ALLEN G. TIDWELL Grand Master 1990 Officers of THE GRAND LODGE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS 1990 -1991 ALLEN G. TIDWELL M:W: Grand Master ROY McDUFFIE R:W: Deputy Grand Master ROY B. DELANEY R:W: Grand Senior Warden HERMAN LEO KEY R:W: Grand Junior Warden JAMES M. WALLEY, P.G.M M:W: Grand Treasurer JACK CROUCH R:W: Grand Secretary DELWIN P. LAGUENS R:W: Grand Secretary Emeritus JUNIUS B. SHARP R:W: Grand Lecturer Emeritus E. DOYLE FREEMAN W: Grand Chaplain LOUIS J. CARUSO W:Grand Marshal BILLIE L. WILSON W: Grand Senior Deacon RICHARD B. SMITH W: Grand Junior Deacon LLOYD A. HEBERT W: Grand Sword Bearer IRVING I. BERGLASS W: Grand Pursuivant E. MARVIN EASLEY W: Grand Standard Bearer ELLISON EUGENE BROWN W: Grand Tyler GRAND STEWARDS DISTRICT DISTRICT GRAND LECTURERS D.D.G.M. CARL M.WILLIAMS 1 ALBERT D. RISER, SR. LEONARD W. REEVES.. 2 MELTON L. SYKES DAVID S. SHIVELEY 3 H. EUGENE McCLAIN CARLT. FATHEREE 4 . DONNIE LEON ELLERMAN GLENE.GILCREASE... 5 . CLIFFORD D. WHITEHEAD CHARLIE W. BELCHER. 6 CECIL F. EASLEY, JR. OMAF. LEE 7 ... JAMES M. WILLHITE, JR. JERRY W. DETERS 8 JACK O.NAPIER JACKW. CORDER 9 .. ERNEST LUTHER FINGER NEILR. CRAIN 10 LOYM. DIETZ ALBERT C. STEEN 11 .. ELLIS EDDIE SKOGLUND JIMMY GENE WATSON . 12 GEORGE R.HOWE WADE C. DAVIS, JR 13 ... HILLARY V. WOODWARD WILLIAM V.MURRAY... 14 MICHAEL C.PURVIS FRANK D. WILSON, SR.. 15 PAT STRICKLAND 16 ARTHUR R. PARR RAYS. FROEBA.JR. 17 NICHOLAS RANDAZZO. .... JOSEPH A. COMSTOCK 18 LESLIE J. WELLS, SR. .. MICHAEL RETZLAFF 19 GERALD AVERETT JERRY W.EVERHART OTHER APPOINTMENTS H. BARNES TURNER R:W: Grand Organist ROBERT E. HOLLAND Assistant Grand Organist MALCOLM A. BALLARD R:W: Grand Photographer 1990 GRAND LODGE OFFICERS AND PAST GRAND MASTERS THE GRAND LODGE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, F. & A. M. Top Row: Carl M. Williams, D.D.G.M., District 1, Harvey Alan Lyons, D.D.G.M., District 2, David S. Shively, D.D.G.M., District 3 Carl Fatheree D D G M District 4, Glen E Gilcrease, D.D.G.M., District 5, Charlie W. Belcher, D.D.G.M., District 6, Oma F. Lee, D.D.G.M., District 7, Jerry W. Deters, D.D.G M' District 8 Jack W. Corder, D.D.G.M., District 9, Neil R. Crain, D.D.G.M., District 10, Albert C. Steen, D.D.G.M., District 11, Jimmy G.Watson, DDGM District 12 Wade C Davis, Jr., D D.G.M., District 13, William V. Murray, D.D.G.M., District 14, Frank D. Wilson, D.D.G.M., District 15, Arthur R. Parr, D.D.G M., District 16 Nicholas Randazzo, D.D.G.M., District 17, Gerald Averette, D.D.G. M., District 19. (Missing From Photo) Leslie J Wells Sr DDGM District 18 r. ^N,eXtrh'?e °°w?: Melton L Sikes'DGL- District 2' H- Eugene McLain, D.G.L., District 3, Clifford D. Whitehead.b.G.L, District 5, Cecil Franklin Easley Jr "•Gi'5lstJJl 6 James M Willhite, Jr., D.G.L., District 7, JackO. Napier, D.G.L., District 8, Ernest L. Finger, D.G.L., District 9, Loy M. Dietz, D.G.L., District 10 | c Ellis Eddie Skoglund D.G.L., District 11, Hillary V. Woodward, D.G.L., District 13, Michael C. Purvis, D.G.L., District 14, Pat Strickland, D.G.L. District 15 J ?,* , D°wn: Richard B. Smith, G.J.D., Billie L. Wilson, G.S.D., E. Doyle Freeman, Grand Chaplain, Eugene A. Wagner, Jr., P.G.M., D. Walter Jessen D P.G.M Lewis J. Faciane, P.G.M., Louis J. Caruso, Grand Marshal, Thomas T. Elkins, P.G.M., Lloyd A. Hebert, Grand Sword Bearer, Grover L. Covington PGM hvmg I Berglass, Grand Pursuivant, T Scott Strickland, P.G.M., E. Marvin Easley, Grand Standard Bearer, Ray W. Burgess, P.G.M., Ellison Eugene Brown! Grand Tyler, Dr. Calvin B. Folds, P.G.M., Junius B. Sharp, Grand Lecturer Emeritus, James H. King, P.G.M., David S. Hartman, P.G.M., D. Allen Long, R^R0 n F!OW: J3o k CH°cCh' G^,nd Secretary, James M. Walley, P.G.M., Grand Treasurer, Roy McDuffie, Deputy Grand Master, Allen G.Tidwell, Grand Master, Roy B. Delaney Grand Senior Warden, Herman Leo Key, Grand Junior Warden, (Missing From Picture) Malcolm A. Baliard, Grand Photographer and H Barnes Turner, Grand Organist. CO ADVANCE REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS of The Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana F. &A.M. One Hundred and Eightieth Annual Grand Communication Allen G. TidWell, Grand Master Jack CrOUCh, Grand Secretary ADDRESS OF GRAND MASTER 9 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DISTRIBUTION AND ANALYSIS OF GRAND MASTER'S ADDRESS 