The Texas Mason Magazine - The Grand Lodge of Texas

Volume: XLVI Edition: Spring
The Texas
Mason Magazine
May 2012
The Texas Mason
Table of Contents
The Texas Mason Magazine is an official publication of the
Grand Lodge of Texas A. F. & A. M. It is published four times
a year for the members of Texas Lodges and subscribers.
Opinions expressed by the Editor and contributing writers do
not necessarily reflect official positions of the Grand Lodge of
Texas Copyright 2012, by the Trustees of the Grand Lodge of
Texas. All rights reserved.
Page 1 …………... The Grand Master’s Message
Publisher
The Trustees of The Grand Lodge of Texas
Page 2 …….. Masonic Children and Family Svc.
Editor
Benjamin Franklin Linduff
Page 3 ………..Deputy Grand Master’s Message
and the Grand Senior Warden’s message
Copy editor
Clinton M. M. McKenzie.
The Texas Mason Magazine encourages submission of articles
and photographs of general interest to Masons in Texas, reserving the right to edit and use the articles and pictures as
needs and policies dictate.
News and articles from around the state will continue to be
published in a web based format on the Grand Lodge of Texas
website The Grand Lodge website is accessible at http://
www.grandlodgeoftexas.org
Please continue to send your articles and Lodge events and
news to the Editor of The Texas Mason Magazine.
The preferred method of submission is via email with an attached Microsoft Word document. Pictures should be separately submitted in JPEG format to [email protected].
If you do not have email, submissions may be sent to the
Grand Lodge of Texas, Attn.: The Editor of Texas Mason
Magazine, PO Box 446, Waco, Texas 76703. All materials
become property of the magazine and cannot be returned.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Page 4 ……...…. Grand Junior Warden message
and name badge order form
Page 5 ………..………2011 Masonic Family Day
Page 6 …………….. Grand Secretary’s Message
Page 7 ……………………….…Brother Nichols
Page 8 ……………….………... Circumbulations
Page 13 …………………….....Wardens Retreats
Page 14 ………………2011 Merchandise Sales
Subscriptions
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per year in foreign countries, $25.00 for three years
Permission to reprint
Permission to reprint original articles appearing in The Texas
Mason Magazine is granted to all recognized Masonic publications, provided that credit is given to the author and attribution
to The Texas Mason Magazine.
On the Cover
The Grand Lodge
of Texas
Auditorium.
V o l u m e
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E d i ti o n :
S p r i n g
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The Grand
Master’s
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Message
Brethren: I bring you greetings from the Grand Lodge Trustees and hope all is going well in
your lodges. I can't tell you how much we are enjoying going all over this great State Of
Texas. We have been afforded the nicest hospitality you can conceive. At the time of this
writing, we have completed eleven of our sixteen Conferences. We have had great attendance
at each and expect the same at the next five. I want to remind all that we are going to have the
same type Workshop as we had last year and they will be after mid-year. The program for the
workshops has been written by R:. W:. Leonard Harvey and they will be very enjoyable.
I have a number of concerns and the one on my mind all the time is our 'image'. As I read the
DDGM reports it is amazing how many lodge buildings are in need of repair. We have two
images over which to be concerned. One is the image that we display to the public when they
pass by our buildings. We sure hope that they say "that’s a good looking building" The other
image to be addressed is the one that we have when we attend lodge. Are we proud of our
facility, does it look good to us?
Think about our image and let’s clean up as needed.
Fraternally
James F. Brumit,
Grand Master
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M a s o n
V o l u m e
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E d i ti o n :
S p r i n g
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M a s t e r
Brethren of the Grand West
I begin by saying once more;
“How good and how pleasant it is for
Brethren to dwell together in unity”.
How can it be May 2012? When I began this journey in
December 2008 My wife, “Miss Ardith” and I decided to be
nominated for the Grand South in 2009. Taking it one day at a
time, where have the days, months and years gone?
The 2012-2013 Grand Lodge year is progressing
according to plan and I would guess we are 98% complete.
