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This WEBSITE is published monthly as an official publication of the
Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America.
Sid Cornelius Dorris III, Grand Generalissimo and Publisher,
2007 Brenthaven Drive, Mount Juliet, TN 37122
Lawrence E. Tucker, Grand Recorder and Editor
Grand Encampment Office
5909 West Loop South, Suite 495, Bellaire, TX 77401-2402
(713) 349-8700 (telephone), (713) 349-8710 (facsimile)
E-mail: gr@knightstemplar.org
"Tell US What YOU THINK"
Joan B. Morton Assistant Editor
Mail materials and correspondence, to:
Editor, Grand Encampment of Knights Templar
Post Office Box 478448, Chicago, IL 60647-8448
phone and fax: (773) 489-0689
Material for the Grand Commanderies' two-page supplements
is to be directed to the respective Supplement editors.
Supplement Editors are encouraged to create their own sites
or submit "NEWS" to kych52va@aol.com
Address corrections from members are to be sent to the local Recorders LISTED HERE
MARCH: Grand Master Koon and the grand officers and staff of the Grand Encampment send Easter greetings to all of you. CLICK HERE for the Grand Recorder's update on upcoming events and materials available through the Grand Encampment office. There is interesting food for thought from Sir Knight and Reverend Tiner in the "Prelate's Chapel". There's so much more, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this new edition of your magazine.
Forever by Ruth, C. Kallhoff
"Immanuel" SK and Rev. Steven G. Tiner
BROTHER ERNEST SHACKLETON:Antarctic Explorer and Survivor
by Ivan M. Tribe
Springtime SK Donald Craig Kerr
  
Grand Master's 2008 Easter Message
As Knights Templar, we celebrate the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This month brings us to a special time of the year for Christians everywhere, but more especially for Knights Templar. The lesson of immortality is the central theme of the Order of the Temple, held dear in the hearts of all of us.
Easter affords us an opportunity to reflect upon the supreme sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. We should reflect on that love and sacrifice and ask ourselves the important question, "What have we done to make the world a better place?" Whatever the answer to that question, I would remind you that our lives are always lived in the future, and if we ask ourselves every day as we arise, that very question, we will strive to provide the right answer.
I hope that you will be able to join the officers of the Grand Encampment as we celebrate Easter in Alexandria, Virginia, for the first time. The Hilton Alexandria, Mark Center is an outstanding facility, and those who attended last month's "Masonic Week" activities will tell you the rooms were beautiful, the food was excellent, and the hotel staff was most accommodating.
Our Annual Easter Observance is a wonderful event, and I'm sure you'll find it rewarding. It's a very special time when you and your fellow Templars may join together to celebrate this special day. Wherever you spend Easter, the officers of the Grand Encampment wish for you and all those you love a Happy Easter!
 
Sir Knight William H. Koon II, GCT
Grand Master
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Greetings, Sir Knights:
Many changes are occurring in the Grand Recorder's Office. To better serve you, we are utilizing the internet more and more. Many forms are available online as well as conference presentations and guidelines. In addition to the exemplification of the Order of the Red Cross and the Order of Malta on DVD, booklets on Templar History, History of the York Rite, and Drill Regulations; several books are available through the Grand Recorder's Office, including: History of the Grand Encampment (two-volume set), A Pilgrim's Path: Freemasonry and the Religious Right, Born in Blood, and Dungeon, Fire and Sword.
EASTER 2008
Although the deadline for hotel and meal reservations has passed, you and your lady are cordially invited to attend the Grand Encampment Easter Service at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The parade begins at 7:40 A.M., and the Easter Service begins at 8:00 A.M. In case of inclement weather, all Grand Encampment Easter activities will be held in .the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel.
2008 DEPARTMENT CONFERENCES
The 2008 Grand Encampment Department Conferences are open to ALL SIR KNIGHTS, not just Grand Commandery Officers.
Upcoming conferences include:
Southeastern Department Conference
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Robert E. Burleson, RIGHT EMINENT DEPARTMENT COMMANDER
Friday, June 13, 2008-Saturday, June 14, 2008 Orlando, Florida
Rosen Plaza Hotel, 9700 International Drive, Orlando, Florida The conference room rate of $104 (single or double) is available three days before and three days after the conference. Call (800) 627-8258 and reference "YORK RITE" for the preferred rate. See the Grand Encampment website for additional information.
