written recommendation to the Grand Master within thirty (30) days from the date ofthe receipt of the request for such recommendation by the Grand Master.

c. Right of Appeal. Any Mason expelled, suspended, or reprimanded under the provisions of this section shall beentitled to the right of appeal as provided by By-law 5-233.

13

The Kansas Mason

Rationale: To clarify the actions required upon felony conviction of any felony perpetrated by a Kansas Mason,including a sex crime involving a child, and to return to the Grand Master the specific authority, clearly stated withinthe By Laws, to deal with all felony convictions within his jurisdiction.

The intent of the 2011 amendment to 5-239 to make expulsion from Masonry automatic in the case of felony sexcrimes convictions involving children was laudable, but the wording was unclear and the 2011 amendment removedsome important options from the Grand Master in cases involving any felony conviction other than sex crimes with achild.

The need for the return of “felony options” for the Grand Master is to articulate the authority and discretion of theGrand Master in matters of this nature. It has been put forward that the indiscretions of youth (or the resultingconvictions) may be over looked if the man has grown and changed. This is an appropriate Masonic sentiment butnot an intuitive one. By articulating the authority of the Grand Master of expulsion, suspension, or reprimand forconviction of a felony (with the exception of 5-239) there is no question on the authority of the Grand Master’sdiscretion in these matters.

Respectfully submitted,

Kyle G FerlemannGolden Rule Lodge #90

Proposal #3 (New By-Law)

5-240. Conviction Of or Pleading Guilty to Felony Crimes.

Summary punishment. Any Mason subject to jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge who has been convictedin any court of competent jurisdiction of a felony crime shall, by direction of the Grand Master, besummarily expelled from Masonry, suspended, or reprimanded, depending upon the severity ofoffense, without the preferring of charges and the usual Masonic trial. However, before issuing suchorder of expulsion, suspension, or reprimand, the Grand Master may refer said matter to the Trialsand Punishment Committee for their recommendation as to the punishment suitable for the offense.The Trials and Punishment Committee shall forward their written recommendation to the GrandMaster within thirty (30) days from the date of the receipt of the request for such recommendation bythe Grand Master.

b. Evidence. Without limiting other forms of evidence, a certified copy of the Court’s proceedings showing a judgment of conviction shall be sufficient to justify expulsion,suspension, or reprimand by the Grand Master as provided above.

c. Right to Appeal. Any Mason expelled, suspended, or reprimanded under the provisions of thissection shall be entitled to the right of appeal as provided by By-Law 5-233.

d. Duty to Report. It is hereby made the duty of any member convicted of such a crime to notify the Grand Master within thirty (30) days of conviction and to provide acertified copy of the Court’s proceedings. It is also the duty of a member who has actual knowledgeof another member’s conviction of such a crime to promptly notify the Grand Master.

Reversal of Conviction. If the conviction shall be reversed upon appeal in the criminal court, theGrand Master shall set aside any order of punishment issued by him under this section and shallreinstate the member without lose of time.

14

Winter 2011

Felony Conviction Prior to Petition for the Mysteries. Conviction of a felony prior to Petition for theMysteries shall not automatically be a bar of acceptance into Masonry. The Investigating Committee ofthe receiving Lodge shall make the initial determination of acceptability but should confer with theGrand Master, via the Master of the Lodge, for concurrence when petitions involving past felonyconvictions are discovered.

Rationale: Masonry does not seek to bar any man who shows himself worthy ofenlightenment, regardless of his past, with the exception of certain cases of wonton selfishness and malice.Although we as Masons do not judge men (as this is the sole purview of the Grand Architect of the Universe) wecan in fact judge what is right and what is wrong. We do this with within our fraternity to preserve thewholesomeness of our Brotherly associations and it is correct that we should do so. It is also correct that the GrandMaster should be Supreme and final authority in these decisions with the guidance of By-Laws, the assistance of hisown wisdom, and the good council of his Trials and Punishment Committee. Let this worthy sentiment be clearlystated within the By Laws of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Of Ancient, Free And Accepted Masons Of Kansas.

Respectfully submitted,

Kyle G FerlemannGolden Rule Lodge #90

Proposal #4

4-308. Lodge Dues—Payable in Advance—Suspension—Lodge Dues shall be payable in advance and shall bedelinquent if not paid on or before January 1, of each year. If same are not paid by the date of the AnnualCommunication in December thereafter June 30 of the dues year thereafter, the member shall be suspended on thatdate to be effective as of December 31 July 1 of the dues year, thereafter.

Rationale: The Lodge budget is based on all members paying his dues when due. It will also save time,paperwork and postage for the Lodge Secretary and also for the Grand Lodge Secretary.

Respectfully submitted,

C. W. “Charlie” McClain, Past MasterXenia Lodge #47

Proposal #5 (New By-Law)

Grand Lodge Library and Museum—The four recognized Masonic Orders: Grand York Rite (Chapter,Council, and Commandery) DeMolay, Jobs Daughters, and Rainbow for Girls, having property stored ordisplayed in the Grand Lodge Building (320 SW 8th Ave, Topeka, Kansas) will be required to supply theGrand Secretary with an inventory of all such items one time. Thereafter report shall be made to the GrandSecretary of any changes (items added, removed, or to report no change) in the inventory. The report willbe due January 1 of each year.

