VISITORS Since
January 8, 2007
UPDATED
August 27, 2007
Dan Pushee, PC,KCT
Webmaster
kych52va@aol.com
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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, Right Eminent Grand Generalissimo and Publisher,
Lawrence E. Tucker, Grand Recorder and Editor
5909 West Loop South, Suite 495, Bellaire, TX 77401-2402
(713) 349-8700 (telephone), (713) 349-8710 (facsimile)
E-mail: letucker@sbcglobal.net
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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
SEPTEMBER: JUST SCAN DOWN or "click" on the LINKS BELOW to view articles
September Message. Good news from the Trustees' meeting that was held this summer in Chicago, and also information about up-and-coming Department Conferences which sums up some activities to look forward to for the second year.
Knights Templar Eye Foundation The summary of estate and trust contributions for the 2006-2007 [.pdf]
What is Summer Assembly? July Event in Maggie Valley, North Carolina
EASTER - 2008 New Headquartes Hotel!
Part II - Brother Vincent Lopez, Anatomy of a Band Leader, Part II
Part II - The Self Made Man, General Lewis Hershey
"On the Masonic Newsfront"
  Fall has arrived, and I am sure we all are glad to see the beautiful days and cool nights of September arrive. This is a sure indication that our Masonic and Templar work is returning to full speed after the summer slowdown.
Last month your Trustees of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation met in Chicago for our Annual Meeting. We met with our investment managers, and I am pleased to report that we have had a good year. Our Foundation has surpassed the eighty million dollar mark, and we are working towards our goal of one hundred million dollars. We are meeting or exceeding our expectations in all areas including case management, educational grants, and our partnership with the American Academy of Ophthalmology in the Seniors EyeCare Program.
We are gearing up foria very busy schedule of Department Conferences starting this month. We will be holding them in the Northeastern, South Central, and Mid-Atlantic Departments this month, with Northwestern and North Central in October. We have planned exciting Conferences with all new programs covering membership, public relations, finances, vision, and of course, the long-range plans of each Grand Commandery. While the statutes require the attendance of the dais officers of each Grand Commandery, all Grand Commandery officers and Sir Knights are invited and encouraged to attend. Come, meet the officers that you have elected, and participate in the future of our beautiful Christian Fraternity.
As we renew our commitments to Templary this fall, isn"t it a perfect time to invite that special friend or relative to share in Masonry and Templary? Show them who we are, what we do, and what we stand for. They will want to join our Christian Masonic Order.
Wishing you safe travels, I remain Fraternally
Sir Knight Richard Burditt Baldwin
Most Eminent Grand Master
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What Is Summer Assembly?
What is Summer Assembly? What goes on there? When is it? Can I go?
Summer Assembly actually begins the second Sunday in July with the Divine Service, but the crowd begins to arrive in Maggie Valley on Friday night. 
No one wants to miss the Annual Putt-Putt Tournament on Saturday morning at Fantasy Golf. This year we had the most players since our first tournament, 59, and we raised $400.00 for our charities.
 
For those who don't play putt-putt, there are many beautiful areas to visit, a train to ride, Ghost Town, live elk, and great shopping. Some just enjoy the beauty of the Great Smokies.
Sunday morning has a way of arriving before we're ready.
The picnic committee begins at 1:00 P.M. and is ready to serve between 400 and 500 friends by 3:00 P.M. Hamburgers and hot-dogs with all the trimmings are enjoyed by all. Trophies are given out to the winners in the Putt-Putt Tournament.
This year special entertainment for all was provided under the gazebo by Randy Flack.,
Monday begins the meetings with outstanding speakers and a pilgrimage to the Masonic Marker that afternoon, and that night is the annual banquet with dinner and entertainment at the Carolina Nights Dinner Theatre and with special awards being presented.
Tuesday closes; out Summer Assembly. It is time to pack up, say good-bye, and head for home until next July. Nineteen states were represented this year and we hope, if you haven't attended Summer Assembly, you won't let another year pass you by. If you would like more information, please contact Bob Schafer at BQBGYR@aol.com or visit our website: www.yorkrite.com/nc.
The Masonic Marker at Black Camp Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
America's most unusual Masonic Shrine is one of the spots most frequented by visitors in all the scenic area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The beautiful Masonic Shrine, or Marker, is just a few steps off the much-traveled Blue Ridge Parkway, at picturesque Black Camp Gap. Thousands of visitors, upon hearing of this unique Shrine, make a special effort to visit the site each year,and needless to say, all are vividly impressed.
The Shrine is about seventeen miles from both Waynesville and Cherokee. Take U.S. 19 to So co Gap, and then turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Continue to Wolf Laurel, and follow the spur of the Parkway from there to Milehigh toward Heintooga.
The twelve-foot high Shrine is nine feet square at the base and contains six hundred eighty-seven visible stones from every continent in the world. The Shrine is nestled in an area adjacent to a large parking lot. From the site visitors can look into the very heart of the Smokies. Standing facing east, as does the Shrine, the lofty range of the Richland-Balsams and gigantic Pisgah can be seen.
The setting is ideal for such a Shrine because the surroundings offer peace, quiet, and beauty which make one appreciate the handiwork of God. The very area brings to one the fact that the Shrine is the symbol of a Freemason's belief in the brotherhood of man in the Fatherhood. of God.
The Shrine is much clore than the" composite of six hundred eighty-seven stones put together in a symmetric arrangement that is most pleasing to the eye. It is a fitting tribute to the universality of Freemasonry.
The idea for the Marker was conceived in 1935 by the late T. Troy Wyche, at that time the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Council, Royal and Select Masters in North Carolina. The idea was well received by the officials as they came to the area for the Annual Summer Assemblies of the Grand Council.