Lawrence E. Tucker, GCT
Grand Recorder
Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America
5909 West Loop South, Suite 495
Bellaire, TX 77401-2402
Web Site: www.knightstemplar.org
Office E-mail: gr@knightstemplar.org
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Code of Chivalry
by Sir Knight M. Eugene Ellis, P.G.C. of New York
The three elements of the Chivalric Code are: Love of God, Love of Country, and Love of Womanhood. These are factors in our understanding of what is meant in being addressed as a Sir Knight in Templary.
These three elements have never wavered in the millennium in which Templary can be directly traced. The concepts, of course, are much older, and first became codified in the British Isles in the 6th century, A.D. Love of God and country are perhaps as old as the hills, as it were, but love and exaltation of womanhood is a distinctly Western European concept.
These three concepts are first recognized in the search for the Holy Grail and the time of King Arthur. In this article, Arthur, along with Charlemagne and Agamemnon, are the cohesive elements which have brought new orders into the world. They have almost become icons as well as distinct human beings. All of Western Europe have embraced the code of chivalry. Arthur, alone, embodies all of the three elements above, but all three. of them have become the centrality to which their respective knight heroes demonstrate their love of the chivalric code.
This is less so in Charlemagne and Agamemnon, of course. Love of God(s) and patriotism to country are their main themes. The romance of chivalry alone belongs to King Arthur and his Round Table. All else is an imitation.
The Arthurian theme is the search for the Holy Grail which is the cup which our Lord and Savior had when presiding at the Last Supper. Each of the twelve paladins chose a lady, and he would, if successful, return to Arthur's Court and present that treasured gift to his lady. This is diametrically opposed to Eastern thought where womanhood is the servant of man, and indeed, this idea has existed in our Western world throughout much of our history, but subservience of womanhood is definitely not Arthurian nor Chivalric. To receive honor from the hand of a woman is unfathomable to Eastern thought.
The Arthurian Code of Chivalry grew larger and by the 12th century in Western Europe it was the norm. Both Charlemagne and Arthur grew in stature and became prototype world rulers in imagination if not in definite geographical boundaries. The early Celtic nature of the British Isles recognized fealty to those three chivalric elements and placed much care in assuring womanhood that it was she whom her Sir Knight would defend as he defended the Christian Faith.
So by the emergence of the troubadours in France and Spain, this code of chivalry pronounced what a knight was supposed to be. It is deeply versed in the Christian ethic.
How thrilled the candidate is when asked in the Order of Malta by the Prior: "Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for the Salvation of the sins of the world?" That is deeply stated and repeated by the candidate. Imagine yourself before 25 or 30 Templars and you are boldly asked if you believe this. Further to the point, "Does your conscience accuse you of any crime unrepented of, which would render you unworthy of becoming a member of an Institution founded upon the Christian Religion and the practice of Christian Virtues?"
These are powerful questions put to a man in front of so many witnesses.
Those who ask those questions should recognize fully what they are saying.
Templary and Christianity are deeply bonded with each other. While not being an exclusive society, we must ask these questions and know when the candidate would not be comfortable in a society that asks so much of him spiritually.
Past Grand Commander of New York State, M. Eugene Ellis, is a retired school teacher living at 227 Sherman Street, Watertown, NY 13601-3626.
We invite the members of Knights Templar to submit an article illuminating their thoughts on the connection of Knights Templar with Christianity and their faith.
Please send it to the Grand Prelate, Rev. Robert J. Cave, at 137 Glen Drive, Ridge, New York 11961 or email to jobricave@aol.com for possible publication in the Knight Templar magazine.
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Because the theme of this poem is reminiscent of the Easter message itself, we thought it would make an appropriate and delightful addition to the Easter issue this year. The poem is by Ruth C. Kollhoff, and it was presented to Sir Knight and Reverend Harry Armitage and was sent by his son, Sir Knight David Armitage, who is a member of Aurora Commandery No. 22, Aurora, Illinois, and resides at 2513 Benton Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI4900B-2732.
