News

Brethren,

The roll of the workmen has been called, and one Master Mason, Brother Commander “Swede” Nels H. Edlund, 32°, Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, has not answered to his name. He has laid down the working tools of life and with them has left that mortal part for which he no longer has use. His labors here below have taught him to divest his heart and conscience of the vices and superfluity of life, thereby fitting his mind as a living stone for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Strengthened in his labors here by faith in God, and confident of expectation of immortality, he has been granted admission to the Celestial Lodge above. His Brethren and fellow bartenders mourn the passing of a great man, bartender and Mason.

Nels Hilmer Edlund, 32°, KCCH, affectionately known as Swede, passed away the evening of Friday January 5th, 2018 at the home of his son, at the age of 88. Swede was the long time bartender and active member of the Portland Valley until transportation and recent health issues made attendance more difficult over the last few years. Brother Edlund was originally a Blue Lodge member of Southgate Lodge No. 182 and later of Cornerstone Lodge No. 157 in Portland Oregon. He joined the Portland Valley Scottish Rite in May of 1974.

Further information on the funeral arrangements and memorial services will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dear Brothers,

As we once again welcome a New Year which brings with it a message of hope and the dawning of a brand-new chapter in our lives and that of the Portland Valley, it is a great opportunity to reflect and reinvest in our future. It’s one thing to sit down and create a long list of New Year’s resolutions, and it’s quite another to have the self-discipline to follow through with the necessary labors to secure them. If we are to accomplish the great work—we cannot only dream, we must act, not just plan but also believe in the worthiness of our pursuits.

We should always remember that freemasonry’s main purpose is to transform lives. We are here to symbolically rebuild Solomon’s temple within ourselves so that the spirit of God may dwell within us. There is no more important task for which we give our time and effort than the building of this temple.

The work we do here is of extreme importance. Our charities ease the suffering of others, our brotherly love solidifies the belief that all of mankind can live in harmony regardless of religion and political leanings. Our duties are to God, our families, our brothers, and mankind. We are Knights whose birthright is of an ancient and noble line of honorable men. They have shown us the way and it is our duty to ensure that we continue in this noble pursuit so when we leave this world for the next, we’ve left the Portland Valley legacy better than we received it.

I ask all brothers of the Portland Valley to stand with me in this New Year to ensure that the Portland Valley stays true to its purpose and to work diligently in the pursuit of our beloved Scottish Rite.

May God bless you all and bless the Scottish Rite.

Larry Roberts 32° KCCH, Portland Valley Personal Representative. Member of Modesto Lodge 206, Esoterika Lodge 227 and Research Lodge 198.

Greetings Brethren,

On Tuesday, January 2nd we will be having the State of The Rite Meeting for the Portland Valley done as a Table Lodge.

We will have short reports by various officers on the status of projects in the works, balloting on candidates as well as discussing the upcoming Degrees and calendar events.

Dinner will be just $15 and it’s Taco Tuesday!
Please RSVP for dinner by emailing officemanager@portlandsr.com

Schedule
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Table Lodge Meeting (Lodge of Perfection Opening)
Refreshments to follow.

In 2017 we celebrated the One Hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Scottish Rite Masonry in Texas and the birth of our Mother Consistory on Galveston Island. With this celebration we also welcomed our new Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Texas, Illustrious Mike Wiggins 33^rd.  Fifty years have passed since Sovereign Grand Inspector General; Illustrious Lee Lockwood compiled the publication entitled The First Century of Scottish Rite Masonry in Texas, (1867-1967), in which the growth of the Rite is covered from the first mediocre Lodge of Perfection to arise on Galveston Island led by General Phillip C. Tucker to the prosperous Orient of seven Valleys.[1] Sense the publication of this piece the Orient has continued to grow and prosper and arguably remains one of the strongest Masonic bodies in the state. Of the many accomplishments in Scottish Rite Masonry in the fifty years since the publication, the establishment of an eighth Valley in the Texas Panhandle is arguably the most impressive.[2] While the establishment of the Valley of Lubbock and the Masonic legends that made their dream reality is an impressive story, the roots of Scottish Rite Masonry in the region run much deeper than that. I would argue that the Texas Panhandle has intrigued the interest of some of the most influential Masonic brethren throughout history and their legend has left profound influence on Scottish Rite Masonry in the region.