In reference to the talent bank we have created, we have
received well over one hundred responses to this appeal and we
have appointed several of these brethren to Grand Lodge
committees, etc.
I continue to ask all Masons in Texas to remember your
obligations and live your lives according to the requirements of
each obligation. Always remember “You are someone’s example
of Freemasonry daily”.
It is approaching time for election and installation of
Lodge officers. I would congratulate each new Officer in every
Lodge in Texas on your being chosen to “Lead your Lodge” and at
G r a n d S e n i o r
Wa r d e n
From the Grand Senior Warden:
Brethren, as we approach the time of year for election
of Lodge Officers and the installation thereof, I trust
that the incoming Masters have made solid plans for
their year of governing the Lodge. One year sounds
like a long time until that year comes and passes
before you realize it is almost over. Believe me I
know. My year as your Grand Junior Warden seemed
to go by faster than my year as Master of the Lodge.
However, I have been planning since the first day I
was elected, and have enlisted the aid of my Planning
Team members in the development of plans for the
year 2014. If you have a sound plan and implement it
at the very beginning; delegating those plans to various committees for the accomplishment of the various
the same time would challenge each of you to “Lead
with compassion and Humility”. Remember, you
are elevated for only a chosen time and must
eventually return to the fold only in the capacity of
a “Master Mason”.
I am so appreciative of each and every one
of you Texas Masons allowing me to be in the
position I am in and I pinch myself daily and thank
the Supreme Architect of the Universe for allowing
me to do what I am doing.
Finally, Brethren, as Masonry requires
each and every one of us to believe in a “Supreme
Being”. Thank Your “Supreme Being” for allowing
you to be “a Master Mason”.
Sincerely and Fraternally
Walter W. Rogers
Deputy Grand Master
Masonic Grand Lodge Of Texas
tasks, and keep a scheduled follow up on the progress of the committees, you will have a successful
year. For the incoming Wardens, now is the time
to be developing your plans for the things you
want to accomplish for the good of your Lodge.
Last minute planning, more than often, does not
come off as planned. As is often said in the
Wardens Retreat training session on planning,
“If you fail to plan, plan to fail.”
Let’s all plan on making next year and every year
a great one for Texas Masonry.
Jerry L Martin
Grand Senior Warden
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Gr and Ju nior Warden’s
Message
Brethren, winter is gone, spring has arrived, and people are cultivating their
flower beds, fertilizing the yard, and trimming trees and shrubs in
preparation for the new growth to come. It seems we all want our neighbors
and passers by to approve of the way our property looks because it says a lot
about who lives there.
This is even more important about our Lodge property. When the public does
not know who Masons are and what they do, they sometimes judge us by the
way they see the outside of our buildings. If it is neat and clean, then we can
hope that they assume that we are also. We should all do our best to ensure
that the exterior of our Lodges are well cared for and kept neat, for after all, as Masons we are taught
to be good neighbors and citizens of our communities.
Likewise, spring is an excellent time for each of us to clean ourselves up, so-to-speak, and make sure
we present the right image of Masonry to not only all that those that we come into contact with, but
those who observe us from a distance and know us only by the emblems on our cars, belt buckles,
rings, hats, etc. Think about that old saying that is posted over the door of so many Lodges,
“Remember, you are someone’s image of Masonry.”
Just as spring is a time for preparing for new growth in nature, it is a great time to “bloom” new
growth in Masonry by getting out into the community. Lamar Medal presentations and scholarships
are part of this season and an excellent opportunity to either get the students, family, and school
personnel into our Lodges or us into the school facilities to make these awards. A well planned
presentation ceremony can bear much fruit for our gentle fraternity, and as we all know, that “fruit”
can easily become membership. So let’s all get out and promote the oldest and greatest fraternity the
world has ever known.
Michael Wiggins
Grand Junior Warden
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Message
from the Gr and Secretary
LODGE OFFICER INSTALLATIONS
Queries continue to be asked about the implementation of Article 276a regarding
the additional qualifications of the Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, and Junior
Warden prior to installation. Please note this law is in effect now and governs the
June 23-July 31, 2012 Lodge installations. It is the responsibility of the Lodge, the
top three Lodge officers, the Lodge Secretary, and the DDGM to act and document
that the top three Lodge officers are properly qualified. The installation officer has
no responsibility to ensure the officers are qualified – he just installs them.
