The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library holds nearly two dozen powder horns in its collection. Some are from the era of the American Revolutionary War and bear carvings that reflect that use; some feature carvings of Masonic symbols. This unusual double powder horn is particularly intriguing because it exhibits both types of carvings.
Powder horns, made from animal horn (often cow or oxen), were used by soldiers in the field to keep gunpowder dry and secure. The holes at the tips of the horns were used to pour powder into a paper cartridge or directly into the barrel of a musket. Many were carved with designs that were meaningful specifically to the owner. The words “John P. French His Horn” are carved into the surface, identifying the horn’s owner. On this fascinating object, French showcased his Masonic affiliation, his interest in slogans, and possibly his personal hobbies.
One of the slogans that appears on the horn is “Don’t Tread On Me” above a snake. This phrase was first used in South Carolina in 1775 by Christopher Gadsden, then-Lieutenant Governor of the state. It was inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s 1754 “Join or Die” political cartoon showing the colonies as pieces of a snake, indicating that union between the British colonies was necessary for survival. The slogan became well-known after it was used on naval flags during the Revolutionary War. Another phrase that adorns French’s horn is “Freedom and Victory.” While there is no one known usage of this slogan, the ideals align with the goals of the American Revolutionary War.
The majority of the carvings on this double powder horn are connected to Freemasonry, perhaps a sign that the fraternity and its teachings held special meaning to French. The slogan “Cemented with Love” appears, which refers to the tight bonds that Masons encourage and enjoy with their brethren. This phrase also appears on aprons, badges, certificates, and other items in the museum and library’s collections.
Along with this Masonic slogan, French applied around two dozen symbols from the teachings of Freemasonry to his horn. Some symbols are common to all forms of Freemasonry, such as a trowel, a gavel, a coffin, a beehive, and two pillars called Boaz and Jachin. One is a stone archway often represented in Royal Arch Freemasonry, the first four degrees of the York Rite. This arch is topped by a figure identified as “Hiram.” Hiram Abiff is a significant character in Freemasonry’s third degree.
In addition to symbols representing his political and Masonic interests, French also carved what appears to be a hunting scene, featuring a man holding a rifle, a dog, a mountain lion, a bird, and a deer. Perhaps these symbols reflect a pre-war activity.
Unfortunately, even with the helpful addition of a middle initial, the name “John French” was so common at the time of the Revolutionary War that we cannot establish the owner’s identity from military records. French appears to have been a member of the fraternity, but we cannot ascertain to which Masonic lodge he belonged. While we do not know where John P. French lived or very much about him, the symbols he chose to carve on his powder horn give us a sense of what he valued.

By Stacey Fraser, Assistant Curator, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

William Sykes “Bill” Bailey, 70, of Ogden Dunes, IN passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 7th, 2023. He was born in Gary and grew up in Ogden Dunes where he lived and raised his family. Bill graduated from Portage High School, attended college at DePauw and graduated from the University of Evansville and obtained his Masters Degree at the University of Kentucky. While at the University of Evansville, Bill met the love of his life - Debby (Owens) Bailey. Together they enjoyed 44 wonderful years of marriage.

 Bill is survived by his wife Debby and sons Robert O. (Jacqueline Beaulieu) and Ross D. (Jessica Anderson); beloved grandchildren Parker, Beau, Henry, and Finn; brother John R. (Janis); sister-in-law Kristin (Weis) Bailey, niece Lauren (Brock Shipley), nephew Jordan (Emily Richardson-Rossbach), niece Leslie (Adam Marlatt); sister-in-law Sandie (Chris) Cieslak and cousin Geoffrey G. Slaughter (Julie Randolph). As well countless friends both locally and internationally. He is preceded in death by his grandmother Edith Sykes Dorman, mother Sarah (Dorman) Bailey, his father Robert B. Bailey and his younger brother James T. Bailey.

 A very active member of the Ogden Dunes Community Church, Bill, served as both an Elder and Trustee. To make his church more accessible to his community, Bill diligently ran the sound system and livestream broadcasting. His booming bass voice will be greatly missed in the Ogden Dunes Choir. Always finding ways to live his faith, Bill served as the Indiana Dunes Great Banquet Community Lay Leader from 1998-2004.

