As I look back over the last 30 years I have lived in St. Louis, I
find that I have come full circle in some areas and traveled straight
ahead in others.
In order to try to keep this simple, I will start with the Circle and
go to the Straight ahead at the end.
You see my first introduction to Masonry was through some of the men
that I worked with who I later learned to be AF&AM Masons.
These men always had my back when racial problems came up for me and
some times, they would have my front.
After a few years of this, they told me that they were Masons and
asked if I was interested in joining their Lodge. I told them after
having to deal with racism 8 hours a day for 5 days a week I was not
interested in dealing with racism after work.
Later after they realized that I was not going to change my mind
about joining the AF&AM Masons they told me about Prince Hall Masonry
and that racism would not be a problem for me there.
Well, I did think about joining Prince Hall Masonry for a little
while and then forgot about it.
Yes, you guessed it, about a year later, a friend of mine gave me a
petition for membership into Prince Hall Masonry, and all he told me
is that he thinks there is something in Prince Hall Masonry for me.
Well, now it has been over 3 years since my AF&AM friends at work
started talking to me about Masonry and now my friend after work
turns out to be a Prince Hall Mason and gives me a petition.
Here I must say that sometimes I am a little slow about some things
but I am not stupid about anything. I decided that it must have been
meant for me to be a Mason so I filled out the petition and turned it
in.
In 1980, I became a Master Mason and later that year I joined the
Order of Eastern Stars.
In 1981, I became a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight of Jericho, a Knight
Templar, and joined the Order of Cyrene.
In 1982, I became a Scottish Rite Mason.
In 1983, I became a Shriner.
In 1985, I received the Honorary 33 Degree, which completed all the
degrees I could get in Prince Hall Masonry in Missouri.
After all this there was still one thing that I wanted that I could
not get and that was to be able to sit in Lodge meeting with the
Brothers that first introduced me to Masonry and were the main reason
that I finally did join.
Then in the late 1990's, I bought my first computer and ventured out
into the World Wide Web. There I found Masonic groups where a Mason
was a Mason. It was in the GLOBAL FRATERNAL NETWORK that I came to
know and chat with a couple of Brothers by the names of Wilfred G.
Soutiea, Jr. and Joseph Smith. However, I still could not sit in
Lodge meetings with them.
From there, I started joining Masonic Research Groups where we could
meet outside of Lodge meeting. Through these groups, I started
traveling around North America for Conventions. It was at the
Philalethes Society Convention in Toronto, Canada in 2000 that I met
Brother Dick Lodge from St. Louis, Missouri. We then decided that we
were going to do all we could to be able to sit in Lodge meeting
together in St. Louis one day.
I found out about Masonic Week in Washington, DC and in February of
2001, I attended for the first time.
This is where I came to meet a group of Brothers from the Fayette
area, I was accepted as a part of the Missouri Delegation, and I have
been ever since. It was at this first meeting in Washington, DC,
that I met a lot of you.
I am not going to try to name everyone that was there because that
would be a list of over 30 Brothers, but since some of you have
become such good friends over the years I will try to name the ones
that I have worked with and became closest to over the years. John
Karnes, Robert Bray, Marion Dey, James Haddox, Chris Jessen, Warren
Oliver, Kevin Sample, and James Wade.
The one sad part is that the two Brothers that I became closest to
are no longer with us. One is Brother Michael J. Butterfield better
known as "Remo" and the other is Brother Jake Jackobs of Charlies
Angels Degree Team. They were the type of Masons I hope to grow up
to become day. I just wish that I could have had more time with them
and that they were here to see just how far we have come in such a
short time.
By the time I left Washington, DC, I was a member of several side
groups. I found out later that this was just the beginning of our
relationship. In 2001, I found myself in the Order of Knights of
Pythias and in 2002 in the Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan. I
guess that you decided to give me a rest in 2003 because you let me
go all year without joining anything.
