SHORT TALK BULLETIN INDEX

Vol. XVI No. 12 — December 1938

The Short Talk Bulletin

With this issue, this publication completes its sixteenth consecutive year. Begun in 1923, a tentative experiment in sugar-coated Masonic education, not even its proponents could have envisioned the Speaker’s Library unto which the pocket-sized Bulletin would develop.

This issue is the one hundred ninety-second Bulletin of a publication covering all sides and phases of Freemasonry.

Not intended to be complete expositions of the various subjects — how cover "The Holy Bible,” for instance, in a dozen small pages? — the Bulletins have been planned and written as popular interpretations of their several topics. Written for the average Mason, intended to reach eager minds but not to attempt to satisfy research students, the monthly Short Talk Bulletin has made its own place in the field of Masonic education. Lodges have them read; memorized and spoken; abstracted. Speakers here find addresses on near two hundred different Masonic subjects ready for their use. Libraries use them to answer inquiries. Writers consult them for subject matter and substance. Educational committees employ them in the instruction of newly-initiated brethren. The Masonic press is continually printing and reprinting them for the edification and enlightenment of readers. Even non-Masonic organizations find in many of these papers matter which can be used to advantage — such a Bulletin, for instance as “The Black Cube” preaches a broad vision of the secret ballot applicable to any organization.

With the thought that sixteen years of accomplishment deserves some special notice, and to make more easily available these papers (all but nine are in print and kept in stock in the Association’s headquarters in Washington) the little pamphlets are here classified.

Any classification system must have overlaps; a Bulletin on “Benjamin Franklin” (classified in About Individuals) might as properly be listed under Historical. “Masonic Offenses” could as easily be in Religion and Ethics as in the classification Body of the Craft. What is here attempted is less extreme accuracy in sorting the several titles, as a division of one hundred ninety-two papers into such groups that the seeker after some special class of material will find it easy to locate.

Many other headings might have been chosen besides the eight into which the complete set have been subdivided and the five in which the larger half has been separated. It is believed, however, that for purposes of quick location of special material dealing with the greater phases of Freemasonry, the simpler the classification, the more the ease of use.

All the hundred ninety-two, then, have been classified under these headings: About Individuals; Body of the Craft; Civic and Patriotic; Curiosities of Freemasonry; Historical; Inspiration and Charity; Religion and Ethics; Symbols and Symbolism. A smaller number have been reclassified for special purposes.

About Individuals

  1. Albert Gallatin Mackey
  2. Albert Pike
  3. Benjamin Franklin, Freemason
  4. Dedicating the Memorial
  5. Desauguliers
  6. Doolittle Pictures
  7. Facts for Speakers about Washington
  8. Goethe, Freemason
  9. Harding, Freemason
  10. Hiran Abif
  11. Lafayette
  12. Our Masonic Presidents
  13. Paul Revere
  14. Robert Burns
  15. Thomas Smith Webb
  16. Where was Lafayette Made a Mason?
  17. William Preston

Body of the Craft

  1. Ahiman Rezon
  2. Black Cube
  3. Candidate
  4. Clandestine
  5. Enlightening the Profane
  6. Foundations of Masonic Law
  7. Grand Lodge
  8. Grand Masters’ Powers
  9. Guardians of the Gate
  10. Honors from the Craft
  11. “I Vouch for Him”
  12. Increasing Lodge Attendance
  13. Jurisdictional Contrasts
  14. Laws of Masonry
  15. Letter Perfect
  16. Lewis and Loveateau
  17. Lodge
  18. Lodge and Grand Lodge Organization
  19. Lodge Courtesies
  20. Many Men, Many Minds
  21. Masonic Honors
  22. Masonic Offense
  23. Masonic World
  24. Mother Lodge
  25. Mummies
  26. Nine Questions
  27. Nine More Questions
  28. Old Order Changeth
  29. Past Master
  30. Perfect Youth Doctrine
  31. Petition
  32. Powers of the Master
  33. Refreshment
  34. Ritual Differences
  35. Secrecy
  36. Sugar Coating Masonic Education
  37. Summons
  38. Tell the World
  39. Unaffiliated
  40. Visiting Brother
  41. Well Balanced
  42. What Do You Know About Masonry?
  43. What’s in a Name?

