I was reviewing the Blog yesterday and today trying to find a recent posting from an annonymous person. It was in reply to my post regarding the amount of time we, in this Jurisdiction had to review and discuss proposed legislation to be brought before the Grand Lodge. Also there was an opinion regarding electioneering.

I was sure that when I pushed the button "to post" the article it would be on the blog. I saw it once and then it was gone. Where it went I do not know. However, I am requesting of the sender, if he still has that email in his "sent messages" folder in his email program, to please re-submit it. I am sure it will be of interest to our other Brethren.

I would like to re-iterate that this blog is for each Mason's opinion on any subject that impacts Masonry in our Jurisdiction. This does not restrict information from other jurisdictions that may be of interest in our jurisdiction and that can lead to improvment.

Additionally, please notify those Brethren, in your email list, about this blog site and the Masonic Education Site. The more interaction we can generate, the better informed will be our Brethren and that usually brings about closer friendships.

What Say You?

This is a copy of the text of a letter from the Grand Master of Masons of California to all California Lodges. This warns of a clandestine organization and the need to prevent the spread of “The Snakes” in our Island Jurisdiction. Please take heed.


June 27, 2007

OPEN LETTER FROM THE GRAND MASTER
AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REGARDING THE “SNAKES”

TO BE READ AT THE JULY STATED MEETING

Dear Brethren,

For more than two years, a number of lodges in California have experienced significant
disharmony due to the negative influence of certain lodge members who are also members

of an organization commonly referred to as “the Snakes.” Recently, we made a request

that each of the 2008 lodge officers affirm in writing (form provided) the fact that he is

not a member of this organization or its successors. Our request resulted in several

questions being asked and it is our intention to address these issues herein.

Formally named the Grand and Glorious Order Knights of the Creeping Serpent,

"The Snakes" is believed to have been organized by a group of Masons who wanted

to continue certain types of hazing in an initiation ceremony which had been prohibited

by the Shrine. Originally, the so called Snakes were Masons who had all received

this secret degree. Over time this informal, degree-centered association of Masons

transformed into something more organized and dangerous to Freemasonry. Masons participating in any form of hazing ritual place our fraternity in great jeopardy and

subject it to litigation due to intentional assault and battery. This was an important

reason for the Shrine to prohibit hazing. Adding to the gravity of the situation, the

motives of the now more developed Snake organization threatens the stability of our lodges.

When this problem was called to the attention of the Grand Lodge in the summer

of 2005, Grand Master David R. Doan ordered a thorough investigation of this

organization. While we were able to gain some information about the organization in

Arizona and the Philippines, no one would come forward to speak on behalf of the

organization which was reported to have at least two units operating in California.

Yet some of our members came forward and spoke out about what this organization

was secretly plotting. We received a copy of a message reportedly from a leader of

the Snakes directing its members to infiltrate the officer corps of our lodges so that

they could gain influence over the lodge’s decisions and control of lodge funds. Some

lodges have officers who have advised in open lodge that unless a brother is a Snake

he will not be eligible to be an officer in that lodge.

Many attempts have been made to communicate with the Snakes organization with n

o response. We asked the leadership of the Snakes organization to furnish our Grand

Lodge with records of their members, facts about their initiation ceremony, and other information that would allow us to gain a better understanding of the organization.

Our requests were ignored. Grand Master Doan was left with no choice but to declare the Snakes a clandestine organization and he directed all Masons in California to cease their membership in the order if they were members. This was done according to the

Grand Master’s responsibility in the California Masonic Code concerning brother Masonic organizations which include any organization wherein membership in Masonry is
a perquisite for membership. (This applies to Snakes, but could not ever be applied to an
organization like the Elks, Odd Fellows, etc. that do not have the Masonic prerequisite.)

Since that time the problems have grown worse. Embezzlement of lodge funds has occurred,
violence has been perpetrated upon Masons, threats have been made against family

members of Masons, and factions have developed in our lodges as the result of the

continuing negative influence of Masons who are believed to be members of the Snakes.

This is a serious issue.

As a measure to raise awareness of the problem, give pause to any Mason who may

still be a member of the Snakes, and provide the necessary evidence if requested, we

have asked all of our lodge officers, beginning with the upcoming Masonic year, to

make the above mentioned affirmation to the Grand Master. It is necessary to have this affirmation in writing because any officer that is proven to be a member of the Snakes

after he has signed the affirmation will be subject to Masonic charges. An oral

affirmation may not be sufficient evidence in a subsequent Masonic trial. This

affirmation process has been agreed upon by all of the members of the
Executive Committee and we are committed to seeing that this process is continued

in successive Masonic years.

Any California Mason who is a member of the Snakes and who wishes to

disassociate himself from the Snakes may do so by writing a letter of renunciation

and delivering it to the Grand Master at the Grand Lodge office. The letter can

simply read, “I hereby renounce my membership with the Grand and Glorious

Order Knights of the Creeping Serpents.” The renunciation should be signed and

the full name of the member should be clearly typed or written. The letter should

be mailed to the Grand Lodge office at 1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA

94108. No action will be taken against any Mason who renounces his membership

in the Snakes before he signs the affirmation.

We know that to many of our members this request seems odd and perhaps

overly cautious. The fact is that the Snakes pose a serious danger to Freemasonry

and every effort must be made to end any influence the Snakes organization or

its members may have in our lodges. Asking for the affirmation may seem like

punishing many for the actions of a few. We understand this concern. However,

if we raise our awareness of the problem, make it known that membership in

the Snakes will not be tolerated by our brethren, and subject to Masonic charges

any member who deceives his lodge or the Grand Lodge about his membership

in the Snakes, we might end this threat to the fraternity. We’re asking you to help

us break the code of silence of this dangerous organization and remove from our

ranks those who are destroying our beloved Craft.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Yours in service to Masonry,

Melvyn B. Stein Richard W. Hopper Larry L. Adamson Kenneth G. Nagel
Grand Master Deputy Grand Master Sr. Grand Warden Jr. Grand Warden

Do you think "The Snakes" might invade our Island Jurisdiction? Do we have members here already? What should we, in Hawaii, do about this possible invasion? What Say You?