The Assemblies made annual trips to the famous Heintooga area and there on a high overlook could look down into the very heart of the Smokies. The scenic setting and the area seemed most timely for starting the project. The Grand Council was prompted to take official action and instructed Mr. Wyche to proceed at once. Title to the ground was secured and is in the name of the Grand Council. The Grand Council pronounced: "the idea has caused manifestation of great interest both in the United States and among brethren of foreign countries, and we believe that the Grand Council, Royal and Select Masters in North Carolina, will help create a public consciousness that Freemasonry does have a message for this troubled world."
Very soon stones from around the world began to arrive. Mr. Wyche carefully numbered each stone. These weighted from one ounce to one hundred thirty pounds. One was sent from the top of a ten thousand six hundred foot peak in Colorado. Another came from a cave three hundred feet deep in Cuba, and still another came from the quarries where stones were secured to build King Solomon's Temple.
Mr. Wyche compiled a catalog, which was published after the Shnne was completed, and this gave a brief history of each stone and by diagram showed the location of the stones in the Marker.
The formal dedication ofthe Marker was held during an annual Summer Assembly of the Grand Council on July 5, 1937, with three hundred thirty-six people trayeling in ninety-two cars making the trip to the site.
Mr.Wyche died April 26, 1939. That summer the Grand Cou;cil voted to erect at the Shrine site a fitting Marker in tribute to the man who directed the project that is today capturing the attention of thousands of people.
When in western North Carolina, be sure to VIsit the Masonic Marker and Shrine at Black Camp Gap.
Information provided by Robin T. Hargett.
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EASTER - 2008 New Headquarters Hotel!
The Grand Encampment has just negotiated a five-year Agreement with the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center to serve as the new Headquarters Hotel for the traditional Easter Sunrise Service. The hotel is conveniently located on 1-395, approximately three miles from the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The hotel has a ballroom which can accommodate 1,000 people should bad weather cause our Service to be indoors.
Since the travel time to the Easter Service is reduced because of the hotel location, plans are underway to hold a Buffet Breakfast before the buses depart the hotel for the Service. This can be accomplished without changing the traditional times for our Service.
Plans are underway to hold the Grand Commanders'Dinner on Saturday evening to enable those who would like to utilize Saturday for sightseeing. Those Grand Commanderies who traditionally hold State Dinners are encouraged to attend the dinner in honor of our Grand Commanders. Arrangements with the hotel on Friday evening for State Dinners could also be arranged if a dinner for your state is desired.
Complimentary shuttle service is available to the subway station near the Memorial for inexpensive travel into the District of Columbia to see our Nation's Capital. For those who fly, complimentary shuttle service is available to and from Reagan National Airport. Parking for those who drive is $9.00 per day, which is less than 1/3 what we'd been paying.
A meal package including the Grand Commanders' Dinner and the Breakfast is being planned and will be announced soon.
Hotel Rates will be $100 and are available after August 15, 2007, by calling 1-800-HILTONS, identifying the hotel as the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center and the Group Name as "KTE." Suites are available at a reduced price for groups needing them.
Attention, Buses!
Your Grand Encampment officers would very much like to have all buses traveling to the Easter activities stay with us at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. To that end, your bus driver will be afforded a complimentary room to alleviate that expense from your group. We would ask that your bus participate in the Sunday morning Breakfast for this consideration. Please make a reservation for your Driver when you make your reservations with the hotel, and we'll see that his room is picked up. The hotel has a assured us that your bus can be parked near the hotel for your convenience. Please contact John Elkinton at john@gektusa.org. He'll help coordinate your trip and atteud to the details for your group.
Having the Headquarters Hotel near the location of our Easter Service provides us with a means of making an already succssful event even more "user friendly" for those of you who attend. We look forward to having all of our Sir Knights and ladies together for this enjoyable event. Many more plans are underway to make Easter an even more memorable occasion. As further plans are made, we'll be sharing them in this magazine and on our web site, www.knightstemplar.org
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Part II-The Self-made Man: Lewis B. Hershey
by Sir Knight John D. Meyers, Jr., KYCH
Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, FA, USA, RA, on August 7, 1940, he was transferred from the Office of the Army Chief of Staff to the Selective Service System on September 30, 1940, by order of the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Known universally as "Mr. Selective Service," Lewis B. Hershey's affiliation with this agency actually began on September 1, 1936, when as a Major, he became Secretary and executive Officer of the Joint Army and Navy Selective Service Committee. Established under authority of the National Defense Act, the committee was established to study and plan for manpower procurement in the event of national emergency.
Under Major Hershey's supervision, this committee drafted, and kept under constant study and revision, a proposed law ready for enactment. Varied problems of mobilization were studied with regulations and forms prepared, as well as plans developed for establishing a national Headquarters.
The Joint Army and Navy Selective Service Committee originally had some 100 Reserve officers from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Coming from all sections of the country, its members were chosen carefully with consideration given to their respective civilian backgrounds so that virtually all activities in civil life were represented.
Specialized training of these Reserve officers to serve as the nucleus, or cadre, of a Selective Service organization was initiated with their enrollment in correspondence courses and the completion of
annual two-week regional conferences. The addition of members of National Guard state staffs and other Reserve officers later expanded this group to several hundred by 1940.
The last of such regional conferences was held at The Presidio in San Francisco in May 1940. A limited national emergency had been declared by President Roosevelt in September 1939, and while the 1940 San Francisco conference was taking place, he asked a joint session of Congress for huge appropriations to speed up urgently needed defenses. By this time, Germany was already pushing through the Low Countries and Congress began to open military appropriations purse strings liberally.
Within a few months, the international situation was so grave that most of the officers who had been trained were on active duty and engaged in execution of the plan on which they had been working under Major Hershey's guidance. By midsummer, the Joint Army and Navy Selective Service Committee had established a national headquarters" in Washington and had alerted all the groups which were to put the State plans in operation. As a result of this astute planning and foresight, when the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was enacted on September 16, 1940,the nucleus of a nationwide organization was ready to function immediately. State headquarters, local boards and appeal boards also were subsequently established in accordance with the Act.
