Albert Pike Centenary Souvenir Book

Due to the overwhelming response for the Albert Pike Centenary Souvenir Book, it sold out within 48 hours. I hope everyone is enjoying their copy and thank you for your continued support of the Supreme Council Library. Below is a list of the people who received a copy of the book in the order requests were received. Stay tuned for my next offer.

1. Frank Stevenson, NC
2. Larry Roberts, OR
3. Stu Asay, CO
4. Allen Libbe, TX
5. Micah Evans, NE
6. Bojan Stricevic, FL
7. Ron Domenick, CO
8. Joshua Blockburer, AR
9. Bill Mollere, LA
10. Brian Witt, MT
11. Ken Lane, WA
12. Sidney Cooley, AL
13. Dan Jones, TN
14. Scott Brosi, TX
15. Eric Milks, GA
16. Dana Stewart, KY
17. Rick Overton, TX
18. Fred Kleyn, CA
19. Russell Bridges, NC
20. Clint Bittick, TX
21. Michael Dennis, TX
22. David King, VA
23. Michael Carpenter, LA
24. Harry Eisenbert, DL
25. Tanya Wiggins, TX
26. Ronnie Keel, GA
27. Chris Hall, NC
28. John Tolbert, TX
29. Eric Rioual, Saint-Martin
30. Eric Wylie, TX
31. Jack Goldenberg, GA
32. Ross Cox, Sr. TX
33. Richard Massad, OK
34. Jim Hofbauer, WA
35. Tim Israel, OK
36. Jim Perkins, TX
37. Ben Polston, GA
38. Thomas White, CA
39. Chris Foleen, OR
40. Cathy Tygart, CO
41. Tom Jones, AZ
42. Bill Clark, IA
43. John Dickinson, FL
44. Pat Burns, TX

Library Grant

The Supreme Council Library is applying for a grant to help us preserve and maintain our collection. Part of the application asks for comments from users. Here are excerpts from the comments of four scholars who use library, emphasizing what type of library we have and how beneficial it would be to receive a grant for digitizing the collection, along with necessary preservation and security needs.

Paul Rich, President—Policy Studies Organization
“There are thousands of rare books relating to the development of American Fraternalism and civil society, along with innumerable broadsides and pamphlets and other bibliographic treasures. There is simply nothing like it elsewhere. I have used the facilities on many occasions, and for many of my own books and articles. The library itself is a handsome facility with ample study space.”

Peter Fuchs, Masonic Scholar
“Imagine entering the most beautiful library that the mind’s eye can conceive, with classic academic contours, all evoking a scene of great learning. The finely proportioned walls are lined with rows of books of most distinguished antiquity, which show the distinct signs of having been tended in their conservation for age by loving and knowledgeable hands. If you are an appreciator of great books, to see them in this sublime environment is a sort of bliss.”

David Bjelajac, Professor of Art and American Studies—The George Washington University
"Indeed, this jewel of a library with its exceptionally rich holdings serves a growing body of university academicians and their students, who study Freemasonry and fraternalism in all its many cultural, historical dimensions. Testament to this rapidly developing field comprising an international cadre of scholars is recently founded Journal for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism: www.equinoxpub.com/JRFF."

John L. Belton, Scholar
“I find both the contents of the library excellent but even better the quality of service offered to me has been exemplary. When I am in the library I receive excellent service but as a user resident in the UK on the other side of the Atlantic the service has been exemplary. After returning home I found myself seeking information on and selecting pages from an uncommon masonic periodical some 90 years old - which is not available in the UK. The library was able to scan these pages to PDF and email them to me.”

Rare Book Vault

An Oration: Delivered before a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, in the Church at Providence (Rhode Island) on Monday the Twenty-Eighth of December, 1778. By the Honorable Brigadier-General James M. Varnum, Published at the Request of the Society…

James M. Varnum (1748-1789) was a Brigadier General in the American Revolution and was at Valley Forge in the winter of 1778, where Brother General George Washington called him “the light of the camp.” He was a member of St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Providence R.I. His Masonic funeral at Marietta, OH, was the first recorded Masonic gathering in the Northwest Territory.

Varnum gave this oration on St. John’s Day in December 1778 at St. John’s Lodge, Major General and Governor of New Hampshire, John Sullivan was the guest of honor. Sullivan was also the First Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire, 1786-90.

Current Interest

A Bridge to Light for a Brother
Bro. Carlos Feldman (pictured below) of South Africa is shown opening his copy of A Bridge to Light. Joan O. Kleinknecht, Librarian of the Library of the Supreme Council, 33°, in Washington, D.C., helped Bro. Feldman obtain a copy for his continuing Masonic studies.



“The generosity and brotherly assistance is gratefully appreciated," said Bro. Feldman. "If you have a way to pass this humble thanks to the Brethren involved in supporting this type of activities, please do so…”

Pictured below is a copy of letter sent from the Grand Chancellor of the Supreme Council for South Africa.

New Contributions to the Library
Scientific Masonic Journals in Portuguese for free brought to our attention by Rubens Caldeira Monteiro, PhD, PM. “The journals are focused on masonic and non-masonic authors, scholars and researchers. Accepting manuscripts with literature reviews and defined theoretical and methodological bases, in order to produce knowledge on Freemasonry in its historical and social aspects.”

• Fraternitas in Praxis - http://www.finp.com.br/
• Ciencia & Maconaria - http://www.cienciaemaconaria.com.br/

Have a Masonic Question? Ask the Librarian!