Pocono Forest # 124
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Pocono Forest   # 124

 

Current Elected Forest Officers

                        Grand Tall Cedar……………………Mark A. Smith PM
                        Senior Deputy Grand Tall Cedar……Paul Reuda
                        Junior Deputy Grand Tall Cedar……Robert Masten
                        Scribe………………………………..Jason R. Smith PGTC
                        Treasurer…………………………….Robert D. Lambert PGTC
                       Trustees….David W. Manter PGTC 2016….Lloyd E. Manter PGTC 2015…. Ken Johns 2014

 
Current Appointed Forest Officers

Chaplain……………………………………..………………………Gilbert H.Janes 
Preceptor………………………………………..……………James R. Bush PGTC
Sentinel……………………………………...…………………………...Ken Johns


 
Living Past Grand Tall Cedars

Arlington “Bud” Martin………1969                Richard F. Smith…………....1993..1997

Dale A Greensweig………,,…...1979                Robert D. Lambert……….....1994..1999. 2000..2008..2010

Clark H. George…………,,,,……1981                Neil D. Fritz……………...…1995...1996

A.Ralph Horlbeck…,,……….…1984                William G. Adams……….....2002

Carl J. DeBoer……,,,,…………..1986                Robert l. Harvie…………..…2004, 2006

Ron Holden……,,,,,……………..1988                David W. Manter……….…...2011

James R. Bush…,,,,,..…………..1989                Lloyd E. “Pop” Manter……..2012

Leroy A. Storm…...…………,,..1992                Jason R. Smith………………2013                                                       

At this time we pause to pay respect to those Past Grand Tall Cedars whom God, in His infinite wisdom has seen fit to remove from our earthly Forest.

 

Clair M. Learn……....1939           Earl W. Rush……... …1940                  Ernest Younkin…..…1941

Leslie Drake…………1942            Donald A Robbins..... ..1943               Roland Townsend…. 1944

Harold Dennis….…....1945         Halford M. Risley … .. 1946                Daniel C. Hamill……1947

William Sheirer……...1948         Raymond VanWhy..... .1949              Clarence E. Seip…….1950

Edgar W. Vanwhy…..1951          Amzi F. Altemose….....1952                Edward Elsenberger...1953

Jacob S Kintz III…….1954          Joseph T Pierce…….....1955               Van D Yetter Jr……..1956

Stanley H Heller……..1957          George E Miller……...1958                  Roy E Lesoine…….  .1959

Edward A Weber…….1960          Stanley R Melvin…….1961                  Clarence Strunk… ….1962

William Miller……….1963            Elwood Smith………..1964                   James H. Albert Jr… .1965

Russell C. Young...…..1966          James A. Gould……...1967                  Stanley G Bender… ..1968

William J Bolcar….….1970          William Baumgartner..1971               Henry G Scheib…… .1972

Alexander J Bunn…....1973         Arne P Albertson...…..1974               Robert Nesbit…...…..1975

Wesley L Dotter….….1976          Frank G Wacker……...1977                Frank Longenbach.....1978

Martin Reiss……....…1980           Samuel Wallace……...1982                  Charles Heller………1983

George Prosser……....1985          Robert B Smith………1987                  Dave Crane………....1990, 2009

Ellis F Reibel………..1991              Thomas B. Neyhart…..2001              James Harvie Jr……..2003

Elwood G. Stockton...2006                                       

Supreme Forest web site     http://www.tallcedars.org/
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Meetings  are first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 pm
at the Rimrock Masonic Center
2720 Rimrock Drive, Stroudsburg, PA 18360


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TALL CEDAR'S HISTORY
Whence Came We ?
 
Written by the late J. Eward Bullen, Past Grand Tall Cedar
Baltimore no.
  45,
Supreme Historian 1970-1975.