On the same day that President Roosevelt signed the measure, he issued a proclamation calling for the registration on October 16 of all male persons in the 'continental United States who had reached their twenty-first and had not yet reached their thirty-sixth birthday.
Under the now Lieutenant Colonel Hershey's supervision (having been promoted to this grade on August 7, 1940), more than 16,000,000 men were registered in the October 16 registration. It was this registration which set the wheels in motion that directly, or indirectly, were to bring into the Armed Forces approximately 16,000,000 men before expiration of the 1940 Act on March 31, 1947. Those individuals inducted directly through Selective Service local boards totaled more than 10,000,000, involving the registration and classification of some 40,000,000 men.
In December 1941, a few days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was amended to meet wartime demands for military manpower and at the same time to insure that sufficient numbers of male citizens would be left at home to operate industry, as well as to protect the civilian economy and maintain the nation's social structure.
The Selective Service System was then expanded from the one formed in late 1940, finally reaching a peak of nearly 200,000 paid and unpaid personnel in its ranks. The System inducted as high as 406,000 men a month through its 6,442 local boards. All but about 20,000 of the 200,000 workers enrolled in the wartime System were unpaid, dedicated citizens consisting of local and appeal board members, medical advisers, government appeal agents, advisers to registrants, and reemployment agents.
Having served as Deputy Director since October 25, 1940, and promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on the same date, General Hershey was appointed Director of the Selective Service System on July 31, 1941,a position he held under six Presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon. The Secretary of War upon order of President Roosevelt promoted the National Director of Selective Service to the grade of Major General on April 16, 1942.
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 expired March 31, 1957. Congressional legislation enacted shortly before that date provided for the establishment of the Office of Selective Service Records. This agency had the responsibility of liquidating the Selective Service System and the preservation and maintenance of Selective Service records containing data for some 51,000,000 men. Exhaustive studies and detailed planning, which formed the basis for subsequent legislation and organization, were also accomplished by this agency with General Hershey appointed as its Director.
In early 1948, President Harry S. Truman sent a special message to Congress asking for reenactment of a Selective Service Law. It had been demonstrated the President said in effect, that the Armed Forces could not maintain themselves at a numerical strength consistent with national security through reliance on volunteer enlistments. Congress responded by passing the Selective Service Act of 1948 on June 24 of that year.
General Hershey was appointed draft chief of the new Selective Service System, and he immediately started the task of rebuilding the organization, patterned generally after the system under the 1940 Act. Groundwork for its rebuilding had actually begun even before enactment, and the number of World War II unpaid workers, who again volunteered their services under General Hershey's leadership, constituted more than 50 percent of the total number of those comprising the unpaid personnel.
General Hershey had succeeded in keeping the Selective Service System vibrant, despite a period of more than a year and a half of no inductions February 1949 to late August 1950 and under appropriations so .reduced that large numbers of local board offices were grouped in common quarters, with almost half of them having a clerk only one day a week or less.
Congress extended the Act. on July 9, 1950, and the Armed Forces soon began to call upon Selective Service for considerable numbers of men to meet the Korean crisis, which. had developed in June. First deliveries were made in August, and by January 1, 1951, more than 220,000 had been delivered. Calls were increased to 80,000 a month, staying at that level until April, with indications that they would be as high or higher, subsequently.
Throughout the years, Congressional committees have placed heavy reliance upon General Hershey's counsel in developing Selective Service legislation, including numerous amendments. "In the final analysis," the General pointed out, "it's Congress who makes the laws, and we have to live with them."
When he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on June 23, 1956, the Selective Service System, which General Hershey had headed for nearly three decades, consisted of a nationwide network of more than 4,000 local boards, 119 appeal boards, and State headquarters in each of the 50 States, Canal Zone, District of Columbia, Guam, New York City, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, with a National headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"The unique nature of the Selective Service System's structure," emphasized the General, "is indeed significant when one realizes that local board members, as well as the membership of the appeal boards and the various advisory groups, are all serving without compensation. These people, 41,000 of them, voluntarily give of their time, knowledge, and experience without pay as a duty of citizenship, their only reward being the service they have rendered to their country."
In this regard, the nation's draft chief had constantly fought to protect the principle in the law entrusting a very large measure of autonomy to the local boards. He had consistently maintained that no really democratic and fair system of manpower procurement can be operated unless its roots are firmly grounded in the individual communities.
That General Hershey never veered from this conviction, is exemplified by his repeated declaration that a registrant's friends and neighbors are far better qualified to decide whether he should go into the Armed Forces-or fulfill the obligations involved in staying at home-than would be centralized authority with autocratic power to dictate individual action at the local level. Largely because of his championship of this principle, it has been embodied in all Selective Service legislation since 1940.
The Selective Service System has evolved over years of study, trial and error, consideration and correction. It is an organization whose dedicated efforts during three operations, 1917-18, 1940-47, and 1948-69, have registered over 103 million men, inducted 16 million, and stimulated the recruitment of many millions more by the Armed Services. While providing the necessary men for military service, the system has also provided the required manpower for maintaining adequate industrial production and the preservation of the economic life of the nation.
And General Lewis Blaine Hershey, the Hoosier farm boy from Angola, Indiana, is largely responsible for this unparalleled achievement.
If one tried to single out, among the numerous philanthropic endeavors, which is closest to the humanitarian's heart, it is probably his long and dedicated involvement with the Boy Scouts program.
Board Chairman of the National Capital Area Council Boy Scouts of America, on which Board he served as a member since June 6, 1955, and having served six years as its President (1961-1967), his inspiring leadership, exemplary influence and continuing interest in this movement were nothing short of phenomenal.