FOEREVER
by Ruth C. Kallhoff
I learn as the years roll onward
And leave the past behind,
That much I have counted sorrow
But proves our God is kind;
That many a flower I longed for
Had a hidden thorn of pain;
And many a rugged by-path
Led to fields of ripened grain.
The clouds but cover the sunshine,
They cannot banish the sun,
And the earth shines out the brighter
When the weary rain is done.
We must stand in the deepest sorrow
To see the clearest light,
And often from wrong's own darkness
Comes the very strength of right.
We must live through the weary winter
If we are to value the spring,
And the woods must be cool and silent
Before the robins sing.
The flowers must be buried in darkness
Before they can bud and bloom,
And the sweetest and warmest sunshine
Comes after the storm and gloom.
So,the heart from the hardest trial
Gains the purest joy of all,
And from lips that have tasted sadness,
The sweetest songs will fall.
For as peace comes after suffering,
And love is the reward of pain,
So after earth comes heaven
And out of our loss the gain.
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This article presents the author's views which are not necessarily those of the Grand Encampment or any person representing the Grand Encampment.
"Immanuel"
Another Note on Christian Doctrine
by Sir Knight and Reverend Steven G. Tiner
Grand Prelate, Grand Commandery of Arkansas
"IMMANUEL"! What a beautiful word! Important to Templar ritual, to Christians, and to Scottish Rite Masons of the 18th degree, the word means "God with us."
We most often hear this word in the Christmas season when Isaiah 7: 14 is read in vesper services worldwide. The entire verse reads: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This verse, as much as any other, proclaims the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
Yet some writers have suggested that the Hebrew word which is translated "virgin" in this verse, the word almah, should have been translated "maiden" or "young maiden." Their point is that almah does not necessarily denote virginity. However, Gesenius, an outstanding scholar who has an exhaustive Hebrew lexicon, admits that the common translation of the word is "virgin," but he says that it could be changed to "young woman."
This is where the debate begins. Just what did Isaiah intend when he wrote, "almah shall conceive"?
A close look at the verse reveals that there is really no debate at all. Isaiah was meaning "a virgin shall conceive" exactly as the King James version renders the verse.
Let's see why. First, the word almah is used six other times in the Old Testament, and in each case it meqQs a virgin. Even a casual reader would be convinced. Rebekah was called an almah before she married Isaaq.:The word is used in his prayer by the godly servant who came to find a bride for Isaac. In Song of Solomon 6:8, the word is used to differentiate certain serving girls from the concubines and queens of Solomon!
During the intertestamental period, seventy-two Hebrew scholars, six from each of the twelve tribes, worked down in Alexandria, Egypt, "on the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek language. When they came to this "sign" in Isaiah, those seventy-two men understood that it meant "virgin," and they translated it into the Greek word parthenos. You remember Athena, the virgin goddess of Athens? Her temple was called the Parthenon because parthenos means' "virgin," so those Hebrew scholars used the word in Greek that would be undeniable for "virgin" as the equivalent to the Hebrew almah.
Second, Isaiah says, "Therefore the Lord himself." This phrase clearly implies that this would be something fantastical, something unbelievable. This sign would be such as Jehovah alone could give, something entirely out of the ordinary, that which could only be accomplished by His agency.
Third, Isaiah says, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign" Obviously, it is no sign at all for a young woman to conceive and bear a son. If that's a sign, then right here in Arkansas a sign is taking place many times a day, every day. However, if a virgin conceives and bears a son, that, my friend, is a sign above all signs!
Fourth, Isaiah writes, "BEHOLD! a virgin shall conceive." The word "behold" is a common one in the Old Testament used to demand attention. It was used when something unusual was about to be said. To say, "Behold a young woman shall conceive" wouldn't make much sense. There's nothing out of the ordinary about young women conceiving. For a virgin to conceive, however, now that is reason to announce, "BEHOLD!"
I hope that these four reasons clear up any misunderstanding around the wonderful prophetic word of Isaiah 7:14. This verse clearly calls for a supernatural birth.
For all Knights Templar Christians, the virgin birth of Christ is not an optional article of our faith. It is essential to the Gospel. If Jesus was not virgin-born, He had a human father. If He had a human father, He was not God. If He was not God, the Bible is false, Jesus Himself was deluded, and we have no adequate Savior from sin.
