Volume 62, No.

04

July ~ August 2015

Mackey

Boys in the Boat

S.R.R.S.

pg 6

pg 10

pg 12

Page 2

Scottish Rite
Communicator
Valley of Seattle

www.seattle-scottishrite.org

SCOTTISH RITE OFFICERS

Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33
Sovereign Grand Commander

Ill. Alvin W. Jorgensen, 33

S:.G:.I:.G:., Orient of Washington
Ill. Sat Tashiro, 33
Personal Rep. of S:.G:.I:.G:.
stashiro@comcast.net
Ill. Greg Goodrich, 33
General Secretary
Communicator Editor
secretary@seattle-scottishrite.org
Ill. Norman Miller, 33
Treasurer
Ill. George A. Lofthus, 33
Almoner

PRESIDING OFFICERS
Ian Hyde, 32
Venerable Master, Lodge of Perfection
Dantes LaHens, 32
Wise Master, Chapter of Rose Croix
Glen Huff, 32
Commander, Council of Kadosh
Scott Young, 32 K:.C:.C:.H:.
Master, Consistory

Seattle Scottish Rite Center

1207 N 152nd St
Seattle, WA 98133-6213
206 324-3330 voice
206 324-3332 fax
Brian Lorton
Building Manager
brian@seattle-scottishrite.org
Lorna Schack
Administrative Assistant
lorna@seattle-scottishrite.org

The Communicator (USPS 485-660) is published by the

Valley of Seattle, A&A Scottish Rite, 1207 N 152nd St., Seattle,
WA 98133-6213, for the benefit of its members, bimonthly
and is mailed as a non-profit publication to all members
of the Valley of Seattle and to specified other interested
parties. $2.00 per member is assessed for the publication
of The Communicator. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle,
Washington and at additional mailing offices.
The material contained within this publication is intended for
the education and enjoyment of the members of the Masonic
Fraternity and all material published becomes the property
of Seattle Valley of Scottish Rite. Postmaster: Send address
changes to The Communicator at 1207 N 152nd St., Seattle,
WA 98133-6213.

House of the temple

he Supreme Council will be celebrating the One-hundredth

anniversary of the House of The Temple on August 22nd
through 25th. There will be several brethren from our Valley and
other Valleys in Washington making the journey to the District
of Columbia for this historic event. Registration is now open
and we hope you will consider joining us there.

he Supreme Council have

already begun laying the
groundwork for a festive day
full of merriment, brotherhood,
and history. If you are interested
in attending you need to register
on-line at the Supreme Councils
website. www.scottishrite.org

News from the

Personal Representative

Page 3

ay and June were busy months for the Valley, as we conferred the 18th degree
upon the class of 2015 in early June, had an outstanding speaker Dr. Guillermo
de Los Reyes at our stated meeting on the subject of LEnfant and Masonry and hosted
our Grand Commander Ronald Seale on behalf of our SGIG, Illustrious Al Jorgensen.
Scottish Rite members and guests from other Valleys, as well as members, SGIGs and
guests from other Orients were in attendance. He gave an inspiring message.
In May members of the Valley also attended ceremonies at the University of Washington
and Seattle University to award Scottish Rite ROTC medals to outstanding cadets. In
addition a JROTC medal was awarded to an outstanding cadet at Liberty High School.
A special appreciation of gratitude to Wise Master Dantes LeHans and his entire cast
of the 18th degree, who did an outstanding job in presenting it to the class of 2015. The number of black hats
participating was the largest in many years, and many had received their 32nd degree in the past two-three years.
Our 2014-2015 Grand Master, M:.W:. Sam Roberts, was at our May meeting and he gave a very thoughtful
message to all those in attendance. This meeting was a great opportunity for those who had not yet met the Grand
Master on his travels throughout this jurisdiction.
We are actively promoting Masonic education and providing opportunities for Masons, interested in the esoteric
side of Masonry, to join us. We need the continuing assistance of our Scottish Rite brethren in spreading the word
of such activities, and encouraging our fellow Master Masons, who are not yet members of our Scottish Rite, to
consider us as the next step in Masonry.
The Valley of Seattles, School of the Ancient Rite has been a great addition to those desiring a deeper insight
into our Masonic teachings. A SOTAR forum was held in late June, with a speaker on The Meaning of Life.
Another variation to on-site speakers has been the introduction of Webinars, with the talk being viewed on the web
by attendees. All Scottish Rite members are urged to access the Scottish Rite web page for the yearly schedule.
The meetings of our two new clubs, one in the Southend of King County meeting at Verity Lodge, and the other in
the East side meeting at Bellevue Masonic Center, was held in late June. We look forward to a bright future with
these clubs. Please contact the Valley office for further information.
We want to wish the members a very safe and happy summer. The Scottish Rite office will be open but the
activities of the Valley will be limited to an ExCo meeting in August, followed by an ExCo meeting and the
performance of the 12th and 30th degree on September 12.
Fraternally,
Sat Tashiro, 33
Personal Representative of the S:.G:.I:.G:.