36 REPORT OF GRAND SECRETARY 37 REPORT OF GRAND TREASURER 43 REPORT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES MASONIC HOME FOR CHILDREN AND MASONIC HOME EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC 46-53 REPORT OF MASONIC LAW AND JURISPRUDENCE COMMITTEE 99 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON STATE OF THE ORDER 121 RESOLUTIONS 57 PROPOSED BUDGET 1991 127 ADDITIONAL REPORTS INDEX 107 ORDER OF BUSINESS THE GRAND LODGE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, F. & A.M. January 28th and 29th, 1991 BELLEMONT HOTEL BATON ROUGE, LA CONVENES: Monday, January 28,1991 at 8:00 A.M., 1:30 P.M. Tuesday, January 29,1991 at 9:00 A.M. 1 — Opening of Grand Lodge. *2 — Presentation of Flags. *3 — Reception of Past Grand Masters. *4 — Reception of Visiting Grand Masters. *5 — Reception of Distinguished Guests, Appendant and Collateral Bodies and other State and National Organizations. *6 — Reception of Ladies Representing Various Bodies. *7 — Reception of Grand Representatives. *8 — Necrology Service. 9 — Presentation of Achievement Awards. (Will be made at District Lodge Meetings) 10— Grand Lodge Resumes Labor. 11 — Report of Committee on Credentials. 12 — Approval of minutes: Annual Grand Communications of 1990 and Emergent Communications. 13 — Unfinished business previous Grand Communication to be referred. 14— Communications. PAGE 15 — Address of Grand Master 9 16— Report of Committee on Distribution and Analysis of Grand 36 Master's Address 17 — Report of Grand Treasurer 43 18 — Report of Grand Secretary 37 19 — Introduction of Resolutions 57 Reports of Committees (subject to call by Grand Master - not necessarily in this order.) 20 — Report of Board of Directors of Grand Lodge Hall. 21 — Report of Board of Trustees for Masonic Home for Children and 46-53 Masonic Home Educational Foundation, Inc 22 — Report of Secretary-Treasurer, Masonic Home for Children 46-53 23 — Report of Auditors 46-53 24 — Report of Committee on Foreign Correspondence. 25 — Report of Committee on State of the Order 121 26— Report on Committee on Work and Return of Lodges 111 27 — Report of Masonic Educational Foundation, Inc 114 *Open to Visitors 28 — Report of Board of Charities and Benevolences 110 29— Report of Committee on Masonic Law and Jurisprudence 99 30 — Report of Board of Budget and Control 127 31 — Report of Committee on Appeals and Grievances. 32 — Reports of Committees to whom Grand Master's Address was referred, and action thereon a — Masonic Law and Jurisprudence b — Budget and Control c — State of the Order d — Work and Return of Lodges e — Permanent Committee on Work f — Foreign Correspondence g — Necrology h — Masonic Education i — Special Committees ADDITIONAL REPORTS Arrangements Committee 120 Burial Places of Past Grand Masters 111 Grand Master's Homecoming 115 Honesty & Integrity Awards and Grand Lodge Fidelity Awards 11 o Library 116 Lodge Buildings 121 Louisiana DeMolay Leadership Project 108 Louisiana Freemason 114 Masonic Education Committee 119 Masonic Educational Foundation, Inc 114 Masonic Home Educational Foundation, Inc 116 Masonic Home Endowment Fund 120 Necrology 117 Permanent Committee On Work 112 Relief Lodges 123 Service Committee 117 VA Representatives Report 118 33 — Action of Unfinished Businessfrom Previous Grand Communication 34 — Action on Resolutions 35 — Adoption of Budget. 36 — Election of Officers (Tuesday, January 29, 1991, 10:00 A.M.) a — Appointment of Tellers for election b — Election of Grand Master (1) Address of Grand Master Elect c — Election of Deputy Grand Master d — Election of Grand Senior Warden e — Election of Grand Junior Warden f — Election of Grand Treasurer g — Election of Grand Secretary (1) Announcement of Appointive Officers h — Election of Boards and Committees Election-Board of Budget and Control, 5 year term, Marvin O. Ramsey, P.M., term expires; Election - Board of Charities and Benevolences, 5 year term, Steve A. Alford, Jr., P.M., (Deceased) Election - Board of Directors, Grand Lodge Hall, 6 year term, Ray W. Burgess, P.G.M., term expires; 6 year term, Albert C. Steen, P.M., term expires; 5 year term, to fill unexpired term of Latnie Brewton, P.M. (Deceased) Election - Board of Trustees, Masonic Home for Children, 7 year ierm, Thomas J. Pittman, Jr., P.M., term expires; Election - Board of Directors, Masonic Educational Foundation, Inc., 3 year term, E.R. Minchew, P.G.M., term expires. 