Published Monthly by The
Phylaxis Society Public Affairs Office
and Masonic Information Center
January 1999
Bro. A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. 33", a civil rights defender who was one of the country's most prominent and influential African-American judges, has died. He was 70.
Bro. Higginbotham or Newton, Massachusetts, suffered several strokes last month, before he passed at Massachusetts General Hospital. Throughout his life, Bro. Higginbotham was known as a passionate advocate of civil rights. He received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 1995. Supreme Court Justice, Bro. Thurgood Marshall 33" called him "a great lawyer and a very great judge." When he retired in 1993, Bro. Higginbotham was chief judge of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. He was appointed to the federal bench in 1964.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter, elevated him to the 3rd Circuit, which handles cases from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the Virgin Islands. After retiring from the bench, he became a public service professor of Jurisprudence at Harvard's John H. Kennedy School of Government. He is acclaimed for his book In The Matter of Color and his multivolume study, Race and the American Legal Process. In these books he examined how colonial law was linked to slavery and racism and analyzed how the postslavery legal system continued to perpetuate oppression of African-Americans. In The Matter of Color he would note from a Black perspective, the Constitution's references to justice, welfare and liberty were mocked by the treatment meted out daily to Blacks. Defining "We the people", was abruptly closed in 1857 with the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Dred Scott v Sandford, that Blacks had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. The early failure of the nation's founders and their constitutional heirs to share the legacy of freedom with Aftican-Americans was at least one factor in American's perpetual racial tensions. Bro. Higginbothem was made a Mason on site in Allentown, Pennsylvania during the administration of "Father Logan, and was a member of Campbell-Washington-Joppa Lodge No. 37 in Philadelphia. He was in attendance at the Centennial celebration of the United Supreme Council, A.A.S.R., Northern Jurisdiction in 1981 and was awarded its Gold Medal of Achievement in 1983.
The Masonic Service Association of the United States will be sad to learn that Bro. Thurgood Marshall 33" of Coal Creek Lodge No. 88 of Tulsa, Oklahoma, will have a building named for him in the nation's capital on February 3. "March toward Justice" will be the theme of a month-long celebration of Bro. Marshall's long fight for justice. The Masonic Service Association does not acknowledge that Bro. Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Bro. Marshall was the former Minister of State of the United Supreme Council, A.A.S.R., Southern Jurisdiction and received the Gold Medal of Achievement from the Northern Jurisdiction. of the United Supreme Council in 1962.
The United Supreme Council, A.A. S.R., Northern Jurisdiction has released its History written by Joseph A. Walkes, Jr. It is a "all you want to know about the Prince Hall Scottish Rite book." It traces the history of the Supreme Council form 1881 to 1998. It presents the Black elite of Philadelphia and the thread of Prince Hall Freemasonry that sustained it. It explains in detail how Black's received the thirty-third degree, and the formation of the two Supreme Council, Northern and Southern from the five Black Supreme Councils. It explores the fraternal friendship between the White Northern Supreme Council and the Prince Hall. It reflects on the hatred of the White Southern Supreme Council and its attacks on Prince Hall Freemasonry. It tells what happened to the ritual and other items that was sent by Albert Pike to the Southern Prince Hall Scottish Rite. It explains how the Golden Circle came into being, as well as the Commanders of the Rite. It traces the history of the building of the Scottish Rite Cathedral, its massive library, and the building of the Scottish Rite House and Scottish Rite Tower in Philadelphia. It is a history that all will want to read. Cost is $30 which includes shipping and handling. Place order through, the United Supreme Council A.A.S.R., Northern Jurisdiction; The Scottish Rite Cathedral; 1514-20 Fitzwater Street; Philadelphia, PA 19146-2123. Phone 215-545-2443.
The Phylaxis Society encourages all Prince Hall Freemasons to purchase a copy of Freemasonry Universal. A Guide to the Masonic World Volume I - The Americas by Kent Henderson and Tony Pope FPS. It is a guide to all of the mainstream Grand Lodges and Prince Hall Grand Lodges, with a short history of each, as well as the ritual in use, email addresses and web pages, telephone numbers, numbers of lodges, membership, and other information that the visitor might need to know. In the acknowledgment Bro. Tony Pope acknowledges the help that he received from Bro. Tommy Rigmaiden FPS, Executive Secretary of the Phylaxis Society, Bro. Stephen Hill FPS, Director of NonPrince Hall Commission and Joseph- A.- Walkes, Jr. FPS, President, of the Society. Along with the mainstream and Prince Hall Grand Lodges, there is a brief listing of the nonPrince Hall groups claiming to be Masonic in the Black Community. It is published by Global Masonic Publications; Post Office Box 332; Williamstown,; Victoria 3016; Australia.