His participation in Scouting was even more significant since the General was never a Boy Scout himself because, as he said, "We didn't have Boy Scout programs when I was a youngster."
For his outstanding work associated with the Scouting program, General Hershey received the Silver 'Beaver Award in 1960, Silver Antelope Award in 1963, and the coveted Silver Buffalo Award on May 19, 1966, during the National Council's annual meeting held in Dallas, Texas.
Regarding some of his other national, state, regional, and local community activities the General said modestly, "I am more a have-doner." It is interesting to note just what this "have-doner" has done.
In the spring of 1968, he was elected Honorary Chairman of the Montgomery County Chapter of the American National Red Cross with headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland, after having served as its working chairman for 16 years.
The countless honors bestowed upon General Hershey could well fill a book; however, some of the major ones include: Honorary Life Membership in the Angola Rotary Club, Angola, Indiana, on July 20, 1940; Distinguished Service Medal (Army) on January 21, 1946; Distinguished Service Medal (Navy) on May 3,1946; Life Membership in the National Guard Association of the United States on September 18, 1946; American Legion Distinguished Service Medal on October 2, 1946; Honorary Life Membership (nonresident) in the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada and United States Association (ANAVICUS) on October 31, 1950; Alabama Distinguished Service Medal on January 5, 1951; Distinguished and Meritorious Service Certificate of the Regular Veterans Association of the United States on September 25, 1952; Certificate of Honorary Texas Citizenship on January 29, 1953; Annual Citation for 1953 by the Haim-Parnes Post No. 151, Jewish War Veterans of the United States on September 22, 1953; Distinguished Service Medal of the National Guard Association of the United States on October 21, 1954; Alabama Commendation Medal on February 6, 1957; Distinguished Service Award by Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America on April 25, 1957; George Washington Honor Medal (special freedom Leadership Award) by Valley Forge Freedom Foundation on February 22, 1958; Distinguished Service Medal and Citation of Louisiana on "
February 20, 1961; Life Membership in Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7205, Angola, Indiana, on' April 24, 1961; Distinguished Service Medal of Indiana on May 2, 1961; Medal of Merit of North Dakota on June 15, 1961; American Legion National Commander's Award on March 13, 1963; Magnolia Cross, State of Mississippi, on October 7, 1963; Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Service Medal of Alabama on January 11, 1964; President's Gold Medal, Association of the United States Army on November 17, 1964; Freedom Award of the Order of Lafayette on May 7, 1966; Bernard Baruch Award from Veterans of Foreign Wars on August 22, 1966; Distinguished Service Award, Military Order of the World Wars on October 28, 1966; Gold Good Citizenship Medal, Sons of the American Revolution on April 12, 1967; Gold Pin from Northeastern Lodge No. 210, Fremont, Indiana, on July 4, 1967; Service to Mankind Award, Sertoma Club of Washington, D.C. on April 20, 1968; Loyalty Day Award from the Department of District of Columbia, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, on May 1, 1968; and Silver Helmet Defense Award, AMVETS, on August 24, 1968.
Though not a complete list of the innumerable decorations and awards honoring General Lewis B. Hershey, in recognition of his untiring interest, effort and devotion rendered to these organizations and associations, it does reveal the high esteem they all have for this once dedicated civil servant.
Brother Hershey was introduced to Masonry early in life by his father Latta F. Hershey, who was affiliated with the York Rite Masons and was Master of Northeastern Lodge 210, Fremont, Indiana, in 1908, 1909, and 1912. Latta Hershey attended Grand Lodge in 1908 when the cornerstone of the Masonic Temple at Illinois and North Streets, Indianapolis, was laid. On May 24, 1909, the 15-year-old future General Hershey accompanied his father to Grand Lodge to witness the dedication of the new Temple. Brother Lewis Hershey was raised a Master Mason in Northeastern Lodge 210, Fremont, Indiana, in 1916. On July 4, 1967, Grand Master John L. Bloxsom presented Brother Hershey with the highest decoration Awarded by the Grand Lodge of Indiana, the Caleb B. Smith Medal of Honor. Brother Hershey was the fourth man to receive the award and, --the second member of a Steuben County Lodge to be thus honored.
Northeastern Lodge No. 210, Fremont, Indiana, is planning its 100th anniversary to be held in 2007. Part of the program is the issuance of a commemorative coin with the likeness of General Hershey on one side. It is available for $10.00 each, plus $1.00 shipping. (Special coins, gold or silver plated, $50.00 each.) Send your order to: John Myers, 20 S. John Ct., Angola IN 46703 (John Myers KYCH-OPCJ
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Part II-Brother Vincent Lopez: Anatomy of a Band Leader
by Sir Knight Joseph E. Bennett, KYCH, 33º, FPS
In spite of overwhelming success in his musical ventures, Lopez was in dire financial straits by 1924. While his income increased dramatically after 1920, it only served to fuel his extravagant life style. Vincent longed to be accepted as a member of high society and spared no expense to accomplish his goal. His social calendar also overflowed with female companionship from the theatrical community. Lopez wined and dined beautiful show girls continuously, further complicating his financial dilemma. He was so desperate for financial relief that he concluded his only escape was to schedule a tour to England for the Vincent Lopez Orchestra. He boarded a ship secretly to evade creditors, bound for an opening at London's Kit Kat Club on May 11, 1925. The band's grand opening in London was a rousing success, followed by a triumphal appearance at the city's Capitol Cinema Theater and an enthusiastic reception of their musical steamboat production at the Apollo theater. The "Natchez and Robert E. Lee" steamboat production continued to be a crowd-pleaser.
Vincent and the musical company returned to the states on August 2, 1925. Fully expecting an onslaught of irate creditors, he was delighted to learn that his ancillary business income had wiped out his indebtedness while the band was in England. The overwhelming expense of Lopez' usual jet set life style had been missing while he was away. That relief made it possible to satisfy his outstanding obligations. Unfortunately, the financial situation reverted to normal as soon as Vincent returned to New York.