Page 4

ummer is here and the Valley has recessed for the summer months. However, that does
not mean we are not busy working on projects and continuing with member education.
The Valley is busy planning degrees and booking speakers to ensure that we continue to
provide education and live up to our promise to be The University of Freemasonry.

his past June our Valley was honored to host Illustrious Ronald A. Seale, 33, Sovereign
Grand Commander. A grand banquet was held in his honor while he was in Seattle for
the Annual Assembly of the Red Cross of Constantine, of which our Past S.G.I.G., Illustrious
William R. Miller, 33 was presiding as the Most Illustrious Grand Sovereign. Our PR, Ill.
Sat Tashiro, 33 presented Ill. Brother Seale with a gift from the Valley consisting of a custom
Seattle Scottish Rite Cuff link set and Tie Bar, of which he proudly wore during the Black Tie
Banquet the following Saturday Night for the Red Cross of Constantine. Ill. Brother Seale
toured our Temple and made several comments on how beautiful it was. He was especially
pleased with the popularity of the Members Lounge after our meetings.
Fraternally,
Greg Goodrich, 33
General Secretary

S.G.C. Ron Seale, 33 and S.G.I.G.

Al Jorgensen, 33 at the Orient of
Washington dinner hosted by Seattle
Scottish Rite on June 4, 2015.

Page 5

Helping Children Communicate. This is the objective of Rite

Care. In Seattle we have two speech pathologists who serve 25
children from ages 2-7 with speech difficulties. Both Jackie Brown,
director of the Seattle Clinic, and Barbara McKague have been helping these children to speak for over 30 years, with many stories of
successes. We continue to need your support! Although the Scottish Rite Masons of the Orient contribute, through their dues, to the
support of Rite Care, the need is many times more than the current
assessment.
Support the fund-raisers for Rite Care. We will have just completed
the 2015 Beer Fest, the third annual fund raiser, and will be seeking
your help as we go forth in other fund-raising efforts this year.
The service is provided at no cost to these young children and their parents. Some volunteer their monies and
time depending upon their abilities. Please visit our website www.ritecarewa.org for further details. We are a
501(c)3 not for profit organization and all contributions are tax deductible.

Page 6

by: Albert G. Mackey, M.D. (1882)

nother ritualistic symbolism, of still more importance and interest, is the rite of investiture.