            To study the roots of early West Texas Masonry, I believe it necessary to examine the draw of the New Mexico Territory to numerous expeditions to the desert southwest by pioneers, fur traders and trappers. One can only speculate to the Masonic seeds these men may have planted during their expedition, unfortunately any sort of Masonic records that may have existed from this time would have long sense blown away like dust in the West Texas wind. One thing we know for sure, the untamed lands of the High Plains and the opportunities that await there have peaked the interest of adventure seeking men and pioneers for over a century. This list of explorers includes Grand Commander Albert Pike and Dr. John H. Robinson. Although there was more than likely other Masons in the area, the expeditions to the New Mexico Territory pre-date the establishment of any formal Masonic Lodge by decades which further adds to difficulty of tracing any kind of Masonic influence these brothers may have left behind.

            Sovereign Grand Commander Albert Pike is not only the most influential Scottish Rite Mason in history, but arguably left a tremendous impact on Masonry as a whole. In 1831, Albert Pike would begin a journey to Independence, Missouri seeking adventure and a change from the New England lifestyle. From Missouri Pike and Dr. Robinson would join a hunting party to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Which would lead the group through the northern Texas Panhandle.[3] The Journey to Santa Fe would become quiet treacherous and filled with unfortunate events, including his hoarse escaping and a devastating snow storm that would cause him to walk over five hundred miles to Taos, New Mexico.3 Pike left the place he referred to as the “city of mud” in 1832 on a trapping adventure on the Llano Estacado near present day Lubbock.3 It would be pure speculation to state definitively that Pike made any type of Masonic influence during his time in this area. However, Masonic roots of the Texas Panhandle run incredibly deep, Lubbock saw the Chartering of its first Masonic Lodge before the town was incorporated as a city. A biography of Pike remarks that “He found Freemasonry in a log cabin and left it in a temple…”,[4] one can only imagine what kind of Masonic influence this brother could have possibly left behind on the plains of Northwest Texas.

            Lack of population, hostile Indians and dispute of international boundaries would hinder the development of formal established Masonry in this area for quite some time. However, Pike’s interest in the area would continue to draw him back to West Texas, when in 1883 as Sovereign Grand Commander he would grant authority to open a Lodge of Perfection in El Paso.1 Grand Commander Pike would visit the El Paso Lodge of Perfection 11 April 1883 and would leave behind mementos for the Lodge during this visit.1 El Paso would be the most logical place to open a Lodge of Perfection at the time; it was a more populated area at the time due to an Army outpost in the city. Unfortunately, the Lodge of Perfection would be short lived because the Army would close the outpost in 1885, and remain closed until 1905.1 In his second journey to West Texas, Pike would again journey across the rolling plains of the Texas Panhandle, while still much less developed than El Paso the area around the Llano Estacada had seen considerable growth sense his first expedition half a century earlier.

            Throughout his life Albert Pike made two journeys through the Texas Panhandle, he arguably took great interest in the region and found company he enjoyed and shared his Masonic knowledge with. We will never know what type of impact he could have made on the Masonry in the Texas Panhandle, or if his legacy was any sort of motivation to the brothers that would establish the Valley of Lubbock almost a century later. If this story serves no other purpose, it should provide insight to the type of man drawn to this land, the Mason we should all remember and strive to be.

Notes

[1] Lockwood, Robert Lee, comp. The First Century of Scottish Rite Masonry in Texas, 1867-

1967 . Edited by James David Carter. Waco, Tx, 1967.

[2] Vinson, Beverly . “History of the Lubbock Valley” . Lubbock Scottish Rite Bodies Website.

http://lubbockscottishrite.org/wordpress/?page_id=100

[3] Handbook of Texas Online, Thomas W. Cutrer, “Pike, Albert,” accessed December 18,

2017, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpi18.

[4] “Albert Pike.” Masonicdictionary. Com Website.

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/pike2.html

Tuesday the 16th of January, at 7:30 o’clock pm, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will confer the 20th Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, “Master of the Symbolic Lodge”.

All Scottish Rite Members of the 19th° or higher are welcome to attend. Visiting Brethren will need current dues card showing membership in the Scottish Rite. Attendance is exclusively for members of the Scottish Rite, as with all of our events, this is not open to the public.

The Duties of the Degree are; “Dispense Light and knowledge. Practice the Masonic virtues both in and out of Lodge.”
The Lesson of the Degree is; “Truth, justice and toleration areindispensable qualities for a Master of the Lodge. Example is the best teaching method known.”

Schedule
7:00 pm Dinner [Roast Chicken Mushroom Marsala]
7:30 pm Scottish Rite University Intro
7:45 pm Degree
After the degree there will be a cast party and Social in the Members Lounge.

Confirmations on Facebook of attendance will not be counted for dinner. Please RSVP by email to officemanager@portlandsr.com for dinner reservations by no later than 11:00 am on the Monday before the event. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.