Among the personnel additions to the Lopez band was violinist Xavier Cugat. He had joined soon after the Aoelian Hall concert. His duties included serving as relief conductor when Vincent was not on the bandstand. Cugat also became a popular attraction at the Statler with his cartoons of patrons.
Many other future bandleaders who gained national renown during the Big Band Era became members of the Vincent Lopez Orchestra over the years. Virtu1ally every future bandleader who achieved spectacular success before World War II worked for Vincent Lopez, Paul Whiteman, or Paul Specht. Working for one of those pioneer maestros provided an indispensable apprenticeship, enhancing the value of their individual musical talent. Among that long list who worked for Lopez were Glenn Miller, Red Nichols, Artie Shaw, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Butterfield, Rudy Vallee, Arthur Schutt, Buddy Morrow, Charlie Spivak, and the Hutton sisters, Betty and Marion. An even greater number of jazz and swing immortals played with Paul Whiteman, including the immortal Bix Biederbecke. It was impossible to become a nationally-famous orchestra leader with nothing except musical talent. Success also required discipline, business acumen, and training with an established band.
Although Lopez returned to his normal location at the Statler Hotel upon his return from London, he immediately focused on his next project, building his own high-visibility nightclub in Manhattan. In order to obtain sufficient finances to launch the venture, Lopez took on a partner. He was a wealthy, albeit predatory, financial entrepreneur named Gene Geiger. Lopez incorporated all his enterprises and began construction on a lavish building at 247 West 54th Street and Broadway. The structure included twin penthouses, one each for both Lopez and Geiger. No expense was spared to make "Casa Lopez" the most elegant bistro in Manhattan. It was a long way from the sawdust-floor saloons in which Vincent toiled a decade earlier.
Casa Lopez opened on October 15, 1925, with all the pomp and circumstance Lopez and Geiger could muster-and it was spectacular. The opening-night audience was loaded with celebrities and society friends of the gregarious maestro. Singer Gene Austin sang "My Blue Heaven" for the first time, as one of the features. George Raft, dressed as an Arab sheik, accompanied by two gorgeous blonde "attendants," performed an elaborate charade, during which he criticized the food and demanded his attendants taste everything. There was continuous dancing, with Xavier Cugat directing a relief orchestra when the regular Lopez band was at intermission. The opening had all the bells and whistles imaginable. It was a glittering event, even for New York.
Lopez left the Statler's Pennsylvania Grill forever, after playing New Year's Eve in 1926. He had benefited tremendously from the lenient relationship enjoyed with the indulgent E. M. Statler, but it was essential he devote full time to Casa Lopez. Statler released Lopez from his contract. The future seemed bright and promising, but disaster lurked in the near future.
The Casa Lopez became a financial quagmire within a matter of weeks after opening. With an impossible operating expense burden, and Lopez' irresponsible personal spending habits, the business foundered. Upon advice from his financial advisor, Lopez was forced to declare corporate bankruptcy, although his personal assets remained intact. The Casa Lopez had not yet celebrated its first anniversary when it was destroyed completely by a fire which broke out in the afternoon. It was underinsured, making a similar replacement impossible.
The solution for Lopez' dilemma was to seek new financing. Again, Gene Geiger filled that role, and construction began on a replacement Casa Lopez. It was a generic project, far less opulent than the original. Operating expense was rigidly controlled, with Geiger dominating the business. Salaries were slashed, and most high-salaried side men left the band, including the Dorsey brothers and Cugat. The opening of the new Casa Lopez on October 13, 1927, at 50th Street and Broadway, was far less spectacular than the original celebration a year earlier. The band, comprised of new personnel, lacked Lopez' traditional polish. Ater opening night, the new Casa Lopez was a dismal failure. The little maestro searched desperately for a solution to jump-start his latest venture. His next inspiration proved to be a foolish mistake in judgment.
In an attempt to generate publicity for the new Casa Lope2J, Vincent enlisted the help of dancer Simone Roseray to stage a suicide attempt. She admitted later that the reason she pretended to drown herself was to make it appear that Lopez had rejected her as a lover. New York columnists Walter Winchell and Mark Hellinger learned of the charade rot exposed it in their news columns. After the expose, they refused to mention Lopez' name in their news columns or during their radio shows. It was a humiliating experience for Vincent.
Vincent's problems were compounded during this period by strained relations with his partner, Gene Geiger, who controlled all business decisions. The end of the ill-fated Casa Lopez project was at hand. On March 18, 1928, after a stormy disagreement with Geiger, the Casa Lopez closed permanently. Vincent was penniless and mired in debt.
Once again, one of Lopez' good friends came to his rescue. Joe Ribauld, well known as a band manager and talent agent, recommended Lopez to the ownership ofthe St. Regis Hotel in New York. The prestigious establishment was prospecting for an orchestra replacement, and Ribauld's passionate sales pitch persuaded them to offer Lopez a contract-with provisions. The hotel required that Vincent organize a hotel-style orchestra featuring a saxophone section with three violins, a cello, an accordion, rhythm instruments, and a single trumpet. Lopez was well qualified to assemble the required personnel and create a book of arrangements to accommodate the new band.
The end product was a lush, low pitched sound, featuring precise reed section-work, with an emphasis on dynamics. The musical style pleased the St. Regis management and was extremely popular with their affluent patrons. Within a short time, Lopez was permanently entrenched at the St. Regis, and would remain for seven years. Lopez'1928 version of that early hotel-type orchestra would provide. the standard blueprint for many American supper club groups during the Big Band Era.
