MY NAME IS CLAYTON E. CORLEY SR.
PAST MASTER OF LIGHT of ELMWOOD LODGE # 45
M.W.P.H.G.L.of PA. (PHILADELPHIA)
We meet the second Wednesday of every month
5026 Spruce St.7:30PM
I have been in the medical field for the past Twenty-0ne years at a community hospital. I enjoy helping people to the best of my abilities, especially children, fore it is the children that will take this world into the 21st century and be our future Leaders. So let us teach them to respect each other as well as themselves. This has carried over into my Masonic career. Helping those less fortunate than ourselves is the grand aim we have in view.
My Lodge in particular and Masonry in general is dedicated to Faith , Hope and Charity. Faith in GOD, Hope in immortality and Charity to All mankind.
ASK YOURSELF...
Among millions of Masons, not one was lawfully invited to apply for membership.
Our code of conduct prevents it. Thus, no faithful Mason can invite you. A Mason can obtain a Petition for the Degrees of Masonry for you, but you must ask for it - and for good reason. You must first ask yourself if you're suitably prepared to enter the "gentle craft of Masonry" . . . to become a brother in the world's most
exclusive fraternal order. Few men are intellectually or spiritually prepared to understand or appreciate even the more apparent meanings of Masonry.
Do you reflect on the nature of man's existence and your obligations to God, your family, and yourself? If such ethical and moral questions hold little interest for you, then you will gain little benefit from the teachings of the Craft. But if you seek a
more meaningful quality of life - and the spirit of charity and good fellowship, which flow, from it - then Freemasonry has much to offer. We want you to know what we believe, how we act, and what we do... then, should you become a Mason, to be proud to
be our Brother and to participate in our work. Only those who desire membership because of their favorable impression of us should seek a petition.
That's why you must "ask yourself."
"I AM FREEMASONRY"
I was born in antiquity, in the ancient days when men first dreamed of God. I have
been tried through the ages and found true. The crossroads of the world bear the
imprint of my feet, and the cathedrals of all nations mark the skill of my hands. I strive
for beauty and symmetry.
Freemasonry refers to the principles, institutions, and practices of the fraternal order
of the free and accepted masons. The largest worldwide society, freemasonry is an
organization of men based on the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man,
using builders' tools as symbols to teach basic moral truths generally accepted by
persons of good will.
It is religious in that a belief in God is the prime requirement for membership, but it is
nonsectarian in that no religious test is used. The purpose of freemasonry is to
enable men to meet in harmony, to promote friendship and to be charitable. Its basic
ideals are that all persons are children of one God, that all persons are related to each
other, and that the best way to worship God is to be of service to people.
Freemasons hold that the organization is religious but not a religion, and that is not a
secret organization since it works openly in the community. Freemasonry has always
been suppressed in totalitarian states.
"I SEE YOU'VE TRAVELED SOME"
Wherever you may chance to be--Wherever you may roam,
Far away in foreign lands; Or just at Home Sweet Home;
It always gives you pleasure, it makes your heart strings hum
Just to hear the words of cheer,
"I see you've traveled some."
When you get a brother's greeting, And he takes you by the hand,
It thrills you with a feeling that you cannot understand,
You feel that bond of brotherhood that tie that's sure to come
When you hear him say in a friendly way
"I see you've traveled some."
And if you are a stranger, In strange lands all alone
If fate has left you stranded--Dead broke and far from home,
It thrills you--makes you numb, When he says with a grip of fellowship,
"I see you've traveled some."
And when your final summons comes, To take a last long trip,
Adorned with Lambskins Apron White and gems of fellowship--
The Tiler at the Golden Gate, With Square and Level and Plumb
Will size up your pin and say "Walk In",
"I see you've traveled some."
"WHAT MAKES YOU A MASON?"
What makes you a Mason, O brother of mine?
It isn't the dueguard, nor is it the sign,
It isn't the jewel which hangs on your breast,
It isn't the apron in which you are dressed,
It isn't the step, nor the token, nor grip,
Nor lectures that fluently flow from the lip,
Nor yet the possession of that mystic word,
On five points of fellowship duly conferred.
Though these are essential, desirable, fine,
They don't make a Mason, O brother of mine.
That you to your sworn obligation are true-
"Tis, that, brother mine, makes a Mason of you.
Secure in your heart you must safeguard your trust,
With lodge and with brother be honest and just,
Assist the deserving who cry in their need,
Be chaste in thought, in your word and deed,
Support him who falters, with hope banish fear,
And whisper advice in an erring one's ear.
Then will the Great Lights on your path brightly shine,
And you'll be a Mason, O brother of mine.
