Thank you for your support at our many activities in April, which saw the first monthly officers' brunch at Army Navy Country Club. In order that you may plan for these luncheons, I have planned each to occur on the second Sunday of the month at 1:00 PM at the Arlington clubhouse. Bring your wives and we will enjoy good food and fellowship as we discuss past and future events informally.

I extend a hearty "thank you" to our Lodge Instructor of Work, Worshipful Earl Covey, who has faithfully managed our many Lodge Ritual Schools on Sundays and Called Communications for degree work on Mondays. It takes great effort for most of us to maintain the ritualistic proficiency required of an officer in this lodge, so as a living encyclopaedia of Masonic Ritual, brother Covey is a key member of our team this year!

Our first stated communication for May will be Masonic Youth Night. Members, families, and guests are welcome to dinner at 6:30 PM so our young people can eat well without staying out late! After opening lodge and conducting business, we will call to refreshment to witness an exemplification of the DeMolay Flower Talk and Ceremony of Light and the Job's Daughters with present the "Old Rugged Cross" ceremony. If you have never seen these degrees you will not want to miss the performance. If you have seen them, you know that they are timeless and inspiring.

Our second stated communication for May will feature Kurt Muse, a professional speaker and member of the Washington Speakers' Bureau. He will recount a gripping tale of heroism, as he was rescued by American military forces on the island of Grenada some 15 years ago. As Memorial Day approaches, this will be a fitting tribute to the supreme sacrifice paid by so many to secure the freedom we enjoy in the United States of America. Dinner will be served afterward. Officers please note that we switch to white dinner jacket, white shirt, black tie, black trousers, and black vest or cummerbund at this meeting.

My brothers, as you would expect, the dinners which we enjoy before or after most stated communications are not covered by your annual dues. This is why I suggest a $10 donation per person, youth and guest speakers excepted. This is less than you would expect to pay at a restaurant for a fine meal. We will not collect money formally, for I do not wish to discourage attendance at the dinner or the meeting. A receptacle will be present, however, to receive anonymous contributions so that we may continue this tradition of exceptional libations. Personally, I look forward to Masonic fellowship around a good dinner at our grand facility. I hope that you, too, will come to every meeting hungry for physical sustenance as well as fraternal camaraderie, looking forward to each date as you would a reservation at a fine dinner theatre!

We are blessed with another candidate for the Entered Apprentice Degree on Monday the 13th, and on Monday the 20th we will confer the Fellowcraft Degree as a courtesy on a brother from another lodge. Like myself, this brother was recently called to active military duty. Therefore, I will confer this degree in uniform as he receives it similarly clothed during appropriate sections of the work and instruction. All brothers who are active, reserve, or retired military members are encouraged to wear their uniform to this called communication.

Also this month we are privileged to host two visiting lodges: Cave Spring Lodge from Roanoke, Virginia, on the 11th, and Mountain Park Lodge from Stone Mountain, Georgia, on the 30th. These visits represent a unique opportunity to witness the ritual of another lodge, without having to travel farther than the threshold of your own lodge! Take advantage of this opportunity and show support to our visiting brethren.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Worshipful Master

SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE FUTURE:

• June 1 (Sat) - WILLIAM ELKINS LODGE LADIES' NIGHT: Pennsylvania
• June 15 (Sat, 8:00AM - 12:00PM) - BLOOD DRIVE AND BREAKFAST: Dining Hall

STATED COMMUNICATIONS - The stated communications of this Lodge shall be held at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (GWMNM), Alexandria, Virginia on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, except on the fourth Thursday of November and December, on December 27th (the anniversary of Saint John the Evangelist) for installation of officers, at 7:30 pm, and at 4:00 pm on the day observed by governmental regulations or the GWMNM in celebration of George Washington's birthday. When such dates fall on a Sunday, the stated communication shall be held on the Saturday before or the Monday following.

CALLED COMMUNICATIONS - Usually on Mondays as announced herein.

YOUTH MEETINGS AT GWMNM - Alexandria-Washington Chapter, International Order of DeMolay, meets the first and third Sundays at 2 pm in the North Lodge Room. Bethel No. 22, International Order Jobs Daughters, meets the first and third Sundays at 6 pm in the North Lodge Room.