Article 276a requires the Worshipful Master and both Wardens, prior to their
Installation, to be qualified as follows:
(1) To the satisfaction of the members of the Lodge, shall be proficient to
properly open and close an Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, Master Mason’s Lodge,
and a Master Mason’s Lodge of Sorrow in the manner prescribed by the Committee on Work and approved
by the Grand Lodge. Note: Any member would meet this requirement if he has a current A, B or C
certificate from the Committee on Work.
(2) To the satisfaction of the members of his Lodge, he shall have completed a Grand Lodge
approved course in the administration of his duties – either by the Wardens Retreat, or the Lodge
Instruction for Effectiveness program (L.I.F.E.) under the supervision of the Masonic Education and
Service Committee. The L.I.F.E. program is to be administered by a Lodge Counselor appointed by the
Worshipful Master. Note: Any member qualifies for the Lodge Administration if he has completed a
Wardens Retreat and that such documentation has been provided to the Lodge Secretary. Since no
Warden’s Retreats are scheduled in 2012 until after Lodge installations, the 2012 installations must be met
with the L.I.F.E. program or by completion of previous Warden’s Retreats.
A Masonic Form No. 101 is to be completed by the Lodge Secretary every year for each of these
members being installed and he will attach a copy to the installation minutes. The top three officers are
required to provide a copy of their Form 101 to the DDGM, five (5) days prior to the Installation.
The esoteric requirements are to be completed each year when the officer advances through the chairs.
If the officer does not have a current esoteric certificate from the Committee on Work, the Lodge must affirm to the satisfaction of their members that the officer can properly open and close the EA, FC, MM, and
MM Lodge of Sorrow. Usually this is done at a called meeting or scheduled practice session, and the
Lodge makes the entry in the minutes of a stated meeting that the proposed officer is proficient.
The Lodge Administration requirement is a one-time event upon the completion of either the L.I.F.E.
program or the Wardens Retreats.
Lodges are responsible for conducting legal elections, and DDGMs have been directed to review and
report the completion of the Article 276a requirements. Please ensure that your Lodge complies with the
new rules approved by the Grand West in 2011.
Tom Guest, Grand Secretary
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S c h u e t z e n f e s t
Fellows,
We had a wonderful time at the Second Annual Masonic Schuetzenfest this
past Saturday in beautiful Raisin, Texas. We had eight shooters and a new
SCHUETZENKOEING was crowned - Chris Skeen of Temple lodge #4
AF&AM in Houston, Tx. Chris shot a Browning T-bolt with a receiver aperture sight had a clean win with 272 points. Trey Silvers, son of Mason Jimmie
Silvers was nippin' at his heels, however, with 262 points, while Ronnie Beard
of Fayetteville #240 shot a 255, followed by Dick Brown and Jimmie Silvers,
both at 254.
The course was shot at 10-ring bull's-eye targets from a bench rest position at
48 yards, and at 5" round steel plate "knock down" targets from an offhand
shooting postion at 35 yards. Two 10-shot rounds at the paper, three 10-shot
rounds at the steel plates. (Note: a hit on the steel plate was worth 5 points,
and if you knocked it down you got 10 points. It took a good solid upper 1/3
of the plate hit on the plate to knock it down.)
Shooters used a variety of rifles, both new and vintage, including a Ruger
10/22, a Remington pump, a Browning lever action, a Henry lever action, a
Browning T-bolt, a CZ 452, and a vintage Remington Mod. 41.
For more information on the Masonic Schuetzenfest, or to place your email address on the mailing list for next
year's event, contact Bro. Dick Brown at [email protected]
Brother Talley Nichols – Gunsmith to Millions of Cowboys
If you were a boy growing up in Texas during the 1950's and early 1960’s, it is very likely that you owned a toy cap
pistol. Cap pistols were very popular, and the toy guns from the Circle N Ranch in
Jacksonville, Texas were the best in the world. They were the perfect sidearm to wear
while watching programs like The Lone Ranger, The Roy Rodgers Show, Gunsmoke,
Death Valley Days, Bonanza, and the other “Westerns” that were breaking ground on
the new home entertainment medium, black and white
television.