In 2000, the talks on Fraternal Relationships started on the Internet
between Brother Bill and me. I informed Brother Bill that I was not
interested in talks as they had been going on and off for over 20
years, but I was interested in taking some action on Fraternal
Relationships. That was when I found out that Brother Bill was also
R.W. Wilfred G. Soutiea, Jr. Deputy Grand Master of the AF&AM Masons
of Missouri. Then after a Board Meeting of the AF&AM Masons of
Missouri he informed me that they had voted to take action on
Fraternal Relationships with the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Missouri and I put him in contact with MW William H. Graham
then Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons of Missouri.
In 2001, both Grand Lodges voted to enter talks on Fraternal
Relationships with each other, but it was not until 2002 that both
Committees were appointed and finally met. On February 10, 2002, we
met for the first time and both Grand Lodges submitted Resolutions on
Fraternal Relationships. Both Committees were in agreement with what
each Grand Lodge was looking for, and the steps to be taken to
hopefully achieve recognition between both Grand Lodges. We voted to
take the Resolutions submitted and go over them, then meet again on
March 3, 2002, at the AF&AM Grand Lodge Building to draft a
Resolution that would be submitted at our respective Grand Lodge
Session this year.
The Committee from Prince Hall consisted of:
Franklin Richardson, PGM, Chairman
William H. Graham, PGM, Co-Chairman
A.C. Compton, PGM, Member
Terry Crowder, PM, Member
Byron E. Hams, PM, Member
Charles R. Willis, Grand Master
The Committee from AF&AM consisted of:
Wilfred G. Soutiea, Jr., PGM, Chairman
Jimmy D. Lee, Deputy Grand Master
Stanley Thompson, Grand Senior Warden
Ronald D. Miller, Grand Secretary
Joseph Smith, District Deputy Grand Master
Glenn Means, Grand Master
I finally got to meet Bill Soutiea and Joseph Smith face to face.
On March 3, 2002, at the AF&AM Grand Lodge Building we met for the
second and last time. After much brainstorming, and discussion, the
drafting of Resolution #04-2002 was completed. We had accomplished
in a few weeks what it had taken other Grand Lodges years to do. At
the respective Grand Lodge Sessions in July and September of that
year, both Grand Lodges passed Resolution #04-2002.
It was not until 2003, when we finally got to sit together in Lodge
meetings here in Missouri, I had no idea that what I thought was the
ending would turn out to be just the beginning.
In 2004, I wrote the resolutions for Fraternal Recognition between
both Royal Arch Grand Chapters with the help of Kevin Sample. Under
the administration of Grand High Priest Delbert R. Gentry Kevin
Sample submitted the resolution for Royal Arch Grand Chapter, which
was passed May 14, 2004.
In addition, in 2004, I wrote the resolutions for Fraternal
Recognition between both Grand Commandries with the help of Kevin B.
Sample. Under the administration of Grand Commander Thomas C. Yunick
Kevin B. Sample, Robert W. Schlichter, Thomas C. Yunick, and Jacob C.
Baird, submitted the resolution, which was passed May 15, 2004. In
July 2004, under the administration of Grand Commander Richard
Richardson, I submitted the same resolution to my Grand Commandery
and it passed.
In November 2004, Grand High Priest Walter W. Doyle sent me an
invitation as Grand High Priest to attend an Arching in Springfield,
Missouri. Myself and five of my Cabinet members attended. In March
2005, I sent Grand High Priest Walter Doyle an invitation to attend
my Official Visit in St. Louis. Grand High Priest Walter Doyle
showed up with 15 Companions, which included most of the Grand
Officers of the Grand Chapter of Missouri.
Under my administration as Grand High Priest, the same resolution
that was submitted to your Grand Chapter in May 2004 was submitted to
my Grand Chapter and was passed on May 13, 2005. Grand High Priest
Walter W. Doyle was present to witness the passing of that resolution
and my re-election as Grand High Priest.
In addition, in May 2005, I attended Grand High Priest Walter W.
Doyle's Grand Chapter Session and I was received as the Grand High
Priest of the Prince Hall Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons of
Missouri. It was at this Session that newly elected Grand Master of
the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of the State of Missouri, Robert
H. Bray announced that the Council of Cryptic Masons was now open to
Prince Hall Royal Arch Masons to join.
On March 16, I was the guest speaker at the Scottish Rite Club of St.