"They, shall call his name Emmanuel," quoted Matthew, "God with us." That settles the debate: The One who was brought forth into the world by the virgin Mary was God--God manifest in the flesh.
Sir Knight and Reverend Steven G. Tiner; Grand Prelate of the Grand Commandery of Arkansas, Prelaie for the Valley of Little Rock Scottish Rite Bodies, Past Grand Orator and Past Grand Chaplain of the Arkansas Grand Lodge, and Senior Pastor of Levy Baptist Church, North Little Rock, Arkansas, is a member of Hugh de payens, Commandery No.1, Little Rock, Arkal'1sas. The author of "Angels: God's Heavenly Beings" and "Enter His Gates," a daily devotional book, published quarterly, he resides at 16 Cliffwood Circle, North Little Rock, AR 72118.
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BROTHER ERNEST SHACKLETON:
Antarctic Explorer and Survivor
by Ivan M. Tribe
Professor Emeritus of History
University of Rio Grande
Rio Grande, Ohio
In past generations, Americans and Europeans generally held polar explorers in high esteem. Those who endured great hardship won wide acclaim for their achievements, sometimes giving their lives in the process of their quest for fame. Among those who devoted their energies to such endeavors were a number of Masons, both American and British including Nathaniel Palmer, Elisha Kent Kane, Robert Peary, Robert Falcon Scott, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, and the subject of the following sketch, Sir Ernest Shackleton. While he discovered neither the North nor the South Pole, his exploits in the Antarctic rank as some of the major accomplishments of the age, particularly his 1914-1916 expedition where his name and character became virtually synonymous with the ship,Endurance, that bore him and his men to the far south.
Ernest Henry Shackleton was born at Kildea in County Kildare, Ireland of a farmer-physician father whose ancestors hailed originally from Yorkshire, England and an Irish mother. In 1884, the Shackletons moved to suburban London. In 1887, young Ernest became a student at Dulwich College. He seems to have been somewhat indifferent to academics and his teachers held him up as an example only after he became famous. Shackleton dropped out of school in 1890 and joined the Merchant Navy, making his first voyage from Liverpool to Valparaiso, Chile, aboard the Hoghton Tower. He made other journeys in the next few years, becoming certified as a First Mate in 1896 and as a Master two years later. Somewhat later, he gained commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve. During this time, he served on two voyages that transported soldiers and supplies to Cape Town in the Boer War. That 1890 trip around Cape Horn always stuck in his mind and whetted his sense of adventure. He later told a journalist that "I felt strangely drawn to the mysterious south."
Ernest Shackleton's pathway to international fame and "the mysterious south" began when he joined the Discovery expedition organized by the Royal Geographical Society and led by Robert Falcon Scott, a navy officer and member of Drury Lane Lodge 2127 in London. In fact, prior to the group's departure, Shackleton took his Entered Apprentice degree on July 9, 1901 in Navy Lodge No. 2612, also in London. Several years would pass before he took additional Masonic work.
Antarctic expeditions were a dangerous business. A legend concerning the Discovery voyage is that a 1901 recruiting advertisement in the Times of London read, "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of winter. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success." The trip of 1901-1902, fulfilled many of these promises, although most members survived.
While Scott, Shackleton and a Dr. Edward Wilson journeyed overland to a new record of 82O 17'S latitude on December 31, 1902, they were still 463 nautical miles from the South Pole. Ernest became seriously ill with scurvy and Scott had him sent back home. Back in England Shackleton married Emily Dorman on April 9, 1904. Emily had been a friend of Ernest's sister that he had first met in 1897 after returning from a sea voyage to Japan. The marriage would result in three children Raymond, Edward and Cecil, but would be characterized by long separations in which Emily often had to support herself and the children. Hoping to return to the Antarctic Shackleton worked as Royal Magazine as a journalist and Secretary of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. The following year, the thirty-one year old explorer made an unsuccessful attempt for political office "standing" for a seat in the House of Commons from Dundee, Scotland. Soon after, he began to work at securing financial support for another trip to the "far South." Much of the monetary help Shackleton needed was provided by a Glasgow industrialist named William Beardmore. A grateful Shackleton would subsequently name a newly discovered mountain range and glacier after his chief benefactor.