Your use of life's hours by the gauge you must try,
The gavel to vices with courage apply;
Your walk must be upright, as shown by the plumb,
On the level, to bourn whence no travelers come;
The book of your faith be the rule and the guide,
The compass your passions shut safely inside;
The stone which the Architect placed in your care
Must pass the strict test of His unerring square,
And then you will meet with approval divine,
And you'll be a Mason, O brother of mine.
George H. Free (MM)
"A Torch Of Light"
One dark clear night I looked outside
And wondered what’s beyond the lights
The twinkle dots a world so vast
The blinks of stars remind of glass
My mind began to leave my soul
To travel far beyond the poles
The speed of light became a breeze
I wondered what, what could this be
An infinite space so broad to grasp
No human feeling could ever match
The guide I had I could not see
Then I remembered my three degrees
I saw the lights becoming close
With guides unknown of many host
I understood what just appeared
Masonic travel became so clear
I just perceived what’s to unfold
My first entrance, which I behold
I thought of all, in mind in me
And recollected my first degree
The more I traveled the more I saw
Between two stars my mind had told
A story far beyond the spheres
Of working tools I held so dear
And then I fell in deep black holes
Passing in and on in chambers toll
I thought again what could this be
And then I thought of two degrees
My mind controlled all moves I made
But to return I wished and prayed
I swore to keep all oaths I took
The 3rd degree all clear it spoke
On my return I saw the Lord
And asked him why, what was this all
The birth of man is but a porch
To live the life of burning torch
Can’t you remember I spake the word
And you appeared with all to learn
With force and power “LET THERE BE LIGHT”
And I became a torch of Light.
Written By
Ezekiel Mu’Akil Bey
MASONIC DISCUSSION GROUP
"STORY OF SOLOMON"
Solomon, the King of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba, ascended the throne of his kingdom 2989 years after the creation of the world, and 1015 years before the Christian era. He was then only twenty years of age, but the youthful monarch is said to have commenced his reign with the decision of a legal question of some difficulty, in which he exhibited the first promise of that wise judgement for which he was ever afterward distinguished. The most important accomplishment of Solomon's reign was the erection of a Temple to honor the Lord God Jehovah. Prior to his death, King David had numbered the workmen whom he found in his kingdom, had appointed the overseers of the work, the hewers of stones, and the bearers of burdens; had prepared a great quantity of brass, iron, and cedar; and had amassed an immense treasure with which to support the enterprise. But on consulting with the prophet Nathan, David learned from the holy man, that although his pious intent was pleasing to God, David would not be permitted to build the Temple as he had "shed blood abundantly." The task was reserved for the more peaceful Solomon, his son and successor.
Hence, when David was about to die, he charged Solomon to build the Temple of God as soon as he should have received the kingdom. He also gave him directions in relation to the construction of the edifice, and put into his possession the money, amounting to ten thousand talents of gold and ten times that amount of silver, which he had collected and laid aside for defraying the expense. In today's dollars, it was approximately $4 billion dollars. Solomon had scarcely ascended the throne of Israel, when he prepared to carry into execution the pious designs of King David. For this purpose, however, he found it necessary to seek the assistance of Hiram, King of Tyre, the ancient friend and ally of his father. The Tyrians and Sidonians, the subjects of Hiram, had long been distinguished for their great architectural skill; and, in fact, many of them, as members of a mystic operative society, the fraternity of Dionysian artificers, had long monopolized the profession of building in Asia Minor. The Jews, on the other hand, were rather more eminent for their military valor than for their knowledge of the arts of peace, and hence King Solomon at once realized the necessity of invoking the aid of these foreign architects if he expected to complete the edifice he was about to erect, either in a reasonable time or with the splendor and magnificence appropriate to the sacred object for which it was intended. He, therefore, contacted Hiram, King of Type, to implore his aid and assistance.
King Hiram, mindful of the former amity and alliance that had existed between himself and David, was disposed to extend the friendship he had felt for the father to the son, and provided the workmen, guidance, and assistance requested by Solomon. King Hiram lost no time in fulfilling the promise of assistance which he had thus given. Accordingly, we are informed that Solomon received 33,600 workmen from Tyre, besides a sufficient quantity of timber and stone to construct his Temple. Hiram also sent him a far more important gift than either men or materials in the person of an able architect, "a curious and cunning workman," whose skill and experience were to be exercised in superintending the labors of the craft, and in adorning and beautifying the Temple. His name was Hiram Abif. King Solomon commenced the erection of the Temple on Monday, the second day of the Hebrew month Zif, which is the 22nd of April on our calendar, and 1012 years before the Christian era. King Solomon, King Hiram and Hiram Abif constitued the three Grand Masters of the Craft. To Hiram Abif was entrusted the general superintendence of the building, while subordinate stations were assigned to other eminent artists, whose names and offices have been handed down in the traditions of the Order. The Temple was at length finished in the month of Bul, our November, in the year of the world 3,000, being seven and one-half years from its commencement.