Civic and Patriotic

  1. Constitution and Freemasonry
  2. Fourth of July
  3. Guns of ’76
  4. Mason as a Citizen
  5. Masonry and Politics
  6. Masonry and Publicity
  7. Masonry in Business
  8. Mason’s Flag
  9. Our Public Schools
  10. Red
  11. Reputation of the Fraternity

Curiosities of Freemasonry

  1. Making a Mason at Sight
  2. Masonic Goat
  3. Master’s Hat
  4. Menagerie of Masonry
  5. Woman Freemasons

Historical

  1. Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
  2. Baltimore Convention
  3. Book of Constitutions
  4. Charges of a Freemason
  5. Four Crowned Ones
  6. Free and Accepted
  7. From Whence Came We?
  8. Legend of the Lost Word
  9. Masonic Blue
  10. Masonic History Dry?
  11. Master’s Piece
  12. Military Lodges
  13. Morgan Affair
  14. Mother Grand Lodge, I, II, III
  15. National
  16. Old Romance
  17. St.Johns Days
  18. Seeing
  19. Service Association
  20. Seven Famous lodges
  21. Short Talk Bulletin
  22. Six Masonic War Tales
  23. Universality
  24. Valley Forge

Inspiration and Charity

  1. Charity
  2. Enemy Within
  3. Erring Brother
  4. Every Brother His Own Tiler
  5. "Foreign Countries”
  6. Future of Masonry
  7. Gifts of the Magi
  8. Good of the Order
  9. Great Cornerstone
  10. “Greatest of These”
  11. Inn of Year’s End
  12. Master’s Wages
  13. Power and the Glory
  14. Quo Vadis, Freemasonry?
  15. Roll Call
  16. Sound of the Gavel
  17. Spirit of Masonry
  18. Sublime
  19. Swaddling Clothes T.B.
  20. Three Things I Know
  21. United Masonic Relief
  22. What?
  23. What is Masonry?
  24. What Masonry Means
  25. Wonder of Masonry

Religion and Ethics

  1. Acacia Leaves and Easter Lilies
  2. Altar of Memory
  3. Cradle and the Lodge
  4. Faith, Progress, and Reward
  5. Freedom of Faith
  6. Freemasonry’s Answer to Job
  7. Holy Bible
  8. Masonry and Religion
  9. Masonry in the Great Light
  10. So Mote It Be
  11. Stupid Atheist
  12. Three Scripture Readings
  13. Thus Saith the Lord
  14. To Sympathise
  15. Truth

Symbols and Symbolism

  1. All-Seeing Eye
  2. Altar
  3. Ancient Square
  4. Apron
  5. Cabletow
  6. Compasses
  7. Corn, Wine, and Oil
  8. Corner-Stone
  9. Due Form
  10. Five Points
  11. Forty-Seventh Problem
  12. “G”
  13. Gavel of Authority
  14. Hour Glass and Scythe
  15. Lambskin Apron
  16. Language of the Heart
  17. Left to Right
  18. Lesser Lights
  19. Letter G
  20. Level and Plumb
  21. Masonic Geometry
  22. Mathematics
  23. More Light
  24. Northeast Corner
  25. Passages of Jordan
  26. Point Within A Circle
  27. Pot ofIncense
  28. Rite of Destitution
  29. Rite ofDiscalceation
  30. Rough and Perfect
  31. Ruffians
  32. Signs
  33. Sprig of Acacia
  34. Square
  35. Sun, Moon, and Stars
  36. Sword in the Craft
  37. Symbolism
  38. Three-Five-Seven
  39. Three Grand Columns
  40. Three Principal Rounds
  41. Thy Neighbor’s Landmark
  42. Time
  43. Tools
  44. Trestleboard and Tracing Board
  45. Truly Prepared
  46. Twenty-Four Inch Gauge
  47. Two Pillars
  48. Wardens
  49. Winding Stairs

For the benefit of those to whom a more specialized classification of a part of the whole number of Bulletins may be of value, the following is offered; Bulletins which may be used with an initiate or a petitioner prior to initiation; those which apply to the Entered Apprentice, the Fellowcraft and the Master Mason Degrees in particular, and Bulletins which may be especially useful to the Master Mason of some experience in the Craft.