JOINT FRATERNAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF THE MOST WORSHIPFUL PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE F & A.M. OF KANSAS AND ITS JURISDICTION AND THE MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE A.F. & A.M. OF KANSAS
The COMPACT of January 17, 1998 having been ratified by both Grand Lodges we propose the following guidelines of procedures regarding visitations for the time being,
We shall treat each other as "foreign Grand Lodges" in regard to visitation and participation.
Visitation will be by prior notice and extended invitation. Visitors will need a current dues card and may be vouched by the Master or any Grand Lodge Officer of either Grand Jurisdiction. The articles of the CONTACT will be adhered to as regards authority and jurisdiction.
Visitation rights do not now include participation rights.
This resolution is not intended to and specifically does not authorize or permit (1) dual membership, (2) membership of either of the named Grand Lodges to transfer membership to the other, nor (3) recognition and visitation between appending nor concordant bodies unless so specified by those Masonic Bodies. This resolution and CONTACT exists between these two Grand Lodges and has no intended application to any other Grand Lodge Relationship.
IT IS MUTUALLY AGREED THAT WE DWELL TOGETHER IN PEACE AND HARMONY, AND EACH DO HEREAFTER FRATERNALLY RECOGNIZE THE OTHER AS LEGITIMATE PROPONENTS OF BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF AND TRUTH AND DO ACCORD THE OTHER RIGHTS OF VISITATION IN GRAND LODGE AND CONSTITUENT LODGES WHERESOEVER. ASSEMBLED, SUBJECT TO THE RIGHTS, POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE GRAND MASTERS AND THE MASTERS OF CONSTITUENT LODGES TO PRESIDE OVER THEIR RESPECTIVE GRAND LODGES AND LODGES.
Located across the street from the entrance to the North Carolina Central University campus, the home place of Dr. James E., Shepard, Past Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina, is an educational and cultural monument that is falling apart after years of neglect and disrepair. The goal of the Shepard House Restoration Campaign and the University founded by PGM Shepard is to restore the Shepard House in a manner that preserves the architectural character of the house and its distinctive setting.
The Shephard House will become the major repository for historical archives and University artifacts. It will also become the University information and Visitors Center, and its operation will insure that the legacy of P.G.M. Shephard receives the recognition it deserves. The restoration of the Shepard House is part of North Carolina Central University's $50 million campaign to support scholarships, professorships and facilities expansion. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina placed a full length statue of P.G.M. Shepard on the campus. Donation can be sent to NCCU Foundation/Shepard House, and mail to NCCU, P.O. Box 19363, Durham, NC 27707.
The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the Caribbean, and its Grand Master has sent a letter to the Chairman of the Conference of Grand Masters with a proposed drawing of a monument to Prince Hall, to be built in Barbados, as agreed by the 79th Conference of Grand Masters last May. The overall cost will be $60,000 US dollars. The Conference is seeking $1.500 from each Prince Hall Grand Lodge to pay for the monument. The Phylaxis Society is taking the position that this is very unwise, if it is the goal to say that Prince Hall was actually born in Barbados. The Grand Lodge of the Caribbean can of course construct a monument to Prince Hall, but there is no evidence that Prince Hall was in fact born in Barbados. It would be wiser to build a monument in Boston, where we know for a fact that Prince Hall lived and established African Lodge No. 1. The Conference of Grand Masters publishes in the front of its directory the following from noted African-American historian, Dr. Charles H. Wesley 33" "Many rumors of the birth of Prince Hall have arisen few records and papers have been found of him either in Barbados where it was rumored that he was born, but no record of birth by church or state, has been found there, and none in Boston. All the 11 of the counties were searched and churches with baptismal records were examined without a find of the name of Prince Hall.
The Phylaxis Society believes it should be left up to the Prince Ha Grand Lodge of the Caribbean to prove without a doubt that Prince Hall was actually born in Barbados, before any funds from the various Grand Lodges are sought. It would be almost criminal to sustain the falsehoods of Past Grand Master William H. Grimshaw who has been untruthful concerning the life and times of Prince Hall. Masonic historians and scholars have spent years in researching the Grimhaw tales, and found not one ounce of truth in any of the things that he wrote. The Conference of Grand Masters should be about the business of educating the craft, and not allowing the fraternity to be abused.