 Bill loved his community of Ogden Dunes, as a lifelong resident. He served four years on the Ogden Dunes Town Council, (President in 1995) and also served as Vice-President of the Ogden Dunes Home Association. For years he joyfully volunteered his time coaching the town youth soccer team. Bill and Debby also enjoyed organizing the town’s Labor Day games.

 Masonic roots have run deep in the family for generations. As a result of his deeply held belief that one should selflessly serve, Bill started his Masonic journey in his youth as a member of the Steel City Chapter of DeMolay and was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in 1984. Bill furthered his degree work by petitioning both the York and Scottish Rite, where he was later conferred the honorary 33rd degree. He then joined Orak Temple in Michigan City, where he served as Potentate in 2009. Bill was a life member of Porter Lodge #137 in Valparaiso, Indiana. Bill’s greatest honor and privilege was to follow in his father’s footsteps and serve as the Imperial Potentate of Shriners International in 2021 and to help further the work of Shriners Children's as they care for children from over 167 countries worldwide.

 Visitation for Bill will be held Friday, May 12th, 2023 at the First United Methodist Church of Portage, 2637 McCool Road, Portage from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m and 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm with a Masonic and Church service at 5:00 pm. All times in central standard time. Fellowship will be provided at the conclusion of the services. Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, Olson Chapel, 5341 Central Ave. Portage. For more information, please call (219) 762-3013. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Shriners Children's, 2900 N. Rocky Point Dr. Tampa, FL 33607, or the Indiana Dunes Great Banquet P.O. Box 1696 Valparaiso, IN 46384.

On April 15, 2023 Brother Leonard Crofford, 32°, of the Valley of South Bend, was presented the Harry S. Truman Award for Outstanding Citizenship. Serendipitously, he also celebrated his 102 birthday the same day. Brother Crofford had relocated to Southern Illinois to be closer to his family. Due to the distance from his home Valley, Ill. Greg Clark, 33°, Deputy for Illinois, Ill. Randy Milone, 33°, Active from Illinois, and Ill. Henry Haisch, 33°, made the courtesy presentation of this medal.

Brother Crofford had twenty-five family members and friends to witness the presentation and celebrate his birthday. All enjoyed some delicious cake and ice cream! During the presentation, Brother Crofford shared some stories about being a Navy veteran of WWII and his time spent in Hawaii.

Please see the photos below documenting the presentation.

The Illustrious Harry S. Truman Award for Outstanding Citizenship may be conferred by the Supreme Council or the Sovereign Grand Commander upon any person, male or female, for outstanding leadership and citizenship in the recipient’s locality, state, or country. This prestigious award also may be conferred upon a person rendering exemplary and conspicuous service to the Scottish Rite or Freemasonry at large.

On behalf of Illustrious Paul St.Pierre, 33°, Deputy for Indiana, the Actives and officers of the INCOD, we congratulate Bro. Leonard Crofford, 32° for this distinction.