The rite of investiture, called, in the colloquially technical language of the order, the ceremony of clothing, brings
us at once to the consideration of that well-known symbol of Freemasonry, the LAMB-SKIN APRON.
This rite of investiture, or the placing upon the aspirant some garment, as an indication of his appropriate preparation for the ceremonies in which he was about to engage, prevailed in all the ancient initiations. A few of them
only it will be requisite to consider.
Thus in the Levitical economy of the Israelites the priests always wore the abnet, or linen apron, or girdle, as a
part of the investiture of the priesthood. This, with the other garments, was to be worn, as the text expresses it, for
glory and for beauty, or, as it has been explained by a learned commentator, as emblematical of that holiness
and purity which ever characterize the divine nature, and the worship which is worthy of him.
In the Persian Mysteries of Mithras, the candidate, having first received light, was invested with a girdle, a crown
or mitre, a purple tunic, and, lastly, a white apron.
In the initiations practised in Hindostan, in the ceremony of investiture was substituted the sash, or sacred zennaar,
consisting of a cord, composed of nine threads twisted into a knot at the end, and hanging from the left shoulder to
the right hip. This was, perhaps, the type of the masonic scarf, which is, or ought to be, always worn in the same
position.
The Jewish sect of the Essenes, who approached nearer than any other secret institution of antiquity to Freemasonry in their organization, always invested their novices with a white robe.
And, lastly, in the Scandinavian rites, where the military genius of the people had introduced a warlike species
of initiation, instead of the apron we find the candidate receiving a white shield, which was, however, always
presented with the accompaniment of some symbolic instruction, not very dissimilar to that which is connected
with the masonic apron.
In all these modes of investiture, no matter what was the material or the form, the symbolic signification intended
to be conveyed was that of purity. And hence, in Freemasonry, the same symbolism is communicated by the
apron, which, because it is the first gift which the aspirant receives,the first symbol in which he is instructed,
has been called the badge of a mason. And most appropriately has it been so called; for, whatever may be the
future advancement of the candidate in the Royal Art, into whatever deeper arcana his devotion to the mystic institution or his thirst for knowledge may carry him, with the apronhis first investiturehe never parts.
Changing, perhaps, its form and its decorations, and conveying at each step some new and beautiful allusion, its
substance is still there, and it continues to claim the honorable title by which it was first made known to him on
the night of his initiation.
The apron derives its significance, as the symbol of purity, from two sourcesfrom its color and from its material.
In each of these points of view it is, then, to be considered, before its symbolism can be properly appreciated.
And, first, the color of the apron must be an unspotted white. This color has, in all ages, been esteemed an emblem

Page 7
of innocence and purity. It was with reference to this symbolism that a portion of the vestments of the Jewish
priesthood was directed to be made white. And hence Aaron was commanded, when he entered into the holy
of holies to make an expiation for the sins of the people, to appear clothed in white linen, with his linen apron,
or girdle, about his loins. It is worthy of remark that the Hebrew word LABAN, which signifies to make white,
denotes also to purify; and hence we find, throughout the Scriptures, many allusions to that color as an emblem
of purity. Though thy sins be as scarlet, says Isaiah, they shall be white as snow; and Jeremiah, in describing
the once innocent condition of Zion, says, Her Nazarites were purer than snow; they were whiter than milk.
In the Apocalypse a white stone was the reward promised by the Spirit to those who overcame; and in the same
mystical book the apostle is instructed to say, that fine linen, clean and white, is the righteousness of the saints.
In the early ages of the Christian church a white garment was always placed upon the catechumen who had been
recently baptized, to denote that he had been cleansed from his former sins, and was thenceforth to lead a life of
innocence and purity. Hence it was presented to him with this appropriate charge: Receive the white and undefiled garment, and produce it unspotted before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may obtain immortal
life.
The white alb still constitutes a part of the vestments of the Roman church, and its color is said by Bishop England
to excite to piety by teaching us the purity of heart and body which we should possess in being present at the
holy mysteries.
The heathens paid the same attention to the symbolic signification of this color. The Egyptians, for instance, decorated the head of their principal deity, Osiris, with a white tiara, and the priests wore robes of the whitest linen.
In the school of Pythagoras, the sacred hymns were chanted by the disciples clothed in garments of white. The
Druids gave white vestments to those of their initiates who had arrived at the ultimate degree, or that of perfection. And this was intended, according to their ritual, to teach the aspirant that none were admitted to that honor
but such as were cleansed from all impurities, both of body and mind.
In all the Mysteries and religions rites of the other nations of antiquity the same use of white garments was observed.
Portal, in his Treatise on Symbolic Colors, says that white, the symbol of the divinity and of the priesthood,
represents divine wisdom; applied to a young girl, it denotes virginity; to an accused person, innocence; to a
judge, justice; and he addswhat in reference to its use in Masonry will be peculiarly appropriatethat, as a
characteristic sign of purity, it exhibits a promise of hope after death. We see, therefore, the propriety of adopting
this color in the masonic system as a symbol of purity. This symbolism pervades the whole of the ritual, from the
lowest to the highest degree, wherever white vestments or white decorations are used.