37 — Installation of Officers - Public. 38 — Presentation of Past Grand Master's Jewel and Apron to Retiring Grand Master. 39 — Closing Ceremonies. 40 — Photograph of Officers. - NOTES - TOPICAL INDEX OF GRAND MASTER'S ANNUAL REPORT Page Address of Grand Master 9 Annual Conference of Grand Masters 28 Appointments During The Year 18 Building Plans Approved 21 By-Laws Approved or Amended 21 By-Laws Disapproved 21 Centennial Plaques 21 Commissions Issued 22 Commissions Received 21 Commissions Recommended - Not Received 22 Conclusion 36 Cornerstones and/or Plaques 21 Dispensations Granted 24 District Deputy Grand Masters 25 District Grand Lecturers 26 Edicts 30 Fidelity Medal Awards 28 Grand Lodge Officers 26 Grand Lodge Office Staff 26 Grand Master's Homecoming 26 Ground Breaking Ceremonies 21 Honesty and Integrity Awards 28 Lodge Halls Dedicated 21 Lodges Instituted 21 Louisiana Freemason 30 Louisiana Veterans Administration Hospital Visits 35 Masonic Education 28 Masonic Home Educational Foundation 27 Masonic Home Endowment Fund 27 Masonic Home For Children 26 Masonic Temple Building 29 Necrology 10 Official Acts Executed 19 Permission Denied 23 Permission Granted 22 Remedial Actions 30 Perpetual Membership 32 Ruling 30 State of the Order 10 Southeastern Masonic Conference 29 Visitations and Activities of Grand Master 12 Visits to Other Jurisdictions 18 Wills and Legacies 29 ADDRESS OF GRAND MASTER To the Officers, Delegates, and Members of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana, Free and Accepted Masons: It is with immeasurable pleasure that I welcome each of you to Baton Rouge for the One Hundred and Eightieth Annual Communication of our Grand Lodge. It is our hope and prayer that your visit in this fine city, and certainly this Grand Lodge Session, will be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for each of you. It is with special delight that I welcome our distinguished guests from out of state. May yourvisit to Baton Rouge, and Louisiana, perse, be a joyful and pleasant experience. Please make yourselves at home, and if we can be of special service to your needs during yourvisit, please let us know. To each delegate and visitor here assembled, I extend a most hearty welcome. Th is isyour Grand Lodge of which each voting delegate is a member. The decisions that will be made by you, during the next two days, will essentially determine the future of this magnificent fraternity of ours. During the next two days, you will be called upon to make some extremely important decisions as pertaining to the future of Louisiana Freemasonry. Your decisions must be made without regard for personal interest or self-satisfaction. Those decisions must be made giving due consideration for what is best for Free- masonry this day and for the years to come. Your active participation at this annual communication is essential to its successful conclusion. I have no doubt, and have absolute faith, that you will think and act only after serious deliberation and then only in the best interest of our fraternity. It seems like only yesterday you bestowed upon me the greatest honorthat can be bestowed upon a member of our fraternity. I shall forever be grateful for the honor, and certainly the privilege, of serving you as Grand Master of Masonsforthe State of Louisiana. My only hope is that we, as a team, have contributed something of worth to this association of good men which will successfully carry us forward into future generations. If that quest is true, then all those sleepless nights, the countless prayers, the innumerable deliberations, the thousands of miles traveled, and most importantly, the planning and preparation that went into Masonic year 1990, will not have been in vain. Our intent from the very outset of 1990, was to initiate an activist year with special attention given to membership retention and to challenge the serious annual drain of Masonic membership. We have been active, and I can proudly report to you, with one exception, the successful conclusion of all our programs which were initiated at the beginning of ourterm in office. The planned ceremonies for rededication of the George Washington Statue, located in New Orleans, was cancelled due to serious budget restraints. The projects assumed beyond those originally