Lopez was still financially involved with Gene Geiger, who was entitled to 50 percent of his income. The partners were still sponsoring a few satellite bands, and Lopez was obliged to make token appearances. One was playing at the Woodmansten Inn at Pelham, New York, an important venue. During 1928 Lopez began playing Latin arrangements and helped to popularize the imported rhythm in the New York area. He was credited for introducing "The Peanut Vendor," a song which became very popular, becap.se of the extensive broadcast opportunities Lopez and his satellite bands enjoyed. However, he was anxious to disengage himself from business dealings with Geiger after he landed his new contract at the St. Regis. Lopez had found another friend with deep pockets to help him financially.
J. J. Atkinson was the general manager at the St. Regis, and he was fond of the new house band leader. Atkinson loaned Lopez $50,000 to buyout Gene Geiger's partnership interest. He arranged a 10 year contract, which guaranteed Vincent Lopez a million dollars, paid out. at the rate of $100,000 annually for the band's services at the St. Regis. Lopez was obligated to payoff the $50,000 loan with 25 per cent of his total earnings until the debt was discharged. The contract also contained generous provisions to tour and accept ancillary engagements, while serving at the St. Regis as the house orchestra. It was a sorely needed windfall at a critical point in Lopez' career.
As 1928 ended, Vincent was financially stable once more and able to focus on his primary responsibility-music. The band broadcast regularly from the St. Regis and continued to enjoy national radio exposure. Always on the scout for new musical talent, Lopez brought Pinky Perlstein, a new male vocalist discovery, to the St. Regis. Without explanation, Atkinson ordered Lopez to get rid of him. Nobody knew if there was an anti Semitic motive. Pinky left the Regis and eventually became a radio' singing star, using the name of Jan Peerce. Nevertheless, Vincent's appraisal of his new singing talent was vindicated.
The stock market crash in October 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression in America and produced an economic panic. While business ventures everywhere were floundering, the aristocratic St. Regis Hotel remained unscathed. Vincent continued to enjoy great professional success, but his personal life was once again taking an erratic turn. He began to gamble excessively, an expensive indulgence. He also started to study numerology. That soon became an obsession, which segued into astrology. Lopez eventually consulted his horoscope to assist in all personal and business decisions, attending seances frequently to assist in planning the future. Concurrent with that activity, he continued to lavish money on his social adventures among the rich and famous. Self-discipline was a character trait Lopez never had enjoyed. In spite of his erratic private life, he prospered.
On January 27, 1930, Vincent Lopez and his orchestra debuted on a national radio program sponsored by the Pure Oil Corporation. It was a tremendous career enhancement, and his weekly show brought his music into every home with a radio for 26 weeks. The publicity from the Pure Oil broadcasts made Lopez a nationally-famous orchestra leader and brought him many opportunities beyond the St. Regis, which he was able to accept. Among those highprofile gigs, was the selection of the Vincent Lopez Orchestra to play at the dedication of the Empire State Building on March 2, 1932. New York Governor AI Smith was the featured speaker from the Observation Roof, where the gala affair was broadcast over radio station WOR. Naturally, "Lopez speaking" was part of the program, along with "Nola," the maestro's renowned radio theme.
Lopez accepted a month-long engagement at the swanky Urban Room in Chicago, with a replacement band substituting at the St. Regis. He opened at the Urban Room on October 1, 1932, and enjoyed a highly successful stay, in spite of heavy competition from some fine bands entrenched in the city. Lopez was back at the St. Regis' when Prohibition ended in December, and the sale of alcohol became legal on May 14, 1933. The St. Regis enjoyed an increase in business immediately. Vincent could have no way of knowing that the Great Depression would catch up with the St. Regis in the next 12 months, and his own fortunes would be caught in the disaster.
In September 1933 Lopez returned to Chicago's Urban Room, but it was a different story that time. The engagement was a dismal failure. Heavy competition from other outstanding orchestras playing in Chicago denied Lopez a second triumph at the Urban Room. The orchestras of Hal Kemp, Wayne King, and Kay Kyser were all drawing huge crowds, draining off many usual Urban Room patrons. However, Lopez proved resilient when he opened at the Chez Paree, Chicago's famous theater restaurant, on October 6, 1933. He enjoyed a very successful month in the popular venue.
The Lopez band was back in the St. Regis by New Year's Eve in 1934 and enjoying their usual public approval. Vincent introduced a new performer with his band; the blind whistler, Fred Lowry, a popular addition to the company. However, the economic depression had finally caught up with the St. Regis, and they were in serious financial difficulty. The hotel closed forever, in bankruptcy, on July 4, 1934. Lopez and his generous benefactor, J. J. Atkinson, were unemployed.
Lopez was obliged to begin touring with his band, because there was no alternative. A torturous cross-country tour to the West coast ended. with disappointing results. Vincent opened at the elegant Gold Room of Beverly Hill's Wilshire Hotel in September 1934. They remained until November 4, ending a stay which produced indifferent success. The hotel opted to replace Lopez with the sensational new Orville Knapp Orchestra, a sign that the Portuguese pianist was paying the penalty for his extracurricular distractions outside of music. Lopez' music had became stale and somewhat outdated. By 1934 a score of highly-stylized bands were attracting national attention while Vincent consulted his horoscope.
Resorting again to touring, he took a southern route east, signing to play New Year's Eve 1935 at Miami's Club Deauville. The band bombed in Miami. The stars and numerical prognostication provided no solution for a situation which was now desperate. Lopez was virtually penniless, and the stars and numbers held no silver lining. He kept the band together until' the end of March 1935 by playing at the Miami dog race tracks, a humbling experience for the great band leader. They headed north on April 1st, hoping that an unexpected engagement to play the opening of the Trianon Room at New York's Ambassador Hotel would signal a revival of their fortunes. However, the economic depression had not yet bottomed out, and business was dismal at the Ambassador. Lopez had a 14-piece orchestra on the stand, and regardless of their efforts, the result was disappointing.