This journey--which commenced in August 1907--would become known to history as "the Nimrod Expedition" and provide Ernest Shackleton with the "honour and recognition" he had so desperately sought. New innovations used ny these explorers included the use of an automobile and Manchurian ponies as beasts of burden but they proved of limited value. The leader's three goals included the exploration of that portion of Antarctica known as King Edward VII Land, reaching the South Pole, and reaching the Magnetic South Pole. All of the objectives were accomplished except for that of reaching the South Pole. Since Shackleton divided them into three groups, the trio of Douglas Mawson, Edgeworth David, and A. F. Mackay reached the Magnetic Pole in January 1909, enduring considerable hardship in the process. The exploratory group among other things ascended Mt. Erebus, the active volcano on Ross Island.
Shackleton's group included Frank Wild, Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams. On their unsuccessful quest to reach the pole the foursome managed to cross the Trans-Antarctic mountain range and became the first humans to set foot on the South Polar Plateau. Stretched almost to the breaking point, they reached 88O 23'S latitude on January 9, 1909, a new record but still 97 miles short of the pole. Fearing death and disaster if they tried to go further, they wisely returned to their base. Returning to England they were, nonetheless, treated like heroes for their valiant effort. Shackleton was knighted for his efforts and basked in the glory of having led a party farther south than anyone had ever gone. His book, The Heart of the Antarctic, won him further acclaim. Of his failure to reach his main goal, he is said to have philosophically remarked, "Better a live donkey than a dead lion." He received additional Masonic light, being passed a Fellowcraft on November 2, 1911, and raised a Master Mason on May 30, 1913, both in Guild of Freemen Lodge No. 3525. According to a very well researched article by Leon Zeldis, Shackleton remained a member of both Guild of Freemen Lodge and Navy Lodge for the rest of his life.
During these years back in England, other polar explorers reached the long sought destination of 90O S. The Norwegian Roald Amundson arrived late in 1911, followed five weeks later on January 18, 1912 by Shackleton's sometimes friend sometimes rival Bro. Robert Falcon Scott who unfortunately perished with his companions on the returned back to his base. Ernest Shackleton now sought a new goal crossing the southern continent from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. Seeking new financial supporters, he found three in the persons of Sir James Caird, a well-to-do jute manufacturing tycoon and member of Parliament; Dudley Docker, and Stancomb Wills. All three had lifeboats named in their honor. The principal ship was the well-named Endurance. By now Greenland sled dogs had been established as the most successful animal companions for Antarctic exploration, and English schoolchildren were said to have raised the money to buy and train them with participating schools getting a dog named for their school. A second ship, the Aurora, would meet Shackleton on the Ross Sea side of the continent. World War I was just starting in early August 1914 as the twenty-eight voyagers prepared to depart England, but Winston Churchill, first Lord of the Admiralty told Shackleton to "proceed" as he had originally planned.
The Endurance reached the Weddell Sea in January 1915, after an earlier two day stop at the whaling station on the island of South Georgia. The weather in 1914 was exceptionally cold in the Antarctic and by January 18, 1915 the ship was surrounded by ice floes and soon became trapped, frozen into an ice floe at 76O34'S. Under normal condition they were only a one day journey from their proposed land base at Vahsel Bay. For 281 days, this situation continued, although the ice floe shifted several hundred miles im the process. The men occupied themselves with a variety of work and activities initially supplementing their food supply with seal and penguin. But then in September conditions became worse. Temperatures became colder and the water beneath the ship began to freeze, and on October 23 crushed it "beyond all hope of ever being righted," but as Shackleton further noted in his journal, their supplies were saved and "we are alive and well, and we have stores and equipment for the task that lies before us." The task before them had now become survival. Against overwhelming odds, they succeeded.
The immediate goal of Shackleton and his men was to reach Paulet Island some 346 miles away where they knew that a cache of supplies existed that had been left by a 1902 expedition (frozen food preservation did have some positives in Antarctic trips).
They also had three lifeboats which they could drag across the ice and use them in the chilly waters whenever they had the opportunity. After considerable hardships and near brushes with death, the weary sojourners reached Elephant Island in the South
Shetlands on April 12, 1916. They had made land on a barren island but real safety still eluded them. Shackleton decided that he and five others would take the largest life boat the James Caird and attempt to reach the whaling station on South Georgia, an 800 mile journey.