During World War II, Lewis W. Nichols, Jr. and older brother Talley W. Nichols,
started a manufacturing company in Pasadena, Texas, that provided items for the war
effort. Lewis was overseas in the service, but sent his entire savings home to Bro.
Talley, who ran the company. When Lewis came home after the war, the brothers made
the decision to make die cast toys, and since the “Cowboy Western” movie was very
popular at the time, they decided to make toy cap pistols.
The first Nichols cap pistol, the single shot Pony, was introduced in 1946. It was made
of shiny die cast metal, and sales were good from the very start. The brothers added
plastic molding facilities to their company, and in 1947 the Silver Mustang, a repeating cap pistol, was introduced. Then came the Stallion 45, Stallion 38, the Stallion 32, the Derringer, the Mod. 94 rifle, and many more
cowboy style guns that were made by Nichols Industries. All were made of real metal, held
together by real
screws, and tough enough to be about 99% boy-proof.
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ended, and the needed raw materials became available again. It was at this time that Brother Talley
made the decision to make a smaller (and less expensive) version of the cartridge loading Stallion 45,
and the Stallion 38 was introduced. While not as
big and fancy as the Stallion 45, the Stallion 38 was
a favorite of many cowboys. It was less expensive,
and the smaller size fit a young boy's hand better.
Further, the smaller cartridges it used just seemed to
shot “louder”. Before it was all said and done, the
Stallion 38 would out-sell the Stallion 45.
A Pair of Stallion 45’s from the Circle N Ranch in
Jacksonville, Texas
A key feature that made Nichols cap guns unique was the
reloadable cartridge, which was introduced at the Toy
Show in 1950. The reloadable cartridge was a two-piece
bullet, and it could be loaded into the pistol to simulate the
action of reloading a real gun. The reloadable cartridge
and the new Nichols cap guns to chamber it were an instant hit, and within a few weeks of introduction the entire
first year’s production was sold out.
Reloadable, two piece cartridges
But just a few months into 1950, the Korean War escalated, making the raw materials used in the guns almost
impossible to obtain. During the Korean War years, from
mid-1950 to about mid-1953, the plant had to operate with
shortages of key materials, and experiment with alternative
materials. Many of the guns made during this period were
made from scrounged automobile carburetors and grills!
1953 was a pivotal year for the young company; Lewis
Nichols made the decision to enter the ministry and announced his departure from the company, the Korean War
By 1955, Nichols Industries needed a place to expand and enlarge production facilities, and chose the
small east Texas town of Jacksonville as its new
home. A brand new production and office facility,
known as The Circle N Ranch, was built a few miles
out of town on the old Tyler Highway. Most manufacturing facilities in the 1950’s were drab and boring, but the Circle N Ranch was new and exciting.
They had a "Sky King" style airplane parked at their
own landing strip, a herd of Buffalo roamed a
fenced in field just next to the facility, and they
made toy guns!
Talley Nichols was a master at promotion of his toy
guns. Just as Brother Sam Colt had done to promote
his guns, Brother Nichols used highly decorated
pistols as gifts to important people. When the new
plant opened in Jacksonville in the summer of 1955,
all the guns made still showed the Pasadena name.
The local fathers were anxious to promote Jacksonville and asked Brother Nichols when he would
have "Jacksonville" on the guns instead of
“Pasadena”. Brother Nichols retooled the area of
the “Stallion 38” on the barrel to make it say Jacksonville, then had a special run of 250 guns made
with this new change. He held a special event out of
the change and invited the local fathers of the community. Each of the guns was double buffed, double
copper-nickel-chrome plated and double polished.
Each was stamped with the words "PILOT RUN" to
distinguish from any other “Stallion 38” that these
were special.
By 1956 Nichols Industries had 650 employees and
was producing millions of cap pistols at the Jacksonville facility.