Pre-Initiation Bulletins

  1. Candidates
  2. From Whence Came We?
  3. Guardians of the Gates
  4. Language of the Heart
  5. Lewis and Louveteau
  6. Perfect Youth Doctrine
  7. Petition
  8. Swaddling Clothes
  9. Symbolism
  10. Truly Prepared
  11. What is Masonry?
  12. What Masonry Means

Pertaining to the Entered Apprentice Degree

  1. Altar
  2. Apron
  3. Cabletow
  4. Charity
  5. Cornerstone
  6. Due Form
  7. Great Cornerstone
  8. “Greatest of These”
  9. Lambskin Apron
  10. Left to Right
  11. Lesser Lights
  12. Northeast Corner
  13. Point Within a Circle
  14. Rite of Destitution
  15. Rite ofDiscalceation
  16. Rough and Perfect
  17. St. John’s Days
  18. Secrecy
  19. Three Principal Rounds
  20. To Sympathize
  21. Truth
  22. Twenty-Four Inch Gauge

Pertaining to the Fellowcraft Degree

  1. Ancient Square
  2. Corn, Wine, and Oil
  3. Letter G
  4. Level and Plumb
  5. Masonic Geometry
  6. Passages of Jordan Square
  7. Three-Five-Seven
  8. Two Pillars
  9. Winding Stairs

Pertaining To The Master Mason Degree

  1. All-Seeing Eye
  2. Book of Constitutions
  3. Compasses
  4. Charges of a Freemason
  5. Erring Brother
  6. Five Points
  7. “Foreign Countries”
  8. Forty-Seventh Problem
  9. Freemasonry’s Answer to Job
  10. Hiram Abif
  11. Hour Glass and Scythe
  12. Legend of the Lost Word
  13. Masonic Goat
  14. Master’s Piece
  15. Master’s Wages
  16. More Light
  17. Pot of Incense
  18. Ruffians
  19. Sprig of Acacia
  20. Sublime
  21. Sun, Moon, and Stars
  22. Three Grand Columns
  23. Trestleboard and Tracing Board

For the Master Mason

  1. Black Cube
  2. Clandestine
  3. Doolittle Pictures
  4. Enlightening the Profane
  5. Every Brother His Own Tiler
  6. Free and Accepted
  7. Foundations of Masonic Law
  8. Future of Masonry
  9. Gavel of Authority
  10. Grand Lodge
  11. Grand Masters’ Powers
  12. Holy Bible
  13. Honors from the Craft
  14. “I Vouch for Him”
  15. Jurisdictional Contrasts
  16. Laws of Masonry
  17. Letter Perfect Lodge
  18. Lodge and Grand Lodge Organization
  19. Lodge Courtesies
  20. Mason as a Citizen
  21. Masonic Blue
  22. Masonic Honors
  23. Masonic Offense
  24. Masonry and Publicity
  25. Masonry in Business
  26. Masonry in the Great Light Master’s Hat
  27. Mathematics
  28. Menagerie of Masonry
  29. Mother Lodge
  30. National
  31. Past Master
  32. Powers of the Master
  33. Quo Vadis, Freemasonry?
  34. Refreshment
  35. Reputation of the Fraternity Ritual Differences
  36. Signs
  37. So Mote It Be
  38. Stupid Atheist
  39. Summons
  40. Sword in the Craft
  41. Tell the World
  42. Three Scripture Readings
  43. Thus Saith the Lord
  44. Thy Neighbor’s Landmark
  45. Time
  46. Tools
  47. Unaffiliated
  48. Universality
  49. Visiting Brother
  50. Wardens
  51. What Do You Know About Freemasonry?

Many other classifications could be made, of course, but these, it is believed, are sufficient to give an idea of the scope and intent of these monthly pamphlets, which have provided a maximum of Masonic knowledge in a minimum of space, inspired countless speakers, and generally carried Masonic light into dark places.

The Masonic Service Association of North America