Published Monthly by The
Phylaxis Society Public Affairs Office
and Masonic Information Center
April - May 2000
One of the most
shocking news, within the 2,000 plus pages of Africana: The Encyclopedia of
the African and African American Experience by Kwarne Anthony Appiah and Henry
Louis Gates, Jr., there is no mention of Prince Hag. While it was inspired by
the dream of the late Prince Hall Freemason, Dr. W. E. DuBois, there is no
mention of the first African‑American interstate organization, Prince
Hall Freemasonry, or its role in the building of Black America. The book
itself is loaded with biographies of Prince Hall Freemasons. KC150
(celebrating the 150th anniversary of Kansas City, Missouri) presented Harmony
Grand Chapter OES, Jurisdiction of Missouri, PHA, a grant of $3,000 toward the
purchase of the book Black Square and Compass. 200 Years of Prince Hall
Freemasonry by Joseph A. Walkes, Jr. FPS. On the 8th of April at Kansas City
Gala of the Grandees for Past & Present Officers of the Midwest Region,
copies of the book was presented to the Kansas City Library, Mid-Continent
Library, Arrowhead Foundation, Black Archives of Kansas City by Grand Worthy.
Matron Eve". B. Topps with copies made available to the large gathering
in attendance. Remarks were made by the author, Bro. Walkes. Jet Magazine
reports in "This Week In Black History" on Harold Washington who
became the first Black elected Mayor of Chicago April 12, 1983. The election
of Washington was a major political event for both the city of Chicago and the
country. He won the Democratic primary and the general election. His victory
encouraged Blacks throughout the country to register to vote. Washington
attended Roosevelt University and earned his law degree at Northwestern
University. He had a solid political background, serving 16 years in the
Illinois legislature and two years in the United States House of
Representatives. During the four years and seven months that he served as
mayor he left a record of appointing Blacks to top city government positions
‑ appointments to post which Blacks never held before in any
administration. Harold Washington was born in Chicago on April 15, 1922. He
died November 25, 1987. He was made a Mason on Sight by the Grand Master of
the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois, a procedure described as the eighth
landmark of the Order.
Director
Lamont Dixon FPS, with the assistance of the art teacher Ms. Mary Citrino, was
able to bring 22 water paintings from the 4th and 5th graders of the Prince
Hall Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA to be judged at the 27th annual
session of the Phylaxis
Society session held in Kansas City, Missouri. The winners were (1) Malik
Niblack, 4th grade; (2) Nafis Alexander, 5th grade; (3) Khalif Parker, 5th
grade and a 3 way tie) Aja Hooks, 4th grade and (4) Ashley Frazier 4th grade.
The paintings were sent to St. Louis, Missouri to be displayed at the Prince
Hall Family Support Center, operated by the Missouri Department of Social
Services. The judging of the paintings by the Phylaxis Society is an annual
event, and the children receive U.S. Savings Bonds for their efforts. The
paintings depict the fife and times of Prince Hall.
Notice of the 4th
quarterly communication, 8 March 2000 concerning Prince Hall Masonry, item,
5.16: "The Board has considered the additional visiting restrictions
placed for the past nine years on Brethren of the English Constitution
visiting certain Masonic Jurisdictions in North America. In brief members of
our Constitution could not visit Lodges under Grand Lodges in North America
which had recognized Prince Hall Grand Lodges that the United Grand Lodge of
England had yet to recognize. It considers that these additional visiting
restriction should now be lifted and that Brethren visiting North America be
subject to the same guidelines as apply when visiting elsewhere in the world,
namely that it is their duty not to associate masonically with members of
unrecognized constitutions."
For
a number of years in the past, the Phylaxis Society presented at its annual
session, a Prince Hall Masonic Leadership and Development Course: Blueprint
for Survival workshop over several days for a total of 8 hours. The overall
theme being "There can be no dedication without education ". The
First Presidency recently decided to change it into a correspondence course. A
new unit was organized, called the Educational System under the leadership of
Dr. William 0. Jones, Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Alabama
as President of the Educational System; Hon. Paul V. Best FPS, Coordinator at
Greensboro, NC and Hon. George E. Jones UPS Administrator at Durham, NC. The
course was published in a 79-page booklet, with 109 questions, for a total of
93 pages. This course is part one of three parts to be developed by the
Educational System. Part two will be the History of Prince Hall Freemasonry
and Part three the Prince Hall Masonic Hall of Fame. Part I "The
Leadership Course!' is $65 payable in cash or credit card; send to the
Phylaxis Society Public Affairs Office; Post Office Box 35481; Kansas City,
MO. 64134‑5481 or e-mail, phylaxispa@aol.com
Each year the Phylaxis Society publishes its listing of the 100 + Most influential Prince Hall Freemasons in the country. Once again, the Society* is seeking your help. If you know of any Mayors, Congressman, State Legislature members or VIP's that should be listed, please send us their names, titles and Lodges if possible. Three Prince Hall Freemasons were recently honored in Ohio at an African American History Celebration. They were
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Hon. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Treasurer, State of Ohio, Pride of Solomon Lodge No.60; |
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Dr. Chester C. Pryor, II, PGM, True American Lodge No. 2 |
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Frederick T. Suggs, Sr., Elisha Lodge No. 106. |
Bro Blackwell
received the "Dr. Ralph Bunch Distinguished Political Achievement
Award" for being elected the 51st Secretary of State of Ohio, the first
African-American to hold this distinguished position. First elected to public
office in 1977, Bro. Blackwell served as a member of the Cincinnati City
Council and later as vice mayor. In 1980 he was elected mayor of Cincinnati.