The crowning disaster was a deserted Trianon on New Year's Eve 1936. The room was closed forever on May 2, 1936, and Lopez' contract was ended. One cannot fail to note the melancholy significance of a song Lopez recorded on April 6, 1936, for Okeh Records. It seemed to set the tone for his dismal situation throughout 1935 and well into 1936. It was the melancholy song, "Gloomy Sunday," a widely-publicized Hungarian import, which was reported to have triggered a number of suicides. It was banned from radio as a result ofthe publicity. One of the most successful recordings of the song was that of Vincent Lopez, which was distributed by Conqueror, Melotone, Oriole, and Perfect, in addition to Okeh Records.
The autumn of 1936 brought a ray of sunshine to Vincent Lopez. He signed a contract to broadcast a national weekly radio show for the Nash Automobile Company. In addition, Lopez was engaged to open in the elegant Hotel Astor Grill Room at the same time. He had reorganized his orchestra, hired some brilliant, fresh talent, and changed his musical style to reflect the public approval of the new swig-era music. Prominent among his new recruits were trombonist-vocalist Buddy Morrow, trumpeter Charlie Spivak,. and most important, Glenn Miller, arranger nonpareil. There was a new swingy lilt to Vincent's music, and his great piano performance was leading the charge. Miller was a gifted arranger with an intuitive sense of public taste, and-the charts he arranged were precisely what the band needed.
Nash decided suddenly to take the radio show to the West coast and add singer Grace Moore to the cast. Nash instructed Vincent to take only two men along and recruit new musicians in California. Lopez tried to persuade Glenn Miller to make the trip, to no avail. Glenn had decided to begin organizing his own orchestra in New York. Lopez arrived in Los Angeles on April 28, 1937, and successfully completed a 26-week contract with a new band. By that time, Nash's major advertising campaign to renew their sagging fortunes had proven disappointing. They dropped the radio show.
Without a contract or a band, Vincent returned to New York and reassembled virtually the same organization he had released the year before. In order to settle into a musical groove again, he departed on a shakedown tour of the Midwest. Although Lopez presented a band with a good swinging format, which was pleasantly dance-oriented, he had lost ground to younger leaders with progressive musical ideas. Lopez was a man divided between music and his astrological obsession. However, on a brief stay at the Book-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, Vincent discovered an energetic young girl singer whom he hired immediately. She was Betty Hutton. He also hired her sister Marion, who was not destined to remain long with Lopez. She soon went on to the Modernaires, oand eventually, with Glenn Miller.
When Lopez appeared at the Gibson Hotel in Cincinnati in the summer of 1937, Betty Hutton was beginning to mature into a polished singer, and the patrons liked her style. She and Fred Lowry, the blind whistler, became popular features with the band. Lopez called her "America's No.1 jitterbug" because of her volatile, aggressive style. A romance blossomed briefly between the 43-year-old band leader and his 16-yearold singer. It was an unnatural and stormy relationship. When Betty approached bandleader Eddy Duchin, prospecting for a singing job, the relationship exploded in a shoving scene with Vincent on the dance floor at the Claridge Hotel in Memphis. Betty left the band in October 1938.
Don't Miss Part III and the conclusion of the Lopez story in October 2007
Sir Knight Joseph E. Bennett, KYCH, 33º, FPS, and P.D.D.G.M. of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, is :i member of Holy Grail Commandery No. 70, Lakewood, Ohio. He resides at: 1001 South Diamond Street, Nampa, ID 83686.
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The Grand Commandery of New Mexico Knights Twenty-two
Pictured above are 19 of the 22 newly created Sir Knights of New Mexico. In the center of the class, front row, is Sir Knight Richard S. Butterfield, Grand Commander of New Mexico. The degrees and orders were conferred on this class at the Albuquerque Spring Festival and included candidates from throughout the state. (submitted by Sir Knight Robert Keene, editor of the NM Supplement)
Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Speaks at West Virginia Flag Day Observance
Huntington Commandery No.9, Knights Templar of Huntington, West Virginia, held their Flag Day Observance on June 15, 2007, at the Huntington Masonic Temple. 14 Sir Knights and 17 ladies and special guests participated.
The program consisted of a presentation of the colors by Huntington's standard guard and a flag oration by Eminent Commander, Donald E. Trainer, followed by the "Pledge of Allegiance." All joined in the singing of traditional patriotic songs led by Past Commanders, Jule Huffman and Mickey Martin, and were treated to a beautiful rendition of "God Bless America" by Ms. Nancy Palmer, daughter of Sir Knight Huffman.
Eminent Commander Trainer then presented the keynote speaker, Mr. Herschel W. "Woody" Williams, who had been a member of the 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division in WW II and who was presented the Congresesional Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as demolition sergeant, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 23 February 1945." his remarks were both colorful and riveting as he professed his love of country and were met with a standing ovation at their conclusion.
The program concluded with a history of the flag presented by Senior Warden Randall L. Adkins and a benediction. Light refreshments were served afterwards.
Pictured below, seated from left to right, are: Albert Duke, KTCH, P.C.; Donald Trainer, E.C.; Herschel "Woody" Williams, C.M.H.; standing in the 2nd row: John G. (Rick) Elam, P.G.C., KCT; Paul McComas, P.C.; Jule Huffman, P.C.; Brady Woodard, Gen.; Dale Williams, P.C., C.G.; Fred Karnes, V.F.W; Brent Casey, Woody Williams' grandson and veteran of Desert Storm; standing in the back row: Joel Hooker, St.B.; Mickey Martin, P.C.; Randall Adkins, Sr.W; H. L. Bailey, Sw.B.; Roy Ramey, W; and Nick Tsismanakis, Sentinel. Not pictured but participating was Dr. Gary Gilbert, Jr.W (submitted by Sir Knight John G. (Rick) Elam, KCT, P.G.C. of West Virginia)
National Association of Masonic Scouters Forms
With a proper dispensation from the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, Fredericksburg Lodge No.4, AF. & AM., moved their charter and lights to the venue of the 2005 national jamboree of the Boy.Scouts of America at Ft. A P. Hill, where some 43,000 Boy Scouts and their adult leaders were encamped for the once every-four-year event. Invited and in attendance were a large number of Masons assembled for the purpose of universal brotherhood among whom Brothers Wayne Sirmon of Alabama and David L. Karp of California became acquainted and proposed the idea that would become a new national group of Mason-Scouters.