planned, and were undertaken afterthe beginning of Masonicyear 1990, have enjoyed successful conclusion, with one exception. The importance of that statement is that none, absolutely none, of those accomplishments could have enjoyed any degree of success without your support and participation. Please accept my sincere and profound gratitude for that support and participation. I extend a special expression of appreciation and gratitude to our Past Grand Masters for their good council, support and input. Brethren, without hesitation, I readily state that it simply could not have been successfully concluded without your valued input. I treasure your friendships and have welcomed with open mind the benefit of your past experiences. Thank you for being there. To my wife, Fran, lean only say, "Thankyou so much for always being there when I needed you the most. Thank you for your love, your understanding, your encour- 10 agement, and, most of all, your support, without which we could have accom- plished nothing. I shall forever be grateful for the sacrifices you have made in support of your husband. Thank you, Sweetheart." The following pages contain an accounting of the Grand Lodge activities forthe past twelve months. NECROLOGY The supreme Architect of the Universe called from our midst three members of the Grand Lodge family during 1990. They are W: Brother Virgil C. Heath, District Grand Lecturerforthe 12th Masonic District, W: LatnieL. Brewton, P.M., Member of the Board of Directors of the Grand Lodge Hall, and W: Steve A. Alford, Jr., P.M., Member of the Masonic Law and Jurisprudence Committee and Board of Charities and Benevolences. These illustrious brothers served the Grand Lodge, and Freemasonry in general, with honor and distinction for many years. We mourn their passing and offer our deepest and most sincere sympathy to their families and their many close friends. We also mourn the passing of many other Masonic brethren who have departed this world, as we know it. May God's blessing be with them and their families. Appropriate memorial services will be conducted by the Necrology Committee for our departed brethren. STATE OF THE ORDER We have been privileged with the opportunity to visit many of our constituent Lodges within the various parts of our State this year. It's immensely rewarding to me, especially considering that I served for a number of years as District Grand Lecturer, to witness our Lodges open, close, and receive the Grand Lodge Officers in a most proficient manner. That is a commendable tribute to the fine, dedicated work being done by our Permanent Committee on Work, our District Grand Lecturers and our Certificate Lecturers. We've also noticed that there is a noticeable difference in the general age category of our petitioners. We're experiencing applications from our younger generation, and that is a positive for our fraternity. Keep up the good work. We've challenged our never ending loss of membership numbers, due to membership non payment of dues, with a couple of innovative ideals plagiarized from earlier Louisiana Grand Masters. We instituted the "Sojourner Program", first initiated by M:W: Ray W. Burgess, with some degree of success. I believe that particular program had the potential to virtually eliminate our loss in numbers, if properly supported. We did not get the maximum participation we expected from our constituent Lodges, consequently the program suffered to some degree. In October, we sent a personal letter to each member within our Grand Juris- diction who was subject to go N.P.D. in an effort to solicit them not to allow their honored privilege of being a Master Mason go to waste. We believe this endeavor enjoyed an acceptable degree of success. We initiated the "Perpetual Membership" program in an effort to monetarily challenge the annual loss in membership. That program is enjoying the success that was envisioned at its inception. Using today's available financial rates, for every 2 Perpetual members, we get the monetary equivalent of 3 regular dues paying members, and those dues continue to be paid to your Lodge and the Grand Lodge forever, even after the members' death. It's obvious to me, with proper membership participation, in this particular program, our constituent Lodge and our Grand Lodge financial woes will have been answered within the next decade or so.