"Successful ... exciting ... enlightening ... history-making" all describe the successful inaugural three sessions of the Pennsylvania Academy of Freemasonry presented Saturday, Mar. 11 in Elizabethtown. The three tracks of the Academy were the School for Ritual, Seminar for Wardens, and the Academy of Masonic Knowledge. At each of the well attended sessions, Robert L. Dluge, Jr., R.W. Grand Master, congratulated the brethren for their personal desire to increase their Masonic knowledge and told them that this day would be a memorable experience for them and a historic moment in the vitality of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania and around the world.

Academy of Masonic Knowledge - One hundred and eighty brethren participated in the Academy of Masonic Knowledge held in the large meeting room of the Masonic Conference Center on the Patton Campus. This track of the Pennsylvania Academy of Freemasonry has been designed to present a learning opportunity for those Pennsylvania Freemasons interested in the Fraternity's origin, purposes, accomplishments, and reasons for being.

The featured keynote speaker was John Hamill, Director of Communication for the United Grand Lodge of England and renowned throughout the Masonic world as an author and scholar. He described the past and current relationships and problems of the Craft with the leaders of both church and government. Dr. Russell F. Weigley, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Temple University, military historian and author, gave the afternoon address focusing on the "Age of Enlightenment" and its influence on Masonic leaders in the formation of the American governmental system. Following each address a question and answer session was held.

Thomas W. Jackson, R.W. Past Grand Secretary and Chairman of the Academy, announced that a "Home Study Guide" is being developed by the committee. Future Academy meetings will follow the highly successful format of this session with other prominent Masonic scholars addressing the brethren. Additional information will be included in forthcoming issues of The Pennsylvania Freemason.

Seminar for Wardens - Nearly 300 Masonic officers participated in lively sessions on lodge leadership, planning, and programming in the Seminar for Wardens. The senior and junior wardens gained a solid base for their year's programs when they become worshipful masters.

The presentations began by discussing "Values of Masonry," goals of the lodge, and roles of the officers and continued with suggestions for organizing the talent in a lodge and planning programs for the year as the master. There was a segment listing and defining the operations of the required and optional committees of a lodge and another relative to working with the lodge secretary. A section on protocol gave guidelines for arranging and conducting various functions, such as a visit by the Grand Master and Grand Lodge, and the requirements and contents for a lodge notice. The presenters were the members of the committee that arranged the seminar: Edward O. Weisser, R.W.P.G.M. and Chairman; Ronald A. Aungst, Sr., R.W.J.G.W.; Stephen Gardner, P.D.D.G.M.; Jay W. Smith, P.D.D.G.M.; and William A. Wetterau, P.M. Due to an illness of Dr. Elvin G. Warfel, member of the committee, Bro. Weisser presented topics that were to be delivered by him.

Chairman Weisser said that evaluations related in various terms that this training was "superior to anything they had attended before." It was virtually unanimous that the seven-hour session passed too quickly. Bro. Weisser was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm among the large number of younger wardens.

School For Ritual - One hundred and forty brethren from lodges in 37 districts representing all seven Masonic regions of the state attended the School for Ritual in the Abraham C. Treichler lodge room at the Masonic Homes to witness the exemplification of the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft Mason's degrees and the procedures for conducting the business of the lodge.

The business of the lodge and the Entered Apprentice Mason's Degree were exemplified by Regional Instruc-tors, Principals and Senior Instructors of the Schools of Instruction. Serving as Worshipful Master for the exemplification of the business of the lodge was Evan Jones and for the Entered Apprentice Mason's degree, Scott Buck. The Fellow Craft Mason's degree was exemplified by a team of brethren from the 8th Masonic District, with Ralph E. Wagner serving as the Master.

Larry A. Buzzard, Director of Ritualistic Work, said, "The exemplifications were performed as nearly perfect as possible and the brethren who participated are to be commended for their excellence. The seminar demonstrated that through teamwork and understanding of the ritual, brethren from all over the state can come together and exemplify it in an excellent manner. It was a fine day of ritual and fellowship."

The second meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Freemasonry will be on Oct. 14.