s to the material of the apron, this is imperatively required to be of lamb-skin. No other substance, such as
linen, silk, or satin, could be substituted without entirely destroying the symbolism of the vestment. Now,
the lamb has, as the ritual expresses it, been, in all ages, deemed an emblem of innocence; but more particularly
in the Jewish and Christian churches has this symbolism been observed. Instances of this need hardly be cited.
They abound throughout the Old Testament, where we learn that a lamb was selected by the Israelites for their
sin and burnt offerings, and in the New, where the word lamb is almost constantly employed as synonymous
with innocence. The paschal lamb, says Didron, which was eaten by the Israelites on the night preceding their
departure, is the type of that other divine Lamb, of whom Christians are to partake at Easter, in order thereby to
free themselves from the bondage in which they are held by vice. The paschal lamb, a lamb bearing a cross, was,
therefore, from an early period, depicted by the Christians as referring to Christ crucified, that spotless Lamb of
God, who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Page 8
he material, then, of the apron, unites with its color to give to the investiture of a mason the symbolic signification of purity. This, then, together with the fact which I have already shown, that the ceremony of investiture was common to all the ancient religious rites, will form another proof of the identity of origin between these
and the masonic institution.

This symbolism also indicates the sacred and religious character which its founders sought to impose upon Freemasonry, and to which both the moral and physical qualifications of our candidates undoubtedly have a reference,
since it is with the masonic lodge as it was with the Jewish church, where it was declared that no man that had
a blemish should come nigh unto the altar; and with the heathen priesthood, among whom we are told that it
was thought to be a dishonor to the gods to be served by any one that was maimed, lame, or in any other way
imperfect; and with both, also, in requiring that no one should approach the sacred things who was not pure and
uncorrupt.
The pure, unspotted lamb-skin apron is, then, in Masonry, symbolic of that perfection of body and purity of mind
which are essential qualifications in all who would participate in its sacred mysteries. The rite of circumambulation will supply us with another ritualistic symbol, in which we may again trace the identity of the origin of
Freemasonry with that of the religious and mystical ceremonies of the ancients. Circumambulation is the name
given by sacred archaeologists to that religious rite in the ancient initiations which consisted in a formal procession around the altar, or other holy and consecrated object.
The prevalence of this rite among the ancients appears to have been universal, and it originally (as I shall have
occasion to show) alluded to the apparent course of the sun in the firmament, which is from east to west by the
way of the south.
In ancient Greece, when the priests were engaged in the rites of sacrifice, they and the people always walked three
times around the altar while chanting a sacred hymn or ode. Sometimes, while the people stood around the altar,
the rite of circumambulation was performed by the priest alone, who, turning towards the right hand, went around
it, and sprinkled it with meal and holy water. In making this circumambulation, it was considered absolutely necessary that the right side should always be next to the altar, and consequently, that the procession should move
from the east to the south, then to the west, next to the north, and afterwards to the east again. It was in this way
that the apparent revolution was represented.
This ceremony the Greeks called moving , from the right to the right, which was the direction of
the motion, and the Romans applied to it the term dextrovorsum, or dextrorsum, which signifies the same thing.
Thus Plautus makes Palinurus, a character in his comedy of Curculio, say, If you would do reverence to the
gods, you must turn to the right hand. Gronovius, in commenting on this passage of Plautus, says, In worshipping and praying to the gods they were accustomed to turn to the right hand.

hymn of Callimachus has been preserved, which is said to have been chanted by the priests of Apollo at
Delos, while performing this ceremony of circumambulation, the substance of which is, We imitate the
example of the sun, and follow his benevolent course. It will be observed that this circumambulation around the
altar was accompanied by the singing or chanting of a sacred ode. Of the three parts of the ode, the strophe, the
antistrophe, and the epode, each was to be sung at a particular part of the procession. The analogy between this
chanting of an ode by the ancients and the recitation of a passage of Scripture in the masonic circumambulation,
will be at once apparent.
Among the Romans, the ceremony of circumambulation was always used in the rites of sacrifice, of expiation or
purification. Thus Virgil describes Corynasus as purifying his companions, at the funeral of Misenus, by passing
three times around them while aspersing them with the lustral waters; and to do so conveniently, it was necessary
that he should have moved with his right hand towards them.

Idem ter socios pura circumtulit unda,

Spargens rore levi et ramo felicis oliv.
n. vi. 229.