In 1961, the Circle N Ranch introduced what was
likely the best cap gun a boy could have - it was a
derringer style pistol, appropriately named the
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“Derringer”, and it used a new three-piece cartridge. The cartridge featured the
same brass case of the older cartridges, but had a new bullet component that
would hold a red plastic projectile. When fired, the force from the cap would
propel the plastic bullet out the barrel, and at decent velocities! In fact, it shot
really hard, and it was an instant hit in the back yard wars that were constantly
being waged in the neighborhood. While the inner-tube gun was still king for
sheer power, the intimidation power of the new Nichols shell firing “Derringer”
turned many a battle into a rout!
Business was great for Brother Talley and the Circle N
Ranch through the early 1960’s, but by 1963 Western
movie idols like Brother Roy Rogers, Brother Randolph
Scott, and Brother Audie Murphy were gradually
making fewer movies and television shows, and
children's interest in cap guns began waning. Nichols
Industries sold out to Kusan in 1965, but cap guns
continued to fade from the scene, and even Kusan and
many other famous toy gun companies were forced to
cut back or sell out completely. Thus ended the Glory Days of the cap gun, but the legacy of Brother
Talley Nichols and his Circle N Ranch will live on in many a (older, now) cowboy’s memory.
Masonically, Brother Talley Nichols was Initiated 11/15/1946 at Pasadena #1155, Passed 4/21/1947,
and Raised 5/23/1947
He affiliated 9/12/1963 with Jacksonville #108 where he remained an active member until his death in
2001.
Reverse side of Brother Nichol’s gravestone in Jacksonville
City Cemetery
For more reading on Nichols Industries and the Circle N
Ranch, see the excellent website maintained by nephew Mike
at: http://www.NicholsCapGuns.com
About the Author: Bro. Dick Brown, Chairman of the Grand
Lodge of Texas History Committee, grew up during the
1950’s and 1960’s in Jacksonville, Texas, and owned several
Nichols Cap Guns, which he used to great advantage against
many a bad guy who inhabited the piney woods.
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This edition of the Texas
Freemason will only be
posted on the Grand Lodge
web site and an email notice
will be sent out to those
brothers with email.
If you know a Brother who
does not have email please
print out a copy for him or
take a copy to Lodge.
Circumambulation
During the circuits of the Lodgeroom, corners should be squared in accordance with the
ancient tradition of “squaring the Lodge.” The Master covered and seated in the East or
another Brother designated by the Master, shall recite or read the following passage of
scripture during the circumambulation, beginning immediately after the Candidate passes
the South.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for Brethren to dwell together in
unity;”
“It is like the precious ointment upon
the head, that ran down upon the
beard, even Aaron’s beard, that went
down to the skirts of his garment;”
“As the dew of Hermon, and the dew
that descended upon the mountains of
Zion; for there the Lord commanded
the blessing, even life for evermore.”
Hopkinsville Lodge No. 183
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Wardens Retreats
LODGE LEADERSHIP
The Warden’s Retreat Program of the Grand Lodge of Texas prepares Senior and Junior Wardens
to accept the leadership role as Master of their Lodges. In addition, there is an educational
program for the ladies to prepare them to assist their Masons in being successful as Master. There
are separate programs for the Junior Wardens focusing on administration and Senior Wardens on
leadership. The Retreat Program is presented by the Committee on Masonic Education and
Service and the elected Grand Lodge Officers and their ladies.
Open to all interested Master Masons, participants engage in classroom type instruction, team
building and group activities, and open question and answer periods. The program is structured,
fast paced, intense and provides opportunities to exercise leadership and management skills.
There are opportunities to visit one-on-one with the instructors and Grand Lodge Officers.
Designed for Texas Masons, the program is open to all Master Masons and their Ladies. Officers
of Lodges and appendant Masonic bodies are especially encouraged to attend. Make your plans
now to join us for the 2012 Retreat Program and prepare to lead your Masonic organization into
the future.
Wardens Retreat 2012
Grand Lodge Officers Calendars
Click on Calendar below