As soon as the magnificent edifice was completed, and fit for the sacred purposes for which it was intended, King Solomon directed that the Ark of the Covenant be brought up out of Zion where it had been depositied by King David.
It would be placed in the special part of the Temple prepared just for that purpose. Here the immediate and personal connection of King Solomon to the Craft begins to draw to a conclusion. That King Solomon was the wisest monarch that ruled Israel is the unanimous opinion of posterity. So much was he beyond the age in which he flourished, in the attainments of science, that both ancient Jewish and Arabic writers have attributed to him a thorough knowledge of the secrets of magic. This, of course, is pure fallacy. He did, however, give us in his Proverbs an insight to a deeply religious philosopher, while the long peace and prosperous condition of his empire for the greater part of his reign, the increase of his kingdom in both wealth and refinement, and the encouragement he gave to the architecture, the mechanical arts, and commerce, testify to his profound abilities as a sovereign and a statesman. After a reign of forty years, he died, and with him expired forever the glory and the power of the Hebrew empire.
Bro. Chaka Fattah - U.S. Congressman and Member of Light of Elmwood Lodge #45
Bro. Robert Abbott -Founder of the Chicago Defender
Bro. Richard Allen-Founder/first Bishop of the A.M.E. Church
Bro. Alexander T. Augusta-First African-American to head a hospital in the U.S.
Bro. Marion Barry-Mayor of Washington, D.C..
Bro. William "Count" Basie-Orchestra leader/composer.
Bro. James J.G. Bias-Founder of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee.
Bro. Henry Blair-First Black to recieve a U.S. patent.
Bro. James Herbert "Eubie" Blake-Composer/pianist.
Bro. Edward Bouchet-First Black to be elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Bro. William Wells Brown-First Black to publish a novel.
Bro. Nathaniel "Nat King" Cole-Singer.
Bro. Ossie Davis-Actor/director/playwrite.
Bro. Martin R. Delany-First Black to matriculate from Havard Medical School/first
Black Major in the U.S. Army.
Bro. W.E.B. DuBois-Educator/author/historian.
Bro. Alexander Dumas-Author.
Bro. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington-Orchestra leader/composer.
Bro. Medgar Wiley Evers-Civil Rights leader.
Bro. James Forten-Abolitionist/manufacturer.
Bro. Timothy Thomas Fortune-Journalist.
Bro. Marcus Garvey-Founder of the United Negro Improvement Association.
Bro. Alex Haley-Author.
Bro. William C. Handy /Composer.
Bro. Matthew Henson-Explorer.
Bro. Benjamin L. Hooks-Former Executive Director of the N.A.A.C.P..
Bro. Jesse Jackson-Founder of the Rainbow Coaltion and Operation Push.
Bro. Maynard Jackson-first black mayor of Atlanta.
Bro. John H. Johnson-Publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines.
Bro. Jack Johnson-First Black heavyweight boxing champion in U.S..
Bro. Absalom Jones-First Black Priest in the Episcopal Church in U.S..
Bro. Dr. Ernest Everett Just-One of the founders of Omega Psi Phi and renowned zoologist.
Bro. Don King-Boxing promotor.
Bro. Lewis Howard Latimer-Inventor of the carbon filament for light.
Bro. Thurgood Marshall-Former Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court.
Bro. Benjamin E. Mays-former president of Morehouse College.
Bro. Leon M'Ba- First President of the Republic of Gabon.
Bro. Kweisi Mfume-Executive Director of the N.A.A.C.P..
Bro. Eliajah Muhammed-Founder of the Nation of Islam.
Bro. Richard Pryor-Comedian/actor.
Bro. Alexander Pushkin-Poet/novelist/playwrite.
Bro. A. Philip Randolph-Founder and first president of the International
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
Bro. Charles Rangel-U.S. Congressman.
Bro. Joseph Jenkins Roberts-First President of the Republic of Liberia.
Bro. "Sugar"Ray Robinson-Former mid/light heavyweight boxing champion.
Bro. Arthur A. Schomburg-Historian/author.
Bro. Rev. Al Sharpton-Civil Rights advocate.
Bro. Carl B. Stokes-First Black Mayor of Cleveland, Oh..
Bro. Louis Stokes-Former U.S. Congressman.
Bro. David Walker-Author of "David Walker's Appeal.
Bro. Booker T. Washington-Educator and Founder of the Tuskegee Institute.
Bro. Daniel Hale Williams-First surgeon to perform open heart surgery.
Bro. Bert Williams-Actor/comedian.
Bro. Granville T. Woods-Inventor.
Bro. Andrew Young-Former Mayor of Atlanta and U.N. Abassador.
Bro. Lawrence Douglass Wilder - The first Black elected governor in this country from Virginia..
"PRINCE HALL"