Here's another from our Past Grand Secretary and Grand Historian, the Honorable

Herb Gardiner.

Congratulations for your efforts to (1)expand the Masonic education of Hawaii's brethern and (2) to provide a venue for Brethren to express their views on a variety of subjects impacting the Craft in Hawaii.
I believe your's is a constructive approach to providing the Brethren with a venue to comment about how we conduct the business of the Grand Lodge, and Freemasonry in general here in Hawaii.
I have been a Freemason for over 51 years (Raised in Hawaiian Lodge 21) and I believe that one area we can improve on is Masonic education. I realize that we have some Brethern who strongly believe that the ritual provides all the Masonic education that is needed. In the real world that notion is obsolete and has been for many years. That's why there are Masonic Research Lodges in Hawaii.
Given all the anti-Masonic trash that exists on the WWW and also published, our members should be educated on (1) to expect it. and (2) how to counter it.
It should be recognized that the majority of the Brethern do not aspire to be Lodge officers, many of whom are interested in Masonic history. Especially the younger members...are interested in the history of the Craft and their Lodge. Very little if any is provided to them.
As you know I do some writing about famous Freemasons and the Craft. As you also know there is no venue for publishing this kind of Masonic research here in Hawaii. As a result my work is made available on the Web site of the Northern California Research Lodge, (NCRL). Our book about Le Progres which I was one of the three authors was also done under the auspices of the NCRL.
Fraternally,
Herb Gardiner in Soggy Manoa

Aloha Brethren,
Here is a post from our Past Grand Secretary, Our Grand Historian Herbert Gardiner. Maybe we can add a page to publish some of his works here. Here is his post

M/W Ray:
Congratulations for your efforts to (1)expand the Masonic education of Hawaii's brethern and (2) to provide a venue for
Brethren to express their views on a variety of subjects impacting the Craft in Hawaii.
I believe your's is a constructive approach to providing the Brethren with a venue to comment about how we conduct the business of the Grand Lodge, and Freemasonry in general here in Hawaii.
I have been a Freemason for over 51 years (Raised in Hawaiian Lodge 21) and I believe that one area we can improve on is Masonic education. I realize that we have some Brethern who strongly believe that the ritual provides all the Masonic education that is needed. In the real world that notion is obsolete and has been for many years. That's why there are Masonic Research Lodges in Hawaii.
Given all the anti-Masonic trash that exists on the WWW and also published, our members should be educated on (1) to expect it. and (2) how to counter it.
It should be recognized that the majority of the Brethern do not aspire to be Lodge officers, many of whom are interested in Masonic history. Especially the younger members...are interested in the history of the Craft and their Lodge. Very little if any is provided to them.
As you know I do some writing about famous Freemasons and the Craft. As you also know there is no venue for publishing this kind of Masonic research here in Hawaii. As a result my work is made available on the Web site of the Northern California Research Lodge, (NCRL). Our book about Le Progres which I was one of the three authors was also done under the auspices of the NCRL.
Fraternally,
Herb Gardiner in Soggy Manoa

From Marc Rubenstein
Nice blog, Ray! Very Cool!

MW Ray:

Thank you so very much for providing sharing with me your thoughts and these great sources of information. Over the past years I have focused on learning as much as possible of the History of the Craft, the achievements of individual Members or Lodges, including the commitments, efforts and sacrifices of our predecessors.

Its true Origin
Our Journey
Our current Stage; and
Our Choices for our Future – Vision 20 / 2020

I believe that only when I fully understand from where we are coming from, and where we are, I will have something positive to contribute to where we are going, and/or the direction we are giving to our Blue Lodges and Appending Bodies to move our beloved fraternity during this Century. MW Ray, you, similar to our other Grand Masters, have achieved much to move the Masonic Fraternity in Hawaii through the 20th Century, and therefore, you will be able to face difficulties to be the Change Agent during the 21st Century. However, I want you to know that I will be on your side – all the way - on your Journey.

We may or may not agree on all issues, but I surely will support every effort to develop our Membership, to retain and educate our Members so that our fraternity will be able to meet the Challenges ahead of us, to lead rather than to follow and therefore become relevant in shaping the future of Hawaii and not only the future of our fraternity.

Young people yearn for direction. My research shows that they know more about Masonry than we give credit to them and they are somewhat aware of the good deeds of our fraternity, and our forefathers who were Masons. I hope my son, now 22, will say one time, my dad and his friends made a significant difference.

With warmest fraternal Aloha,

Bro. Gerhart
Gerhart W. Walch
Master Mason & Member Lodge Le Progres de l’ Oceanie F. & A.M.
Master Mason & Member Honolulu Lodge F & A.M.
Officer Scottish Rite Bodies, 32o Mason
Officer & Noble of the Aloha Shriners
Officer of the Honolulu York Rite Bodies, a Knight Templar
Officer of the Honolulu York Rite College, Education Chair
Officer Masonic Temple Association, its SecretaryA new post from Brother Gerhardt Walch

Electioneering

Aloha, the 22 May 2007 post that is attributed to me was really from a person who wanted to remain anonymous. While that is okay, I would hope that submitters would be able to state their names. Otherwise, it looks as if I am wirting all the articles/comments, and I am not.

Please be aware, that you don't have to identify yourself, however, it makes for better communication and allows others to contact you outside of this forum.

I do thank you for your views. To others, what say you?