Respectfully submitted,

Albert O. Arnold, Jr.Past Grand Secretary

Rationale: This is needed to properly identify the ownership of the property of the recognized Orders.

15

The Kansas Mason

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Thursday 1:00 – 5:00 pm - Registration

Friday 7:00 am – 3:30 pm - Registration Events: Grand Procession, Open to Public Formal Opening Ladies Luncheon Men’s Luncheon All-Masonic Banquet Saturday Registration NOT available on Saturday Events: Call to Labor Annual Necrology Service Installation of 2012-2013 Grand Lodge Officers, Open to Public Hotel Ramada Inn (formerly Holiday Inn), Mention “Mason’s Room Block” 1616 W. Crawford St., Salina, KS / Phone: 785-823-1739

REGISTRATION INFORMATION LAST NAME:

FIRST NAME:

Member Number:

Lodge Name and Number:

MEAL RESERVATIONS FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 16th

# of Tickets

Cost Per Ticket Discounted - Price After Price Feb. 29

th

Total Cost

Ladies Luncheon 3/16/2012

(Chef’s salad served with toasted French bread)

________

$15.00 - $20.00

Men’s Luncheon 3/16/2012 (Brisket, cheese potatoes,

vegetable, drink and dessert)

_________

$12.00 - $16.00

All-Masonic Banquet 3/16/2012

(Stuffed Pork Chop, Buttered Corn, with wild rice and dessert)

_________

$25.00 - $30.00

REGISTRATION FEE - Kansas Masons ONLY $ 25.00

TOTAL ENCLOSED Make check payable to - - The Grand Lodge of Kansas

$

Complete and return this form by February 29th

to: Grand Lodge of Kansas No refunds will be available after March 9

th 320 SW 8

th Ave

(Meal tickets will not be available at the registration desk) Topeka, KS 66603

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Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted MasonsThe Kansas MasonP.O. Box 1217Topeka, KS 66601

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QUESTIONS ANSWEREDThe Kansas Mason is pleased to receive questions from ourreaders and answer them as time and space permits. Please sendyour questions about Masonic law, etiquette, custom, traditionsor history to the Questions Answered Editor, Nolan Sump atquestions@kansasmason.org .

Dear Editor:I am learning the stair lecture at my lodge and I am tryingto grasp the concept of the seven liberal arts and sciences.I know Masonry deals with Geometry, but what makesthe other six that important, and where did all this comefrom?Signed,Wayward Brother

Dear Wayward Brother:If you notice in your book, it touches briefly on

geometry, astronomy and music, but I know it can’t bethat satisfying for one who wants to know more. Anearlier copy of our cipher book gives more detail ineach of the seven liberal arts and sciences and in myown search for knowledge, I came across a book namedGods in the Sky by Dr. Allan Chapman, historian of scienceat Oxford University. In it he describes the Medievalpurpose for the seven liberal arts and sciences by breakingit into two parts—the Trivium and the Quadrivium, uponwhich they are based. The Trivium is composed of threedisciplines; grammar, rhetoric and logic, which pertains tospoken language. Grammar requires a common languageand with language, one is able to use speech to effect. Thateffective speech is called rhetoric, often used in medievaluniversities in the study of law or ethics. Logic then, asDr. Chapman argues, makes our language make sense anddifferentiates it from all other animal species. Heconcludes the Trivium taught clarity of thought andexpression and the ability to construct connectedarguments.

The Quadrivium was composed of geometry, arithmetic,music and astronomy. Its purpose was to teach ratio,method, order and measurement. Geometry taught theeternal truths of proportion in the sense that geometry iseverywhere and it gave our medieval world structure inthe construction of every building they raised. Arithmeticopened up the mind to the wonder of things that neverchanged; a square root has always been the same numberand numbers never change. Music was seen as more thana performance art, but a study of eternal ratios. It wasthe mathematics of harmony as it produced beautifularithmetic sequences by use of sound vibration.Astronomy had practical applications to devising ofcalendars, but also to the construction of the cosmos. You notice astronomy is last and for good reason. As a

candidate ascends up the final flight of stairs, he first learnslanguage and order in his thoughts and speech. He thenlearns arithmetic, the inflexible structure of math, then togeometry, which develops one’s ability to create based onmath based on earthly principles. Music is a much moreelevated form of math, and deals with harmony, sequence,and the flow of a melody. Astronomy is that last principlethat brings us closest to the GAOTU, the Prime Mover, andthe One who created the galaxies, the planets, and elevatesour minds from what lies around us.As we learn more about life, we find that we are drawn

ever upward on that flight of stairs to gaining greaterappreciation for our singular location in the universe. Thatwas the purpose for the flight of stairs and the sevenliberal arts and sciences in Masonic ritual.