The idea took root, and with the assistance of the internet culminated in the formation of the National Association of Masonic Scouters (NAMS) at last May's national annual meeting of the Boy Scouts of America in Atlanta, Georgia. At a breakout session of the annual meeting, approximately 20 Master Masons hailing from some fifteen Grand Lodges throughout the US adopted a constitution and elected new officers of the association. The constitutional purpose of NAMS is... "to foster and develop support for the Boy Scouts of America by and among Freemasons while upholding the tenets of Freemasonry. This includes, but is not limited to, encouraging Masonic Lodges and other Masonic organizations to charter and support BSA units. NAMS will seek to provide opportunities for Masonic fellowship at Scouting events and encourage the awarding of the Daniel Carter Beard Award to deserving Masons while supporting the Scouting movement at all levels."
The new officers are: R W. Wayne Sirmon, Mobile, AL, president; W. James C. Costello, Howell, MI, vice president; Bro. David 1. Karp, Sherman Oaks, CA, secretary; and Bro. Charles Simpson, Mobile, AL, treasurer. A 6-member board was also elected.
You are invited to join in the purposes of the new organization. Charter memberships are being held open until the BSA's national meeting in May 2009. Visit the web site at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NAMS/ or contact Sir Knight James C. Costello, (517) 546-3031 or jcostell@charter.net (Sir Knight Costello is a council past president and an active registered Scouter in Great Sauk Trail Council No. 255, BSA, of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is also a P.G.C. of the Grand Commandery ofMichigan-2000.)
Connecticut Templar Award Recipients for 2007
Awards were presented at the banquet in April 2007 of the 180th Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery of Connecticut. Here are some of them: Knight Commanders of the Temple: At left: Sir Knights and P.G.C.s Arthur J. McKinney (left center) and Charles B. Fowler (center with his Lady Muff) were endorsed by the Grand Encampment for their loyalty and service to Templary. They are flanked by then RE.G.C. Williiam L. Miller; RE. Department Commander, Northeastern, John M. Lewis; and M.E.P.G.M. of the Grand Encampment, William H. Thornley, Jr., Lady Kathy Foy looks on. Knight Companions of the Temple: At right: Ladies Barbara Bucher (right) and Beverly Nielsen (right center) were awarded this honor for their long-standing vigilance in the Craft Room. They are shown with other Companions of the Temple, left to right: ladies Muff Fowler, Ruth Colbourn, and Lori Cowie. 
Shreveport Social Order of the Beauceant of Louisiana
At the Annual Conclave of Louisiana, the Assembly of the Social Order of the Beauceant was privileged to have in attendance: (Mrs. Howard) Clara McClure, P.S.W.P. and Supreme Organizer; Mrs. Jeanette Rife, S.W. 1st V.P.; and (Mrs. John) Velma Kleinfelder, S.W. 2nd V.P. They were personally invited by (Mrs. Larry) Paula Plaisance, wife of Grand Commander Larry Plaisance and a member of Shreveport
Assembly No. 60. She requested that they speak at two occasions on starting a new Assembly in South Louisiana. The process has been started and they are looking for new members. (Contact Mrs. McClure.) The Assembly raised $1,161.50 for the KTEF at the luncheon auction! Pictured left, left to right: Mrs. Plaisance, Mrs. McClure, Mrs. Rife, Mrs. Kleinfelder, and Mrs. Pat Dickson, Worthy President, Shreveport No. 60.
At right members of Shreveport Social Order of the Beauceant are shown after initiating a new candidate, (Mrs. George R.) Mary Ballard: 1st row, 1. to r.: Mrs. Larry Ledbetter; Mrs. Pat Dickson, WP.; Mrs. Ballard; Mrs. Charles England, S. Assistant Marshal; Mrs. Manfred Johnscher; 2nd row: Mrs. Howard Entwistle, Mrs. J. T. Rosson, Mrs. Tom Brown, Angela McNicoll; and Geneva Dolph. (Not pictured is Mrs. Roy May who submitted pictures and articles.)
Park Place Assembly, S.O.O.B., Texas, Honors Arlene Fischer
Park Place No. 205, Social Order of the Beauceant, in Houston, Texas, honored (Mrs. Kenneth B.) Arlene Fischer at their annual Tea at the home of (Mrs. John D.) Mary Hackward in May 2007. In the picture below left are Mrs. Fischer and Sir Knight Kenneth Fischer, M.E. Past Grand Master of the Grand Encampment. Below right is Mrs. Fischer with Mrs. Hackward. (articles and,pictures by Jan Wingo)
 
Supreme Worthy President's Visit to Denver Assembly No.1, Colorado
 The members are shown at the visitation of (Mrs. David E.) Sonja Alcon, S.w.P., in April 2007. They initiated two that day. Row 1, 1. to r.: Mrs. Betty O'Belmito, Preceptress; . new members: (Mrs. Robert) Norma Pieron and (Mrs. James) Marlene Lewis; Mrs. Alcon; (Mrs. Robert) Sharon Sage, W.P.; Mrs. Esther Offen, P.S.W.P; (Mrs. James P.) Barbara Mason, S. Daughter of the Household; and (Mrs. Donard) Pinki Wood, Inner Guard. The other officers are standing behind.
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"Knowing Me, Knowing You"
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