Recently the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library added an intriguing mark medal from Pennsylvania to its collection. Along with the name of its owner, Conrad Poshardt, this keystone-shaped badge is inscribed with the name of the craftsman who engraved it, John Bower.
In April 1810 Bower advertised his services in the Democratic Press of Philadelphia, noting that he undertook his business as an engraver “in all its various branches, with neatness and dispatch” at “No. 80 North Fourth, near Race street.” A few months later, in November, he informed the paper’s readers that he had changed the location of his business with this announcement: “John Bower, engraver, has removed to No. 1, Sterling Alley, where the above business is carried on….” Sterling Alley was just a block or so from his previous address. City directories list John Bower as an engraver at these and other addresses in the same neighborhood from 1810 through 1819. In 1810 census takers recorded a Philadelphia resident named John Bower working as an engraver with a family of three at two locations in August and again in October, likely reflecting Bower’s change of address during the year.
In the 1830s critic William Dunlap noted that John Bower “made plates of inferior execution in Philadelphia about 1810.” Dunlap’s tepid assessment of his skills notwithstanding, Bower worked for many clients. Examples of Bower’s work that have survived to this day include illustrations for several books, prints, trade cards for neighboring craftsmen, and this mark medal made for Conrad Poshardt, a member of Herman’s Lodge No. 125 of Philadelphia.
Bower signed Poshardt’s mark medal “Br. J. Bower, Sculp.” on the side of the jewel bearing an arch. In adding “Br.,” an abbreviation of the word brother, to his signature on this medal, Bower identified himself as a Freemason. Membership records at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania note that a man named John Bower took his degrees at Lodge No. 72 in Philadelphia in the first half of 1811. He withdrew from the lodge in the fall. The lodge readmitted Bower as a Master Mason in 1814. Bower’s profession is not noted in the Grand Lodge records, but the J. Bower who signed this medal is a strong candidate for being the man who belonged to Lodge No. 72.
The medal that Bower created for Conrad Poshardt is in the keystone shape favored by many Pennsylvania Mark Masons in the early 1800s. In addition to the owner’s name and Poshardt’s personally chosen mark—a group of seven Masonic symbols contained within the letters HTWSSTKS--Bower engraved the name of the owner’s lodge—Herman’s Lodge N[o]. 125—and a date expressed as "Feby 5812", indicating February 1812, on this medal. Two years before, in 1810, a group of Freemasons, who described themselves “all Germans by Birth” who did “not possess a perfect knowledge of the English Language” petitioned the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to form “a Lodge whose Labours are carried on in the German Language.” The Grand Lodge granted this request and issued a warrant for Lodge No. 125, called Herman’s Lodge. As the petitioners had planned, this lodge undertook its business and ritual in German. Hopefully further research will uncover more about Conrad Poshardt, his lodge, and other work undertaken by his brother Freemason, engraver John Bower.
Front, Mark Medal Made for Conrad Poshardt, 1812. John Bower, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Special Acquisitions Fund, 2022.068.3. Photo courtesy of Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc.

Back, Mark Medal Made for Conrad Poshardt, 1812. John Bower, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Special Acquisitions Fund, 2022.068.3. Photo courtesy of Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc.

Hilary Anderson Stelling, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

This Feast of the Paschal Lamb is designed with three elements.
First, it is designed to remember our fallen brethren, those brothers of our beloved Scottish Rite who have left this world for a higher and more glorious world. "Virtus junxit mors nonseparabit" ... "Whom virtue unites; death cannot separate."
Second, it reminds us of the Passover of Israel; when the children of Israel were passed over from God's wrath and set free from Egyptian bondage, to begin their trek to the promised land. we see this represented in the Passover meal displayed here before you.
Third, for us as Knights Rose Croix, we are again presented with that divine question ...

What think you of Jesus?
Consider the 22nd psalm ...
1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4. Our Fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8. He trusted on the lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19. But be not thou far from me, 0 lord: 0 my strength, haste thee to help me.
20. Deliver my soul from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog.
21. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will i praise thee.
23. Ye that fear the lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
25. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: i will pay my vows before them fear him.
26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28. For the kingdom is the lord's: and he is the governor among the nations.
29. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
30. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the lord for a generation.
31. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

King David, the writer of that psalm; the father of Solomon, whose temple to God is the centerpiece of our freemasonry; whose prescience and vision foresaw the death of his descendant, Jesus, the Messiah, as the glorious conclusion of God's plan of salvation.
Easter is… Jesus as the sacrifice for all mankind… for the great truth of all scripture, both old testament and new, is that the death of Jesus Christ is the salvation…

The substitutionary atonement that provides sinners the opportunity to avoid the penalty of hell. Now in God's plan of salvation, He had conditions for this substitutionary atonement.
• The substitute had to be another human being... deity alone would not suffice. animal sacrifice, such as the Hebrews had practiced for centuries as the atonement for sin, alone would not suffice. God required that the substitute be of a comparable nature, that is, he be another human being. (Heb. 10:1-4)
• The substitute had to be sinless... an unblemished lamb is what the ancient Hebrews sacrificed for atonement. Christ is often referred to as an unblemished lamb because he was a completely sinless savior.
• The substitute also had to be deity ... being human alone would not suffice. Deity guarantees that our salvation will last forever. the substitute had to count for all humanity... the incarnate Jesus’ deity insured that our salvation would be eternal.
• There had to be intensity of suffering... comparable to our eternity in hell. The suffering Christ experienced at calvary was God's wrath against sinners. In prophecy, Isaiah described the messiah as being "stricken," "pierced," "crushed," "chastened," and "scourged." The source of this punishment was God himself, for as Isaiah explains, the Messiah would be "smitten of God and afflicted." This affliction was the act of a righteous judge distributing justice to one who presented himself as ready to accept the punishment for man's iniquities and transgressions. It is in this context that "the lord was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief."