Brother Frank Wild, the second in command and an Australian, would remain behind with the others with instructions to move to Deception Island if Shackleton had not returned by a certain date. After seventeen days and surviving storms in an open boat, the James Caird made landing but some 130 miles by sea from the whaling station, so he and two others went over the rocky hillside of South Georgia to the station and a rescue party soon went out and picked up the other three. Relieving those twenty-two men back on Elephant Island still remained a daunting task. Chartering a small whaler from South Georgia proved impossible as Elephant Island was now blocked by ice floes and the rescue ship could only get within seventy miles of the men. Shackleton then went to Port Stanley in the Falklands and appealed for help, but his only immediate offer for aid came from Uruguay who sent out a small fishing ship, but it too was forced to turn back thirty miles from its destination. Journeying now to Punta Arenas, Chile, a third rescue effort via the Emma had to turn back when that ship was damaged by an iceberg. Finally, a fourth attempt to reach Elephant Island on a ship called the Yelcho under the command of a Chilean navy officer and Mason named Luis Pardo (of Aurora Lodge No. 6 in Valparaiso) managed to reach the island on August 30, 1916 and rescue the castaways who had survived their own share of hardships--including one pair of amputated toes-- for 105 days on the island and were down to their last four days of food rations. Back in Punta Arenas, on September 4. The outside world that had heard nothing of the Shackleton Expedition since October 1914, soon learned of their incredible but successful struggle in that all members of the party had survived.
Shackleton's new goal was to learn the fate of the Aurora and its crew that was to meet him on the Ross Sea side of Antarctica. However, first he, together with Bros. Luis Pardo, Frank Wild, and Dr. A. McIlroy, the ship surgeon and the other Mason on the expedition were honored on September 30, 1916 at a special meeting of Lodge of Harmony No. 1411 under English charter in Valparaiso. Shackleton was escorted to the East and honored for his achievements. Some 44 members and 85 visitors from other English speaking and Chilean lodges attending this historic meeting. Bro. Luis Pardo, the Chilean connection in the historic rescue, was promoted by the navy for his heroic efforts and eventually spent four years in Liverpool, England as a Consul, dying in 1935.
Leaving Chile for New Zealand, Ernest Shackleton learned in December 1916 that many of the personnel from the Aurora expedition was stranded in the Ross Sea region. This group was not so lucky as those who had sailed on the Endurance as all of this party did not survive. Nonetheless, the intrepid leader did what he could and to make a long story short, the survivors were on their way to Wellington by February 1917. By May Shackleton was back in England and World War I continued to rage.
With his health increasingly shaky, the adventurous explorer still hoped to get into military action, but was instead sent on a diplomatic mission to South America in hopes of persuading Argentina and Chile to abandon neutrality and join the allies. This proved an utter failure. Shackleton then became involved in an effort to establish a British presence on the Island of Spitzbergen, a property of neutral Norway. His Masonic brothers from the Endurance, Frank Wild and Dr. McIlroy were also in on the plan. In the Norwegian town of Tromso, Shackleton experienced what McIlroy assumed was a heart attack, but "the Boss" would not undress so his physician friend could examine him. Nonetheless, he had to return to London and Wild took over the expedition. It was Shackleton's first trip north of the Arctic circle. He soon returned in October 1918 however, as part of a British force bound for Murmansk where he held the position of "Staff Officer in Charge of Arctic Equipment," a glorified term for storekeeper. Three weeks after his arrival in Murmansk the Great War ended and the Allies were now in opposition to the Bolsheviks who were trying to solidify their control of Russia. In a letter to home, Shackleton had some prophetic and astute comments about the evils of Bolshevism, but he was drinking heavily and his health continued to decline. By March 1919, he was back in London and demobilized after five months of service. Although, hoping for another polar expedition, the symbol of British endurance was now virtually broken financially and lecturing twice a day about the Endurance Expedition. His last book simply titled South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition (1919) sold well, but he had signed over royalties to pay debts.