Page 9

Thrice with pure water compassed he the crew,

Sprinkling, with olive branch, the gentle dew.

n fact, so common was it to unite the ceremony of circumambulation with that of expiation or purification,
or, in other words, to make a circuitous procession, in performing the latter rite, that the term lustrare, whose
primitive meaning is to purify, came at last to be synonymous with circuire, to walk round anything; and hence
a purification and a circumambulation were often expressed by the same word.
Among the Hindoos, the same rite of circumambulation has always been practised. As an instance, we may cite
the ceremonies which are to be performed by a Brahmin upon first rising from bed in the morning, an accurate
account of which has been given by Mr. Colebrooke in the Asiatic Researches. The priest, having first adored
the sun while directing his face to the east, then walks towards the west by the way of the south, saying, at the
same time, I follow the course of the sun, which he thus explains: As the sun in his course moves round the
world by the way of the south, so do I follow that luminary, to obtain the benefit arising from a journey round the
earth by the way of the south. 93
Lastly, I may refer to the preservation of this rite among the Druids, whose mystical dance around the cairn, or
sacred stones, was nothing more nor less than the rite of circumambulation. On these occasions the priest always
made three circuits, from east to west, by the right hand, around the altar or cairn, accompanied by all the worshippers. And so sacred was the rite once considered, that we learn from Toland94 that in the Scottish Isles, once
a principal seat of the Druidical religion, the people never come to the ancient sacrificing and fire-hallowing
cairns, but they walk three times around them, from east to west, according to the course of the sun. This sanctified tour, or round by the south, he observes, is called Deiseal, as the contrary, or unhallowed one by the north, is
called Tuapholl. And he further remarks, that this word Deiseal was derived from Deas, the right (understanding
hand) and soil, one of the ancient names of the sun, the right hand in this round being ever next the heap.
I might pursue these researches still further, and trace this rite of circumambulation to other nations of antiquity;
but I conceive that enough has been said to show its universality, as well as the tenacity with which the essential
ceremony of performing the motion a mystical number of times, and always by the right hand, from the east,
through the south, to the west, was preserved. And I think that this singular analogy to the same rite in Freemasonry must lead us to the legitimate conclusion, that the common source of all these rites is to be found in the identical origin of the Spurious Freemasonry or pagan mysteries, and the pure, Primitive Freemasonry, from which the
former seceded only to be deteriorated.
In reviewing what has been said on this subject, it will at once be perceived that the essence of the ancient rite
consisted in making the circumambulation around the altar, from the east to the south, from the south to the west,
thence to the north, and to the east again.
Now, in this the masonic rite of circumambulation strictly agrees with the ancient one.
But this circuit by the right hand, it is admitted, was done as a representation of the suns motion. It was a symbol
of the suns apparent course around the earth.

nd so, then, here again we have in Masonry that old and often-repeated allusion to sun-worship, which has
already been seen in the officers of a lodge, and in the point within a circle. And as the circumambulation is
made around the lodge, just as the sun was supposed to move around the earth, we are brought back to the original
symbolism with which we commencedthat the lodge is a symbol of the world.