In 1991 President Bush appointed him ambassador to the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights. In 1993, he received the U.S. State Department's
Superior Honor Award for leadership in human rights. Secretary Blackwell was
appointed and subsequently elected to Statewide office in 1994. Dr. Charles C.
Pryor II, a Past Grand Master of the M.W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio, was
awarded the 'U. Maurice Robb Distinguished Medical Achievement Award."
Dr. Pryor has a long fist of "first," which includes first Black
intern in a private Cincinnati hospital, first Black Ophthalmologist in
Cincinnati, first Black certified by The American Board of Ophthalmologist in
Ohio, first Black Treasurer of the Academy of Medicine in Cincinnati, and the
first Black President of the Cincinnati Eye Society. He is currently a member
of the medical staff at Bethesda Christ, Deaconess, Children's University and
The Jewish Hospitals. Bro. Frederick T. Suggs, Sr. was awarded the "John
H. Johnson Outstanding Publisher Award." Bro Suggs is the dean of African
American publishing in Cincinnati, enjoying a publishing career that spans
nearly 50 years. From his News in Pictures magazine (NIP), one of the first
magazine in the nation owned by Blacks, to his current publication
Tri‑State Talk Magazine, he has been a significant part of Black
journalism in Cincinnati for the second half of the 20th Century. Bro. Suggs
became a tireless worker for the advancement of local African‑American
business development, community affairs, civil rights and education for which
he received many awards,
Through
observations during the past score years, I live become convinced that very
few of the Brethren who now attain the East in Our Lodges are properly
qualified to preside therein In my opinion, this situation is due to the fact
that when a Brother becomes the Junior Warden of his Lodge, he makes little or
no effort to properly prepare himself for future advancement
I would feel safe
to wager that 90% of our Brethren who become Wardens, have never read a single
volume pertaining to the history of Freemasonry; few can narrate any of the
facts concerning the origins of the present Grand Lodge system and its varied
structure in different portions of the Masonic world. How many of then
Brethren can even discuss in an understanding manner, the origins and
subsequent progress of Prince Hall Masonry?
How many have ever read, or, even heard about the several volumes pertaining to law and procedure which have been compiled by various writers both here and in foreign countries? It is very apparent the only volume my Brethren have read, has been "Masonic Jurisprudence by Albert G. Mackey, and, having done so, they labor under the impression his work bears the character of "fundamental" law.
Over the years I had
endeavored to impress upon my Brethren that the Mackey work represents only the
opinion of that gentleman and do riot comprise "fundamental: law in any
sense of the word. The only Fundamental laws in any Grand Lodge are those
regulations to be found in its Constitution, Statutes or Bylaws all other
methods of procedures as maybe found in the various treatises on jurisprudence,
me* suggestions for or guides to procedures.
Time and again line I
listened to certain of the Grand Masters in my branch of the fraternity
expounding in eloquent manner what Mr. Mackey had to say an this or particular
point, and, at times have asked them to produce indisputable evidence to sustain
other their argument or Mackey's position in the premises. These Grand Masters,
also, our Brethren generally accept Mackey's "Jurisprudence as a son of a
Masonic Bible and then can be no deviation from any of the opinions expressed
therein. In the United States only 13 of the white Grand Lodges have officially
adopted that work; further, it is unknown outside the United States and possibly
the Dominion of Canada.
For example, Mackey
has mated 25 Landmarks and out of the 49 white Grand Lodges in this country,
only, 13, have adopted them as official regulations for their jurisdictions.
Several Grand Lodges have their own particular list of Landmarks, to wit:
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Connecticut has
19 |
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Kentucky has 54 |
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Minnesota has 26 |
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Nevada has 39 |
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New Jersey has 10
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Tennessee has 15
|
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West Virginia has
8 |
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Massachusetts
does not list any Landmarks, neither does New York. |
The three oldest
Grand Lodges, namely: England, Ireland and Scotland do not list any Landmarks
although that word appears in their Book of Constitutions.
Roscoe Pound former
Dean of the Harvey School of Laws had compiled a work on Masonic Jurisprudence,
and, aft analyzing those of Mackey, says they could be condensed into just seven
(7) in number and be sufficient.
I must repeat again
the Landmarks as enunciated by Albert G. Mackey, were the products of his own
imagination. Any Freemasons could compile what he deemed to be certain
regulations and have the same published, but that would not make them,
"fundamental" in the slightest manner whatever.
Continued in next issue