The idea of using a substitute was not something man devised and then persuaded God to accept. Both the plan and its execution were wholly derived from the grace of God, from before the world was created.
And Jesus, who is sometimes called our mediator; went far beyond what mediators are called to do. mediators mediate and then they go home. They have no skin in the game. Christ put his own skin in the game, for he willingly offered to present himself as the sacrifice.
God's plan... Jesus died that we might live!!

But... Christ did not stay put in the grave; for God raised him up! he triumphed over the grave and death; and gives us hope for our own immortality! he lives! … is the glorious conclusion of Easter!!!
If you would only believe.

What think you of Jesus?

Tonight’s address is concerning the “Green Man” and “his” relationship to Freemasonry, Christianity, and paganism. Over the years, the “Green Man” and other stone carvings called foliage masks have been seen all over Europe on many buildings. Churches and public buildings of all sorts bear the visage of this icon in many forms. The most common is a man’s face with foliage, or vines and leaves growing out of the face. Thanks, in part, to Dan Brown and his books creating a relationship between freemasonry and Christianity via the eternal hunt for the Holy Grail, one particular chapel in Scotland has been a focal point for all three groups.

Rosslyn Chapel, located north of Edinburgh in Scotland, was commenced in approximately 1446 by William Sinclair, who was reputed to have been a Knight Templar that was likely engaged in warfare in the Holy Land. While neither of those facts has been confirmed, the chapel he constructed is filled with images of stone that when viewed as a whole, leaves the distinct impression that the site is religious. However, it is definitely not a Christian site and does not easily fit into any current well-known religious motifs. It is, in a word, unique revealing evidence that the architect was very much involved with initiatory mysteries.

One of the stone images carved into the interior of the chapel symbolizes a Green Man, which in certain religious studies has been associated with so-called pagan religions. After carefully studying those images, it appears more likely that the Green Man is consistent with a more Masonic interpretation of the Deity than of any other religion or philosophy.
Others have made the connection before Dan Brown, and have lead many to wonder if this icon is related to all three groups. In his article Secrets of the Freemasons , John Heisner states that academics around the globe are presently engaged in a concerted effort to identify the historical beginnings of Freemasonry. They do so by pursuing several avenues that promise empirical certainty once fully analyzed. However, since Freemasonry includes a diverse quantity of disciplines, it is not at all likely that the true origins will ever be discovered without a thorough evaluation of the symbolism Masonry has selected throughout the ages to impart wise and serious truths. Whether or not we will ever know the complete truth about Freemasonry's origin, one may begin the effort by pulling that veil aside and studying the diverse symbols of the Craft, as well as the various works of art created from the depths of man's soul and spirit.

While the figure certainly could symbolize the never-ending cycle of seasons and regeneration commonly found in other clearly defined pagan symbols, its origin is Greek and Roman. To them, the Green Man represented the full flowering of education and thus was inspirational to those contemplating the pursuit of knowledge. No doubt, as Euclid put together his volumes in the place where he worked, a smiling Green Man looked down upon him and his tomes.
The Green Man later found his way into Christian symbolism where he represented the immortality of the spirit and the resurrection of Jesus. Regardless of whether the Green Man represents Jesus linking Heaven to Earth, or the more simplistic pursuit of knowledge, it is undeniably the case that he also represents the growth of man's spirit.