Page 10

Boys In The Boat And

Those Who Cheered Them On

by: Mac Macdonald, 32

f you havent read Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown, the true and wonderfully-written story about
the University of Washington Crew team that, against all odds - including cheating on the part of the Nazis,
and rowing with only seven and a half rowers in the boat - won the Eight Man crew race during the 1936 Berlin
Olympics, then you must. While reading the story I thought, hey, dad was the Yell King at that time (head
cheerleader) and I have his yearbooks. (What are the odds someone would have the exact years of that outstanding
feat at his fingertips?) Here are some pictures of the time. If you want to hear how Mrs. Blethen of the Seattle
Times cheated to get my father elected as head cheerleader read on, it is a humorous story. Dad became a favorite
of the Seattle Post-Intelligencers well-known sports writer Royal Brougham, UW coach and mentor-to-many
Hec Edmundson, Mrs. Blethen, and the whole student body.
As I was researching my own fathers participation in that stupendous Hitler-frustrating effort, I began to think
that the members of that years various university crew teams would be at the age when many were petitioning to
join the Masons. World War 2 had just ended. How many, I wondered, became Masons? They had graduated in
1937 and 1938 at the age of 20 or 21. The huge call-up to fight on two fronts was in 1942. When the wars finished
that would place them in the age range of 27-30, an age and a time when men were packing our Lodges.
I went down to new University Place Grand Lodge Masonic building south of Tacoma and spoke with Todd
Johnstone, Washington Masonrys walking encyclopedia and keeper of the historical flame, and his assistant
Richard Price. He showed me the vast index files containing the names and records of those who have ever
been amongst our midst. If we found the name, or a similar one in the first set of index files, we then had to
cross reference it with their Lodge files, files that reside in entirely different drawers. (Things have since been
computerized but only since the 1960s so it is an arduous back-straining task). Our research paid dividends.
Many names corresponded with dates of their raising. For example John DeVore of the Crew who was from
Centralia is shown on the Centralia #63 roles. George Lund raised in 1944 Lodge #203. Wilbur Washburn was
raised in the same Lodge as his Father, Arcana #87 of Seattle, Bill Shannon also of Arcana, Stanley Field of
Burlington #254. Stanley Mills might have been with St. Johns #9. We found Robert Ingram in Naches Lodge
#211, Sam Mills in Clarke Lodge #236 (Camas), and Stuart Smith in Anchorage Lodge #221. Were they the same
Boys in that boat? It doesnt really matter.
Men of their age were petitioning Masonry right and left, and for a variety of reasons. For one they wanted the
connection with other like-minded men of character. For another they wanted to participate in building a more just
world having learned that Masonry acts as a bulwark against the kind of tyranny they had just faced. Thirdly they
wanted to help in the strengthening of community both local and national, and fourth, they wanted to discover the
light that Masonry sheds on lifes deeper meaning.
And back to the reason I began this quest...
1934. A basketball game between the University of Washington and Central Washington University then known
as Washington State Normal School. The outcome was not in doubt. The University of Washington was a
powerhouse. Central was, well, it was a teachers and school administrators college not known for its athletics, at
least against the larger schools. Mrs. Blethen, the matriarch of the Seattle Times was attending the game.

ight up until ten minutes before game time the entire center section of Centrals bleachers remained empty,
unoccupied, void of students. All of a sudden out of doors came the sound of a bass drum, then a snare drum.
With two loud beats on the bass, then two on the snare, in came the students. Dressed in the crimson and black
school colors, black skirts or pants and crimson blouses or shirts, on every down beat of the bass the students

Page 11
waved twice downwards something no one had seen before, some sort of school-colored streamers (later known
as pom poms), and then lifting their arms waved those streamers twice at the upbeat of the snares. In that manner,
back rows first they filed in, two beats down with the streamers and two up until they filled the bleachers. Just
before the opening whistle a cheerleader known as Scotty bellowed through his megaphone, Lean to the left,
lean to the right, stand up sit down fight fight fight and then a thunderous roar.
Of course WA Normal lost the game, but even in defeat the student body cheered their team. And then to the
surprise of Mrs. Blethen and the visiting members of the University of Washington fans, they cheered the victors,
all in a creative fashion. I say creative because not only had many of the cheer routines never been seen before;
they had just been invented days before during cheerleading practice.
Mrs. Blethen was aghast. Never had she seen such spirit nor class. More so she was impressed by the creativity
and she wanted the same for the University of Washington. She asked the athletic director who it was responsible
for the joy and unbridled spirit she had just witnessed. He told her, Oh thats Keith Macdonald, hes known as
Scotty. Though hes only a sophomore hes our head cheerleader. He comes up with routines that surprise us
every game and everybody follows him. The coaches love him.
Mrs. Blethen asked him if he wouldnt ask Keith to make a trip over to Seattle and meet with her. My dad, who I
am talking about here, and his best friend Karl Jensen, a gymnast on my dads squad, (later Superintendent of the
Highline School District) drove over the next weekend to see her.
Mrs. Blethen, in her big office at the newspaper according to Karl, cut right to the chase. She asked, How
would you like to be the head cheerleader here at the University of Washington and on a full-ride scholarship?
My dad replied, Id be thrilled at the opportunity but there are several problems: Number One, it is an elected
position and being from Olympia I know perhaps twenty students that attend here. Second, it is a position totally
controlled by fraternities and sororities, and Im not a Greek. Third it is a Senior position and Ill only be a Junior.
Fourth, in order to even be considered for the Varsity Yell Squad you have to have been on the junior varsity squad
and be known and trusted by the other cheerleaders. In a nutshell, I dont have any weight for winning an election
there, zero.
Mrs. Blethen looked him hard in the eye not countenancing any lack of possibility-thinking and said matter of
factly, Keith, do you want the job or not?
continued on next page

