Date: December 27, 2011
During the installation ceremony held on December 20,
2011, I was given an opportunity to speak as your new Worshipful Master. The
content of my talk concerned the misinformation being broadcast over national
talk-radio programs about Masonry. The
bazaar opinions that are held by some individuals will astonish you. Earlier in the month, I was listening to very
popular talk radio program, when an individual spoke about the Mason
Organization was the base cause for all the political unrest in America
today.
In her opinion, “Masons” have the power to stop all progress in Washington.
We (masons)
are the power behind the throne so to speak, among her ramble lings we (masons)
also use or swear upon the Koran and worship the devil when they reach the 32
or 33 degree. This short summary was
extracted from one individual talking for about ten minutes about her mistaken
beliefs concerning the character and purpose of Accepted Free Masons in
American. I have also heard from other
brethren who have some concerns with the clergy of their faith. I was very
troubled by these events, and how as a newly elected Worshipful Master could
help my brothers in starting a campaign to eliminate all misconception about
Accepted Free Masons in South
Carolina.
Well as we were taught in our Masonic beginnings,
before encountering any great problem or situation, we always begin by praying
for strength and wisdom; after words I consulted the thirty-sixth edition of
the “Ahiman Rezon “ or
Book of Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South
Carolina. As I turned to page 486, Bang!
The information I needed to fight these misconceptions about masonry in South Carolina
was now
at my finger tips. Fore I had turned to The Declaration of Masonic Principles
(adopted 1939). This two page declaration clearly states for all to read, the
“who, what, where and how “of Masonry in South
Carolina. To further illustrate the importance of
this discovery, I have extracted a few quotes from pages 486-488 of the Ahiman
Rezon.
Freemasonry
is a charitable, benevolent,
educational and religious society. Its
principles are proclaimed as widely as men will hear. Its only secrets are in
its methods of recognition and of symbolic instruction.
To
that end, it teaches and stands for the worship of God; truth and justice;
fraternity and philanthropy; and enlightenment and orderly liberty, civil,
religious and intellectual. It charges each of its members to be true and loyal
to the government of the country to which he owes allegiance and to be obedient
to the law of any state in which he may be.
It
further affirms its conviction that it is not only contrary to the fundamental
principles of Freemasonry, but dangerous to its unity, strength, usefulness and
welfare, for Masonic Bodies to take action or attempt to exercise pressure or
influence for or against any legislation, or in any way to attempt to procure
the election or appointment of governmental officials, or to influence them, whether or not members of
the Fraternity, in the performance of their official duties. The true Freemason
will act in civil life according to his individual judgment and the dictates of
his conscience.
I
strongly urge each
brother of Pacific Lodge to review and reaffirm these Masonic Principles. They
are the guidelines we are destined to follow in the coming years. Further to
start our campaign I suggest each brother will inform and/or consult with his
family, and his rector, priest, or rabbi; so that they will have the true
meaning and purpose of all Ancient Free Masons in South Carolina.
Our purpose or goal is to
rid the public of all falsehoods about Ancient Free Masons in South Carolina.
What better way to start
than establishing or building a foundation of well informed people who can
stand and support our cause. A mason’s support foundation comes from the people
that are closest to him, His Family and His Church!
Fraternally,
James Glyn Smith, W.M.
