Brethren:

Our District Deputy Grand Masters are involved every Saturday in the Child Identification Program and they could use your help. If you are interested in fingerprinting, videotaping or photographing children or supporting our brethren in these tasks, call me, (703) 836-2137, and I will tell you when and where to meet them. The Virginia Freemasons are trying to identify every child with the aid of fingerprint cards, photographs, and videotapes which we give to the families free-of-charge.

This does not mean we are forsaking any of our other charities; it is a new challenge that freemasonry has accepted.

First, several reminders:
-> THE SCOTTISH RITE SPRING REUNION - The Charles E. Webber, Sr. Scottish Rite Spring Reunion Class on May 4, 1991, was a tremendous success. There were 771 students in the class, of which 131 were from the Alexandria Valley and nine (9) of those were from our Lodge. The next opportunity to join the Scottish Rite will be in the Fall Reunion Class to be held on two Saturdays, October 19 and 26, 1991, and will be in honor of Brothers Thomas A. O'Halloran and Frank M. Pearson, KCCH. The deadline for petitions is Friday, September 13, 1991. The fee for this class is $125.00 for age 30 and below, $175.00 for all above age 30.

-> LADIES NIGHT - 1992 - Brethren, I have made final arrangements with the West End Dinner Theater for Ladies Night 1992, which will take place on October 10, 1992. The show will be "The King and I." We will be able to select from four different types of dinners; a meat plate, fish plate, vegetable plate or a low calorie plate. I will provide more information on this event after the first of the year.

We are proud to announce that the Lodge now has in it's possession a microfilm reader. During Wor. Bill Jones' year, the Lodge voted to have the minutes filmed for those who wish to study it's history. Through the good-will and effort of Wor. Wayne Gilbert, we now have a machine and I would like to invite those who are interested in research to come to the Lodge Office and take advantage of this fine gift. The film covers the entire period of the Lodge from 1783 to 1989.

+ Friday, Jun 7 - Mount Vernon Royal Arch Chapter # 14, stated meeting in North Lodge Room at 7:30pm.

+ Friday, Jun 14 - Scottish Rite stated meeting, Alexandria Scottish Rite Temple at 7:30pm.

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ASK! SEEK!! KNOCK!!!
By: Rob Morris
ASK, and ye shall receive;
SEEK, ye shall surely find;
KNOCK, ye shall no resistance meet,
If come with ready mind:
For all that ASK, and ask aright,
Are welcome to our Lodge to-night.

Lay down the bow and spear;
Resign the sword and shield;
Forget the arts of warfare here,
The arms of peace to wield;
For all that SEEK, and seek aright,
Are welcome to our lodge to-night.

Bring hither thoughts of peace;
Bring hither words of love;
Diffuse the pure and holy joy
That cometh from above;
For all that KNOCK, and knock aright,
Are welcome to our lodge to-night.

Ask help of HIM that's high;
SEEK grace of HIM that's true;
KNOCK patiently, the hand is nigh,
Will open unto you;
For all that ASK, SEEK, KNOCK aright,
Are welcome to our lodge to-night.

Events continued:

+ Saturday, Jun 15 - KENA Shrine Spring Ceremonial, KENA Temple Mosque, Fairfax, Va. 8:00am to 2:00pm. Ceremonial Ball at the Mosque, 8:00pm.

+ Friday, Jun 21 - Old Dominion Commandery #11, Knights Templar meeting, North Lodge Room at 7:30pm.

+ Tuesday, Jun 25 - York Rite District School, Arlington Masonic Temple at 7:00pm.

+ Friday, Jun 28, 5:00pm to 10:00pm & Saturday Jun 29, 9:00am to 5:00pm - Valley Royal Arch School, Arlington Masonic Temple. All Royal Arch Masons are invited.

Q. Why was Hiram, our ancient Grand Master, called "ABIF"?

A. Abif is a Hebrew word which signifies "his father." It is often used in the Scriptures as a title of honor. It was given to Hiram, the Tyrian builder, probably on account of his distinguished skill.

Q. Who was the author of the "Constitutions of the Freemasons?"

A. James Anderson, D.D., born at Edinburg, Scotland, August 5, 1662. The time of his death is uncertain; but, from the most reliable sources at our command, it is believed that he died in 1738. He was a man of high order of literary talent. At what time, or in what Lodge, Bro. Anderson became a Mason is not known. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge at London, September 29, 1721, he was ordered, with a Committee, to arrange and more fully digest the old Gothic Constitutions into a new and better method than had before existed. This duty he performed and the work was issued in 1723, under the title, "The Constitutions of the Freemasons; containing the History, Charges, Regulations, etc., of that most Ancient and Right Worshipful Fraternity. For use of the Lodges." In 1738, a second edition, enlarged and revised, was published under his supervision. These are regarded as the basis of Masonic Constitutions for the government of the Fraternity to the present time.

Q. What is the duty of a Mason in respect to attendance at his Lodge?

A. Every brother ought to belong to some regular lodge, and should always appear therein properly clothed, truly subjecting himself to all its by-laws and the general regulations. He must attend all meetings, when duly summoned, unless he can offer to the Master and Wardens such plea of necessity for his absence as the said laws and regulations may admit. By the ancient rules and usages of Masonry, no plea was judged sufficient to excuse any absentee, unless he could satisfy the lodge that he was detained by some extraordinary and unforseen necessity.

Q. What is a summons, and what should it contain?

A. A summons is the lodge bulletin or in Virginia the "Trestleboard." The members of the lodge must be invited by summons from the Secretary on every lodge night; which summons must contain the place where, and the time when, the lodge is to be held, as well as what degrees will be wrought.

Q. Why must the candidate be partially clothed?

A. In Masonry, partial clothing is a symbol teaching the aspirant that Masonry regards no man on account of his worldly wealth or honors; and that it looks not to his outward clothing, but to his internal qualifications.

Q. Why does a candidate find himself divested of all metals?

A. Many men dote on the metals silver and gold with their whole souls, and know of the fellow-being, but by the quantity of these metals they possess, thereby debasing and degrading those qualities of the mind and spirit by which alone mankind ought to be estimated. He who wishes to be initiated into Freemasonry must be willing to relinquish all descriptions of metal, and all the adventitious circumstances of rank and fortune, for it is the MAN that is received into Freemasonry, not his rank or riches.

Q. What is considered to be the cmect use of a "sharp instrument?"

A. The emblematic use of a "sharp instrument," as indicated in the ritual of the first degree, is intended to be represented by a warlike weapon such as a dagger or sword. The use of the point of a pair of compasses, as is sometimes improperly done, is an erroneous application of the symbol, which should not be tolerated in a properly conducted lodge. The compasses are, besides, a symbol peculiar to the Master Mason's degree.

* The author would like to emphasize that the above aforesaid conclusions concerning these questions are based on general Masonic knowledge and customs and are not based entirely on Virginia law as such.