Page 12
Out of the some 9000 enrollment (40,000 today) dad won the election by over 200 votes, shocking hell out of
the existing powers to say the least. Mrs. Blethen obviously carried a ton of weight as a donor and supporter of
the university and had convinced the hierarchy this is what she wanted and more so what the university needed.

t was a trust well placed. Dad went on to become one of the most popular yell kings in the history of the U of
WA and even the most quoted. He was the only person ever in the history of the U of WA to receive an athletic
scholarship for cheerleading. At the outset, there was bitterness and bewilderment on the cheerleading team but
my dads enthusiasm and the creative cheer routines that seemed to just pop out of his head won them over.
He even advised the student body how to handle issues caused by the townies, those rowdy fans coming to the
campus from downtown to attend various games. (Remember, in the nineteen thirties there were still forests, and
stumps of forest separating downtown Seattle and the University District.)
During the nineteen seventies and eighties older people would come up to me upon learning I was his son and
some, even now leaning with a shaking hand on their cane and speaking through a diminished amount of teeth
will say, Your dad, your Dad! Da Wave was nuttin. What your dad got us to do was amazing; and all he had was
a megaphone!

e went on to form cheerleading camps around the nation before beginning his coaching and teaching career
both in schools and for the Navy as a trainer. Later as Superintendent of Parks and Recreation in the Bay Area
and Las Vegas where, according to many, he brought culture and community to a place pretty much devoid of
it, he dreamt up the ideas of day camps, (Karl and he formed Camp Waskowitz up here in the Snoqualmie area),
junior symphony orchestras, clown clubs, and of course, the Santa Claus routines I still use. Cool huh? In no small
measure he let the boys in the boat know they were loved and admired.

Mac Alexander Macdonald is a corporate trainer and author of the book, Lighting Your Own Fuse A Glossary
of Mission, Vision, and Passion. He is a member of the Valley of Seattle and Lodge Alba No. 315.

Page 13

The Seven Liberal Arts

A

s the Orients Chairman for the Scottish Rite Research Society (SRRS) its my responsibility to
periodically send out Trestle Board articles to encourage membership. I think over the last couple
years we have covered some of the reasons why you might benefit from membership in the society,
and I know some brethren have taken the plunge and joined. One of the challenges of promoting an
organization like the SRRS is that it is very different from most Masonic bodies. It offers no degrees,
has no dinners and no meetings; in short it has none of the trappings of your usual Masonic organization.
Why? I think its because the scholars journey is a quiet solitary one. The true scholar explores, maps and
reports on what lays beyond the horizon of common knowledge. He would shine a light on all the dark
and unknown places that others might someday benefit.

asonry has encouraged scholarship from its earliest days. All Masons
have been encouraged to study the seven liberal arts and sciences,
Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, Astronomy, Rhetoric, Logic, and Grammar.
The first four are known as the Quadrivium (the four roads), the later three
are called the Trivium (the three roads) and have been the basis of a Western
education since the earliest days of Western civilization. An early example
of the seven liberal arts is found in Marcus Terentius Varros (116-27 BC)
work The Nine Books of Discipline. In this work he added two other
subjects to the list, architecture and medicine. Later in 789 AD the Emperor
Charlemagne issued an edict established a monastic and cathedral school
system that would teach these subjects to their students and that resulted
in what is called the Carolingian Renaissance. The value of the study of these seven subjects is best
presented by Robert Grosseteste, (1175-1253 AD), in his work De artibus liberalibus in which he said,
The seven liberal arts act as a purgative of errors and gave direction to the mind. What did Grosseteste
mean by that? He meant that an education in the fundamental arts and sciences disciplined the mind,
empowering it to see through false beliefs and concepts to the truth. Truth is in many ways synonymous
with Masonic Light, and that is why we, as Masons, teach the value of the seven liberal arts.