Masonic lodges sponsor DeMolay chapters across the United States and in many other countries. Frank S. Land, a prominent Mason in Kansas City, Missouri, founded the Order of DeMolay 1n 1919. In describing the organization, Land said "DeMolay is like religion in that it is hard to define. It works in so many ways and does so many good things to and for a young man that it actually has to be experienced to be fully understood, evaluated, and appreciated. Literally speaking, the Order of DeMolay is a youth organization for young men whose purpose is the building of better citizens."

After discussing several figures from history, the nine young men who became the first members named the new group after Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templars. A crusader from the 13th and 14th centuries, DeMolay was burned at the stake in 1314 by order of the King of France as a martyr to loyalty and toleration. Land said that "the boys liked the name and what it stood for - death rather than betrayal of one's friends."

The ritual of the order sets DeMolay apart from other youth organizations. "It is a dramatic, yet solemn presentation that impresses an obligation on a boy to live and do right." At Dad Land's request, DeMolay's ageless ritual was written in 1919 by Frank A. Marshall, a Kansas City newspaperman and Masonic leader. Marshall authored two degrees for the order - the Initiatory Degree and the DeMolay Degree - "which present the principal points of a good life and a good character in a meaningful way. "

Alexandria-Washington Lodge has sponsored Alexandria-Washington Chapter, Order of DeMolay, since 1933. The Chapter meets in the North Room of the Memorial on the first and third Sundays each month. Our senior Past Master, Godfrey P. Runaldue, is a charter member and Past Master Councilor, and the most Senior DeMolay in Virginia.

The International Order of Job's Daughters was founded in 1920 to provide an opportunity for young women to work together, to learn about themselves, and to help others. Organized in local groups called "bethels," it is open to girls ages 11 to 20 who believe in God and have a Masonic heritage. Founded by Ethel T Wead Mick in Omaha, Nebraska, Job's Daughters promotes friendship and service, teaching leadership, organization, teamwork, and self reliance. The group takes its name from the Biblical Book of Job, which states in the 42nd Chapter that "in all the land were no women found so fair as the Daughters of Job."

Meetings follow a long tradition of order, wherein the officers wear traditional Grecian robes, symbols of democracy and equality, provided by the Bethel. Other members wear dresses to meetings, which are held twice monthly. Programs are planned and conducted by the members with the help of adult volunteers.

To become a Job's Daughter does not involve an embarrassing ritual or test of courage. Initiations are solemn ceremonies presented by the Bethel Officers. Parents are welcome at initiations and meetings. Job's Daughters belong to a group that promotes friendship among young women and confidence in themselves. Members have fun while learning life skills in an organization that serves their community.

Bethel 22 meets in the North Room of the Memorial on the first and third Sundays each month.

Washington Receiving a Salute
On the Field of Trenton



Photographed by Brother Arthur Pierson, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22
Reprinted courtesy of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association

The History Behind the Picture

In a series of setbacks at the hands of the British through the autumn of 1776, Revolutionary General George Washington retreated from New York City west through New Jersey, and over the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. The arrival of reinforcements bolstered Washington's strength and permitted him to undertake a Christmas offensive back across the Delaware. His advance surprised and overwhelmed Colonel Johann Rall's Hessian brigade at Trenton. Major General Lord Charles Cornwalis advanced to surround Washington's troops in Trenton, but the Americans slipped away at night by a back road, shattered Cornwalis' rear guard at Princeton, and the took up a strong position at Moristown. Only the fatigue of his troops prevented Washington from seizing the main British arms depot at New Brunswick.

The black and white lithograph on the opposite page depicts General George Washington on horseback. The title, printed at the bottom of the piece, is Washington Receiving a Salute on the Field of Trenton. The two names at the bottom are John Faed and William Holl, assumed to be the artist and the engraver. The lithograph is not currently on public display at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, but hangs in the Conference Room across from the Alexandria-Washington Lodge room, and can be viewed in the Collections section of the Memorial website (http://www.gwmemorial.org/).