Despite his deteriorating health, Shackleton still planned a return to Antarctica, this time his goal was to circumnavigate the continent. A wealthy old friend from school days, John Q. Rowett came forth with finances. Several veterans from earlier journeys joined him and a ship renamed the Quest was outfitted for the journey. Leaving England on September 17, 1921, the ship was not a good one and had to be repaired en-route more than once. The leader was also frequently ill. The Quest reached South Georgia on January 4, 1922. Later that night the noted explorer--old before his time--had another heart attack and died in the early morning hours on the 5th. Comrades were transporting his remains back to England, but when his widow got the news, she asked that his body be returned to South Georgia. She wrote that "His spirit had no place in England. . .if he had a home on earth, it must be among the mystic craigs and glaciers of the island in the Southern Ocean which had meant so much to him." Receiving the word at Montevideo, Uruguay, they returned him to South Georgia where he lies in the cemetery at the whaling station at Grytviken.
In his day Shackleton was celebrated as one the great explorers of the age. Largely forgotten for a time, interest in his exploits revived a few years ago when documentary films about his adventures revived interest in the man. Although, he never discovered the South Pole, he did contribute much knowledge of Antarctica through his expeditions. His cool leadership in the face of the adversity encountered during the Endurance episode revealed an extraordinary talent for "grace under pressure." Members of the fraternity worldwide can take pride in the determination and skill that Brother Ernest Shackleton exhibited during his lifetime.
Further reading: Books about Shackleton are numerous. The most detailed is Roland Huntford,
Shackleton (1996), while Caroline Alexander, The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition (1998) is also quite good. His own accounts have been reprinted. Internet searchers can benefit from the biography at http://www.south-pole.com). Of particular interest to Masons is Leon Zeldis, "Sir Ernest Shackleton and Luis Pardo: Two Masons Joined by Fate and Heroism," at the Freemasonry in Israel website. His Masonic record is also on the website of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon
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Springtime
by Sir Knight Donald Craig Kerr
Pastor Emeritus
Easter is happiness. This year it is near the first day of spring.
Springtime is the emergence of beauty and hope. It is the time when nature shows signs of growth. Everyone likes to see something new, and "Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!' "-so said Robert Orben.
Easter sets before us a new world. It tells us we belong to a tradition that allows us to believe that there is more to life than we can know or see. We. are the heirs of immortal hope, clinging to the belief there is more than despair; deceit, betrayal, and injustice.
In the resurrection of life is the thought that God overcomes the darkness and the agony and can transform fear into confidence and reassurance.
God's love is so supreme and overpowering: It bursts upon a bandaged people of Israel and sets them free for a new adventure. It enters the soul of a man from Nazareth and turns a cross into a crown of victory and conquest.
Who knows how to measure love? The Mississippi River is 2,486 miles long; the Missouri River is 2,945 miles; the Amazon is 3,900 miles; the Nile is 4,000 miles. These rivers flow beside long and tireless shores, winding their way in ceaseless motion to their destinies. The love of God is like those rivers, reaching from shore to shore through endless ages, linking our fragmentary lives to the vast, eternal resources of infinity.
In,his book, The Art of Loving, Eric Fromm says the happy person is one who has an inner sense of creativity. Springtime gives us that feeling of creativity, which is the essence of this Easter-time.
May the remembrance of this hallowed season bring joy and happiness and hope to our lives! God bless us!
Sir Knight Donald C. Kerr is Pastor-emeritus, Roland Park Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Maryland, a 32° Mason, Chaplain Emeritus of Baltimore Chapter, and a member of Beauseant Commandery No.8, Baltimore. He resides at 700- John Ringling Boulevard, Apt. E202, Sarasota, FL 34236-1586.
Knight Wins Handmade, One-of-a-Kind, Masonic, Quilt
Some time ago Knight Templar ran an announcement of a raffle of a Masonic quilt, shown left, by Sherwood Lodge No. 421 01 Michigan. We have received word of the winner.
Sir Knight Daniel A. Gastineau writes: "Sir Knight Kent Stoneman, 5200 N.E. 24th Terrace, Apt. 208, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308, was the winner. He resides 6 months in Florida and 6 months in Barre Town, Vermont. He is a Past Master of Granite Lodge No. 35, a District Deputy Grand Master in 1992 and 1993, and is a member of the Scottish Rite, the Shrine, and the Royal Order of Scotland. He is a very active Brother in all our fraternities. We don't feel there could be a more deserving winner!"
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"Christ the Lord is Risen Today"
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