f you feel you are ready for the challenges of the scholars path, if you think you have the courage
to look into the dark and unknown places, if you can see the truth that is often concealed in what is
considered common knowledge, then maybe the SRRS is for you. If Masonry is to stay a vital and
influential part of our society we need scholars, we need you.
Fraternally,
W:. B:. Mike Priddy, 32
Committee Chairmen, SRRS Orient of Washington

For more information about the SRRS: http://scottishriteresearch.com

or contact me at: gpriddy@aol.com
Please put SRRS in the subject line.

Page 14

Book Donation

his past May, Brother Tom Lamb, 32 KCCH made a generous donation of 85 books to the
Valley Library. The positive impact of his donation to our Valley and its members will make
a lasting impression for all those who glimpse into the knowledge imparted in the books he has
donated. The collection consists of mostly modern books ranging from Craft to Scottish Rite to
Royal Arch. Including several recent books from the Scottish Rite Research Society.
Our Valley Library is open to all members during normal business hours and also during and after
our stated meetings. I encourage all those who are interested to stop in and take a look.
Thanks again to Bro. Lamb for his generous donation!

Will you accept the Challenge?

T

he Valley of Seattle is engaged in the Supreme Councils Valley Membership Achievement Program or
VMAP. Among several items the program is meant
to engage, membership is a major priority. As with any
organization, we need members to survive and grow. The
Supreme Council is awarding those brethren that bring in
either a new member or is able to reinstate an old member
by gifting you a beautiful Challenge Coin to any brother
that assists in this endeavour. The coin is 1.75 round
and is a proud reminder of your contribution towards our
Valleys growth.

s your Secretary, I am here to assist you in this endeavour. Once you have identified a brother that is either
interested in joining the Scottish Rite (new member) or coming back to Scottish Rite (reinstatement), I will
mail them or you a membership packet for the interested brother. In addition, if you are the first line signer on
two petitions this year, you will receive an additional gift of a custom Seattle Scottish Rite Jacket. For more
information on the program please call the Valley office or send an e-mail to the General Secretary. Will you
accept the challenge?

Membership coin from the Supreme Council

given to all first line signers for new or returning
members.

Page 15

Messages
Happy Birthday!
Congratulations from all your Scottish Rite brethren
to our members over 90 who have reached a very important birthday!

July

Marvin Jackson
Robert Freimund
Leonard Abelson
John Frodesen
James Farrington
Russell Rogers
John Jones
Harold Kusulos
Donald Jenkins
Joseph James
John Howard
Amos Chapman

August

Thomas Constant
Virgil Mudd
John Christensen
Bill Harris
Marwin Holm
Bertil Carlson
Gerald Bryson
Richard Mecartea
William Broadhead
David Belvin
Joseph Roundhill
John Larson
Glenn Bailey
Charles Draper

Lodge of Sorrow
Our brethren lie before us, overtaken by that relentless fate
which, sooner or later, is to overtake us all..
Virtus Junxit Mors Non Separabit
Glenn Baker 02/22/2015
Richard Horman 04/26/2015
Leroy E. Kolb 06/01/2015

Harold R. McAllister
04/18/2015

Charles Schuetz
04/15/2015
Andrew Warner 05/10/2015

Page 16
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
1207 N 152nd Street
Shoreline, WA 98133-6247

Periodicals
Postage Paid
USPS 485-660

Schedule of Events
www.seattle-scottishrite.org

July 2015

Thursday July 30th
6:30 pm
South End Scottish Rite Club (Verity
Lodge)

August 2015
Saturday August 1st

9:00 am

Executive Council

Saturday August 15th

10:30-12:00 pm

RiteCare Clothes Drive (Parking Lot)

No Stated meetings in June, July & August

Scottish Rite Members Lounge

(Great friends. Great Chats. Great Drinks.)

After all stated meetings stop in the membership lounge for further
fellowship. Have a glass of wine or a pint of fresh poured draught.
Come in and see whats on tap!
This is a great place to catch up with members after meetings, discuss
ritual and enjoy the fellowship and all that the Seattle Scottish Rite
has to offer.