A Secret of the Freemasons is that an affinity to the pursuit of knowledge has never been solely because it benefits he who learns, but because it eventually benefits those with whom he who learns comes into contact. Masonic writers who have explored both the science and philosophy of alchemy have also provided us with insight into how the Green Man represents the benefit of one man's knowledge to another man's welfare. Freemasonry has consistently adopted the belief that the Supreme Architect of the Universe manifests Himself through human growth - the urge moving from within a human being to a manifestation of action. There is no greater miracle than that produced by the tiny mustard seed, which when planted in the Earth produces a bush many thousand times its own size. The Holy Bible contains a parable that uses the tiny mustard seed to illustrate an important spiritual truth about the strength of faith. In Freemasonry, the Craft teaches that the Supreme Architect manifests Himself through an infinity of forms which is implanted into the dark material earth. One of those forms is art, which Masons are taught to both understand and create.
So, the relationship between Christianity, paganism, and Freemasonry continues to come back to referencing the Rosalyn Chapel. It was featured in several books, movies, as well as Christian and freemason publications.

In his article in the Masonic publication California Freemason Magazine 2005 edition, titled The Mysteries and Symbolism of Roslyn Chapel, Robert Cooper says that the Rosslyn Chapel was typical of a secular collegiate church of the time, and its style, decoration, meaning, and purpose were representative of the religious mores of the era. However, many recent publications claim that the chapel's carvings relate to the Knights Templar and have some mystical significance or are in some way Masonic. These suggestions appear to be based on ignorance of Christian art and symbolism, Scottish Masonic history and practice, and fanciful reinterpretations of the meaning of the chapel's carvings. At one time, everyone visiting the chapel would have immediately understood the meaning of the symbolism enshrined in stone. Because few people today fully understand this religious symbolism, this has allowed many incorrect explanations to be offered.

In addition, the understanding of the carvings has been hampered by ignorance of the sources from which the symbolism was originally taken. An example is the figure of a man with two horns holding a tablet in one hand and a rod in the other, which, it is claimed, depicts the devil tallying the number of souls he has ensnared. However, the Rev. John Thompson points out that the image is actually that of Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments.
Since 1560, many Scots have used Protestant Bibles that do not refer to Moses with horns, and it is therefore understandable that the carving has been misinterpreted. However, when the chapel was being built, the Bible in use was the Latin Vulgate, which describes Moses as having horns. In light of this information, the intention of the carved figure becomes obvious. But because fewer people than ever before are familiar with the Bible-let alone the differences between the numerous versions-it is easy to understand how secular interpretations of the symbolism in Rosslyn Chapel have become popular.

A further complication arises with the interpretation of symbols such as the so-called "green men," stone carvings that appear not only in Rosslyn, but in countless other churches throughout Britain. By claiming that Rosslyn Chapel is not really a Christian edifice, some have argued that the green man is actually a non-Christian image and is proof that the building has pagan origins. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of church history and its use of symbols. The green man was certainly a pagan symbol with several meanings: the never-ending pattern of the seasons, together with pre-Christian concepts of reproduction, fertility, and the agricultural cycle. The origins of the green man do not, however, lie with Britain's pre-Christian forbears but rather in classical antiquity. To the Greeks and Romans it suggested the full flowering of education and was therefore an inspirational symbol. When the green man was incorporated into Christian iconography it was assigned different attributes, creating several layers of meaning related to Christianity. The pagan interpretation of the green man was modified by Christians to represent the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The symbol also demonstrated all of God's creation: animal (represented by the human face), vegetable (the foliage), and mineral (the stone from which the symbol was carved). There are several other Christian interpretations, but perhaps the most important is also simplest: The green man is Jesus Christ, who was sent by God from Heaven into the world, represented by the foliage. The symbol, therefore, shows that Heaven and Earth are linked through one person only-Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, the green man is basically an example of the ultimate cultural appropriation. It was originally an art form started by the Greeks to symbolize the growth and knowledge of man and our connection to nature. Over the years as it has been seen in many places, the pagans have appropriated it to represent the god aspect of the god and goddess, the Christians appropriated it as a sign of death rebirth and everlasting life, and thanks to the chapel, speculation about it being a Masonic symbol has brought it to us. From the humble beginnings as a simple piece of art, the symbol now joins us together in many ways: as Christians, pagans, and ultimately as Masons.

Shawn Housler, WM (Porter Lodge #137, 2023)

A presentation given on December 27th, 2022, at the Feast of St John, at Porter Lodge #137 in Valparaiso, IN