Freemasonry & Scouting; A Common Heritage
This past Saturday, August 6th, Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 AF&AM[i], invited local Eagle Scouts to their Masonic Temple to recognize their achievements in Scouting. The event coordinator was Dr. Bruce “Ziggy” Hollmann, who is a Past Master[ii] and Freemason, and has supported the Boy Scouts of America since 1958. Dr. Hollmann managed to bring together four local troops for this event, along with their parents and he then introduced the attending Scouts and their families to Mr. Shelby Chandler, who as the Worshipful Master[iii] of the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge welcomed them.
They were next introduced to Mr. Freeman Shupe, who as the District Deputy Grand Master[iv] of this area was present to welcome them on behalf of the Grand Master of Masons in Virginia. Other Masonic organizations supporting this event were the International Order of Job’s Daughter[v], the Heroes of ’76 of the National Sojourners[vi], and the Fredericksburg Commandery of Knights Templar[vii].
The Eagle Scouts and Troops that were present for this event are as follows:
Fredericksburg Troop 72 - Timothy Louis & Michael Louis.
Hartwood Troop 1717 - Karl Ast & Charlie Brown.
Fredericksburg Troop 1889 - Thomas Rebbert.
Stafford Troop 907 - Zachary Patterson, Jeffrey Virga, Michael Vance & Alexander Van Curen.
Following a dinner banquet at 6:30 pm sponsored by Fredericksburg Bethel No. 16 of the International Order of Job’s Daughters and the Pledge of Allegiance, the Scouts, Scout Masters and Families were introduced to MSG Jeff St.Onge and CDR Heath Thomas of the National Sojourners’ Heroes of ’76, who presented them with a program on the American Flag. Following this program, Sir Knight Daniel Thompson, a Past Master of Fredericksburg Lodge and a Knight Templar, spoke of the many organizations within Freemasonry and how similar the tenets and standards of Scouting has been to the Masonic obligations. He further explains that the Founder of Scouting in the United States, Daniel Carter Beard[viii], was a Freemason who laid out the close relationship that is now shared between these two organizations.
Following this program, Dr. Hollmann requested that each Eagle Scout step forward and report what Eagle Scout project they took on to earn this prestigious recognition and following this, they were congratulated by the Fredericksburg Master and received their certificate of achievement from the Grand Lodge of Virginia by the District Deputy Grand Master for their contributions to both Scouting and this our community. Dr. Hollmann then closed the evening with a Prayer circle and an admonishment to each Eagle Scouts to remember their obligation.
Dr. Hollmann was Scout Master for Dahlgren Troop 1404 from 1973 to 1995 and has overseen the Grand Lodge of Virginia’s Eagle Scout program in the Spotsylvania, Stafford and King George area since 2000. Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge has supported the Boy Scouts, and has worked to bridge the common history between them by their attendance at the 2005 and 2010 National Jamboree at Ft. A.P. Hill and the 2009 and 2011 Eagle Scout Banquet. As a result of Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge’s support to the 2005 National Jamboree, a new organization within the Boy Scouts of America was established in 2008 known as NAMS[ix] (National Association of Masonic Scouters) which has already registered a few thousand members.
[i] AF&AM - Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons or Freemaons
[ii] Past Master – A Master Mason who have served as Worshipful Master of a Masonic Lodge
[iii] Worshipful Master – Freemasonry is over 400 years old and their titles reflect this heritage
[iv] District Deputy Grand Master – One of fifty four representatives of the Grand Master of Masons in Virginia
[v] Job’s Daughter – An International Masonic Youth Organization for Girls teaching Masonic principles
[vi] National Sojourners – A Masonic organization of Officers & Senior NCOs of the Armed Forces (past & present)
[vii] Knights Templar – A Masonic Chivalric Order tied to Freemasons who profess Christianity.
[viii] Daniel Carter Beard – along with Ernest Thomas Seton and Robert Baden-Powell were all Freemasons
[ix] NAMS = National Association of Masonic Scouters. See http://www.nams-bsa.org/
From Fredericksburg.com
