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Emessay Notes July 2008

Coming Soon

            For those of you who enjoyed the Short Talk Bulletin – Basic Freemasonry – by Jim Tresner, MSA is very pleased to announce that a new digest titled Further Light; Helpful Information for New Master Masons will be available very soon.

            Incorporating the thoughts expressed in Basic Freemasonry this new digest of 50 pages will have much additional material to help the new Master Mason better understand his fraternity. In fact, it will also be a useful tool for the Mason of several, or many years.

            Included in the digest are such topics as: the Evolution of the Ritual; the Organization of the Lodge; an explanation of the Obligations and Penalties; an explanation of the Three Degrees; Answering Critics and many, many more.

            The digest is in its final proofing stages and will be available, we expect, in August. An announcement will be made in a Short Talk Bulletin mailing.

            Look for       Further Light.      Coming Soon!

Shriners Helping Children

            Over the past 86 years, Shriners Hospitals for Children has provided the best, most advanced medical care at absolutely no charge to more than 865,000 children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. Founded by Shriners of North America, this unique health care system has grown from a single hospital in Shreveport, LA, to 22 sophisticated pediatric specialty hospitals located across the U.S., and in Canada and Mexico.

2007 Patient Care Statistics

In 2007, Shriners Hospitals for Children approved 39,454 new patient applications and cared for 125,125 patients, providing the following services:

  • 302,614 outpatient, outreach and telemedicine clinic visits
  • 226,455 radiology procedures   -   72,159 orthotic and prosthetic devices
  • 25,028 operations   -   422,325 physical therapy treatments
  • 200,810 occupational therapy treatments

(Source: Shrine News Release)

 

Masons in Government

            Last month (June, 2008) Emessay Notes ran an article on Freemasons who had been Governor of Ohio. Since that time it was discovered that the list was incomplete and so it is updated here:

 

Thomas Kirker          1807-1808              
 *  
             Othniel Looker          1814

Duncan McArthur    1830-1832  
*
             Joseph Vance          1836-1838

Wilson Shannon     1838-1840  
*
              

 

1842-1844           
*
             Thomas Corwin       1840-1842

Thomas W. Bartley  1844                 

                                                       

Reuben Wood          1850-1853           
*
             Salmon P. Chase    1856-1860

David Ford                1862-1864           
*
            
Thomas L. Young   
 1877-1878

Charles Foster          1880-1884           
*
             Joseph B. Foraker   1886-1890

James E. Campbell 1890-1892           
*
             Asa S. Bushnell       1896-1900

George K. Nash       1900-1904           
*
             John M. Pattison      1906

Judson Harmon       1909-1913           
*
             James. M. Cox          1913-1915

                                    1917-1919             

 

 

George White           1931-1935        

                                                     

Thomas J. Herbert   1947-1949           
*
             C. William O’Neill    1957-1959

 

Source: History of Royal Arch Freemasonry in Ohio
By: Ed Selby and Harvey Walker – Volume II - Page 600

            When David Paterson was sworn in as Governor of New York he represented the 20th Freemason to hold that office. According to the records of the Grand Lodge of New York the following Masons served in the years shown.

George Clinton                     1777  
 *  
             Morgan Lewis                       1804

 

1801  
*
             De Witt Clinton                     1817

Daniel D. Tompkins            1807  
*
             Nathaniel Pitcher                 1828

Joseph C. Yates                   1822  
*
             John Adams Dix                  1872

John T. Hoffman                  1868  
*
             Frank S. Black                      1896

Roswell P. Flower                1891  
*
             Benjamin B. Odell Jr.

1900

Theodore Roosevelt            1898  
*
             John Alden Dix                    1910

Frank W. Higgins                 1904  
*
             Charles S. Whitman            `914

William Sulzer                      1912  
*
             Herbert H. Lehman              1932

Franklin D. Roosevelt         1928  
*
             Thomas E. Dewey               1942

Source: Grand Lodge of New York

            If you take a moment to scan these two lists you will be surprised at the number of names you will recognize! Freemasons have long been involved in the governing of this country. Ohio and New York are excellent examples of how Masonic leadership has played a very significant role, both in State leadership and, very often, going on to National leadership.