Recently on the PHARESEARCH e-mail list, a Brother used the term "microwave masonry." I found this expression to be quite interesting. The microwave oven was created around 1946. Its main purpose was to make it easy and convenient to prepare meals. No longer did people have to wait three hours to eat a pot roast, with the microwave they could now enjoy it within an hour. This product revolutionized the food industry. Companies started making food specifically for microwave cooking. Children could prepare their own meals by simply putting a box of frozen food in a microwave and pushing some buttons. You would be hard pressed to find a household in 2003 without a microwave oven.

In essence, Freemasonry (in some jurisdictions) has become "microwave masonry." Many Masonic jurisdictions have started soliciting men to become members. Men are now being offered the convenience of becoming a Mason in one day. It is now possible for someone to enter the preparation room at 9:00a.m. as a profane, and by 5:00 p.m. they leave as a Master Mason. Brothers complain about not having enough members in our Lodges. The quick fix answer was to institute one-day classes. Some jurisdictions do require the "one day Mason" to participate in educational classes after they have been raised. Is this enough; is this the direction that our Fraternity is headed?

We need to seriously examine the effectiveness of this practice of making Masons in one day. Why is it that in Europe and other parts of the world, it takes a man sometimes three to four years to become a Master Mason? While in the United States, we now have a process that allows a person to become a Master Mason in one day. This is truly puzzling. It may have more to do with our American culture than Freemasonry. In America, we are conditioned to not wait for anything. As a society, we are not very patient. We loose interest in things quickly, wanting things immediately. This condition has now found its way into our Order.

Twenty to thirty years from now, will we look back at these one-day classes as what helped Masonry or what hurt it?

Teach Masonry!

I remain,

Fraternally Yours

Antonio O. Caffey, President

Dr. Charles H. Wesley Masonic Research Society

The Masonic Voice

CONTENTS

54

55

55

56, 83-84

67

57

58

59-60

61

67-68

70-71

72-74

62

63

64-65

69

77-80

81-82

REGULAR:

The President’s Thoughts

The Editor’s Desk

The Mouth to Ear

The Wesley Room (Dave Daughtery & The North American Conference of Grand Masters)

E-Masons of the Month

EDUCATION:

The Cryptic Rite in New York

By Dr. Floyd R. Bass Sr.

Colonel George Middleton (1735 – 1815)

The Col. George Middleton Historical Research Society

Prince Hall Freemasonry on the Northern Plains

By Milo Dailey

Numbers in Freemasonry

By David L. Gray

 “Soul Stepping”, by Elizabeth C. Fine

Book Review by David L. Gray

Masonic Week – Internet Luncheon

Beyond the Craft Part I of III

THOUGHTS:

Opening in the First Degree

By Dr. Brock H. Winters

The Ante Room - “How the Brotherhood Works”

Chicken Dinners and Fish Fry's

By Joyce Reaves

QUARTERLY SPONSOR:

Master Mason Biz

FEATURE ARTICLE:

Was Frederick Douglass Right About Freemasonry?

By David L. Gray

Brother Martin R. Delany Memorial Campaign

“A Call To Support”

I hope this issue of The Masonic Voice finds you healthy, safe and warm!

It has been cold and snowy Winter season here in Ohio. I actually went out and bought a snow blower in mid-February and a belt on it broke the second day I had it.  I’ve gotten it repaired since then, but no more snow has fallen and we probably won’t get anymore snow.  This has produced a series heckles from my wife for some days now since I had to have the most expensive one that I could find.  Well, some investments pay off sooner than others.  The investment our society makes in publishing this journal is paid off by you the member.  If what you read here is inspiring, educational or enlightening – that would be fine, but if what you read here helps you improve yourself in Freemasonry – then that’s all we could ask for it to do.

In the nearly three years of publishing of this journal, this is the first issue in which we have had the picture of an individual on the cover.  Not even Dr. Charles H. Wesley himself has made our cover.  As Freemasons use signs and symbols to convey hidden meanings, typically you’d find a symbol or emblem on our cover that represents something valuable or needed in Freemasonry or the type of articles we have in that issue.

The journey of Brother David M. Daugherty Jr., not only represents many of the articles in this issue, but he stands for everything that Freemasonry is about.  He’s a Freemasons Freemason!

New staples this issue are ‘The Ante Room’ and ‘E-Mason’ of the Month.  ‘The Ante Room’ is a new series of fictional stories in a Masonic Lodge setting.  This series will not replace our landmark ‘Social Lodge #73’ fiction, but may share space with it in the future.  ‘E-Mason of the Month’ will highlight those Brothers who work in the cyber quarries.

Enjoy!

David L. Gray, Editor

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia continues to be the most aggressive Prince Hall Lodge in exposing the uneven playing field in Masonic Recognition – where Prince Hall Grand Lodges are concerned.  Unable to receive recognition from any Mainstream (predominately White) Grand Lodges in the USA or most foreign Grand Lodges because they aren’t recognized by the Mainstream Grand Lodge of Georgia, the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia has requested recognition from the following Grand Lodges (note: in 2002 the MWPHGL of Georgia recognized the Grand Lodge of Georgia and requested recognition from it – the GL of Georgia didn’t not act on their petition):

Grand Lodge of Alaska F&AM, Grand Lodge of Alberta AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM, Grand Lodge of A.F&A.M of SA and NT, Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium, Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon, Grand Lodge of California F&AM, Grand Lodge of Colorado F&AM, Grand Lodge of Connecticut AF&AM, Grand Lodge of District of Columbia FA&AM, Grand Lodge of Hawaii, Grand Lodge of Idaho F&AM, Grand Lodge of Illinois AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM, Grand Lodge of Iowa AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Kansas AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Maine AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Michigan F&AM, Grand Lodge of Minnesota AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Missouri AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Montana AF&AM, Grand Lodge of North Dakota AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Nebreska F&AM, Grand Lodge of Nevada F&AM, Grand Lodge of New Brunswick, Grand Lodge of New Hampshire F&AM, Grand Lodge of New Mexico AF&AM, Grand Lodge of New Jersey F&AM Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, Grand Lodge of New York F&AM, Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM, Grand Lodge of Oregon AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania F&AM, Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island, United Grand Lodge of Queensland, Grand Lodge of Rhode Island F&AM, Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan  , Grand Lodge of Scotland AF&AM, Grand Lodge of South Dakota AF&AM, United Grand Lodge of New South Wales & ACT, Grand Lodge of Tasmania, Grand Lodge of Utah F&AM, the Grand Lodge of Vermont F&AM, United Grand Lodge of Victoria, Grand Lodge of Virginia AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Washington F&AM, Grand Lodge of Western Australia, Grand Lodge of Wisconsin F&AM, Grand Lodge of Wyoming AF&AM