Louis, Missouri, AF&AM. My wife and I attended the Installation of
Grand Officers of the Missouri Grand Conclave of the Order of True
Kindred in Kansas City, Missouri. While there, we were invited to
join the True Kindred and we received our first degree on September
22, 2005 in Springfield, Missouri and the second degree on October 1,
2005 in St. Louis, Missouri. I have submitted my petition to Jeremiah
Council No. 48 of the Royal and Select Masters in St. Louis and look
forward to receiving my degrees on October 22, 2005.
Since that first meeting in Washington, DC, I have come to know and
find more friends here in the Fayette area and I feel the need to
name some of those Brothers.
Paul Cannon, Walter Doyle, Donald Fairley, Teddie Harrison, Tom Gruis,
Harley Keeton, LeRoy Loggins, Paul Kawakami, Donald Maness, Lewis
O'Neal, Timothy Terrell, Thomas Yunick, and Howard Thacker.
If I have missed your name I hope that you will understand that it is
from my lack of memory and not my heart for all of you are my
Brothers in my heart.
On September 26th and 27th I had the honor of
attending your Grand Lodge Session and the Missouri Lodge of Research
for the first time. I had no idea that I had made for many friends
over the years until all of you greeted me at Session. It made me
feel like I was at my own Grand Lodge Session. I felt more like a
member than I did a visitor.
I was impressed with the bonds of the York Rite Family as Grand High
Priest Harley L. Kropf of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons,
Grand Master Robert H. Bray of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons,
and Grand Commander James E. Snavely of the Grand Commandery of
Knights Templar, were almost always together. I set with them for
most of the meals where we were all in attendance.
Freemasonry is the only place that I know of where I could have ever
met such a circle of good men as you. In addition, it was your
belief in the teachings of Freemasonry that has made it possible for
me to stand here before you tonight.
I could go on for pages and pages of writing about the Brothers that
I come to know and the impact that they have had on my life, but that
would only keep us here all night. I hope that I have given you
enough to give you a good idea about how I feel, so I will start
drawing this to a close in a few more pages.
It has been through you that I have learned the only secret in
Freemasonry: The true meaning of "Friendship, Morality, and
Brotherly Love". Friendship is based on the internal and not the
external of a person. Morality is based on the teachings of "GOD"
and not the rules made by men. Brotherly Love is based on the belief
that we all are children of "GOD".
I do not know what the future holds for me, but I do know that the
group of friends that I stand before tonight is as good as it can get.
As I stand here before you, all I can say is thank you, not just for
the degrees, but most of all for your friendship.
Now the year is 2005 and the AF&AM Masonry I rejected in the past
because of racism is now the AF&AM Masonry I am joining because of
Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love.
Now I have traveled full circle and as I stand here before you, I realize that I have gone way past my wildest dreams of 25 years ago.
For now, I am truly a Missouri Mason.
After taking all the degrees I could in Prince Hall Masonry, I
undertook the task of trying to learn all that they could teach me.
The first thing I learned was that I had lived my whole life in darkness and that if I ever wanted to be able to see the light I would have to change my life in order to prepare myself to receive that light.
Now that I have lived almost half my life trying to live according to
the teaching of Freemasonry. I realize that there is only one God,
one planet, and one race, the Human Race.
Theses are just a few of the things that I have learned from you over
the past few years and I hope that you have learned the same from me.
1. The only thing that keeps us apart is the "FEAR" of the unknown.
2. Either we can come together as the Human Race or we can divide into different little groups and destroy each other.
3. To understand that it is our differences that make us special.
4. To see what we have in common and use that to bring us closer
together.
5. To stand united as a member of the Human Race to over come everything that stands in our path.
6. To see that it is an opportunity to lean what we did not know
from what makes us different.
7. To see what we have in common as a gift from "GOD" to all
humankind and not to any one race alone.
8. Not to stand divided over man made rules, but to stand united in
the laws of "GOD" for the human race.
In closing, I will leave you with these few parting words.
If I am not all that you expect of me, please remember that "GOD" is
not through with me yet.
Yesterday, I was what I was.
Today, I am that I am.
Tomorrow, I will be what God makes me.
In Love, Peace, and Unity yours.
Byron E. Hams
A Lifetime Apprentice