      Before going into the history of Tall Cedarism. I would like to quote the Preamble of our Constitution, which is not only adequate, but sometimes fills a need for those men who are our brothers through the great Masonic fraternity in 
which we progressed from the apprentice, fellow craft, and Master Mason Degrees.
     It is to promote wider acquaintances and friendship among men already bound together by fraternal vows: To perpetuate itself as a fraternal and social organization, and to provide for its orderly government, "In the good book it states." in the beginning. And thus it is with the Tall Cedars of Lebanon-there was a beginning, just how and where is a moot question and a lot of it is conjecture, but some facts do come out of the wood (Cedar wood, i.e..).
     Apparently it all started in 1843 with some very energetic and imaginative Master Masons who dreamed up the idea of a Tall Cedar Degree, and in those day the degree was called "The Ancient and Honorable Rite of Humility." The name "Tall Cedar Degree" does not reveal itself other than the possibility of a somewhat shorter title than the aforementioned, and this was to remain as such until we adopted the title of "Tall Cedars of Lebanon of the United States of 
America" upon incorporation in 1902.
     It was some time around 1846, after the meetings of the Grand Lodge and some of the Blue Lodges in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area that they would have the Tall Cedar Degree performed., and from what I can gather, it was a form of 
hazing in which the candidates for the degree were gotten from those willing to receive it, and it was put on by those who had already received the degree.
     However, there was a great lapse of time and nothing was heard about this degree  until the early 1850's when a Dr. Thomas J. Corson from the New Jersey area  started conferring the degree as he had received it in Philadelphia. 
     As you well know, around that time your only means of travel was the horse and buggy, and the train, so this degree was not performed often, but rest assure, whenever they had a good gathering of Master Masons, the Tall Cedar Degree was put on. It was always so much clean fun to see someone get the works,  even as it is today. 
    Some "Old Timer" spoke of a jury of men being housed in the  hotel in a town in New Jersey, that heard the Tall Cedar Degree was to be  performed. The Deputy Sheriff being a Mason took those that were also Masons to  see it performed and after it was over brought them back to the hotel. It must  have been really something to go to all that trouble. 
    Upon the death of Dr. Corson in 1879 the Tall Cedar Degree was continued by Dr. Stevens , who organized the first regular degree team and went to several cities and towns throughout the New Jersey area performing the work it seems that Glassboro, New Jersey, was the focal point for the performance of the Tall Cedars Degree, for whenever that had enough candidates the work was put on.
    In 1887 Dr. Stevens and his degree team came to the town and conferred the degree on Frank W. Bowen and Orlando M. Bowen, and thirteen other candidates. I mention the names of these brethren because they were part of the charter group that formed the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. Even today, The Pitman Masonic Club in Pitman, New Jersey is where the 34th degree is performed, and perhaps is the aftermath of the Tall Cedar Degree. In similar manner as the 34th degree is now conferred, at Pitman Masonic Club on May 24, 1901 , fifty four Master masons who had received the Tall Cedar Degree met in Glassboro, New Jersey, to watch and confer the degree on 53 candidates from Glassboro, Clayton, Willimstown, Manuta, Woodbury and Philadelphia, with the following as officers. They were Grand Mogul Frank W. Bowen, Vice-Mogul Jacob Bibo, Treasurer, T.C. Allen, Secretary, Dr. F.A. Stanger, Conductor, S. Stanger Iszard, Assistant Conductor Charles W. Wood, Inside Announcer W.H. Jones, Outside Announcer B.T. Ferrell, Preparer of the Forest Bresier Westcoat, Jr., Chaplain - Rev. John H. Algar.
    I mentioned above officer's titles to give you an idea of what comprised the Tall Cedar Degree Team. It seems that the library of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has a manuscript in its archives written in 1864 by Brother William  H. Adams, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge, recording the secret work, and a  description of the degree. Four Master Masons who received the Tall Cedar Degree later became Supreme Tall Cedars, They were Frank W. Bowen, and Orlando M. Bowen in 1887, David H. Lukens in 1888, and Johns S. Broughton in 1889. The above brethren along with several others (fifteen in all, charter members of our organization) assembled in the State Capitol of New Jersey, in the City of Trenton, on March 18, 1902 for the purpose of establishing a fraternal order to be known as the Tall Cedars  of Lebanon of America for fun, frolic, and fellowship. These brethren felt that  since this form of friendship and sociability occurred so infrequently and had  little form, that by incorporating they could eliminate the haphazard,  disorganized methods of conferring the Tall cedar Degree and thus stabilize and  preserve a worthwhile ceremony.
    I honestly believe that in the Prologue and Royal Court we have one of the most beautiful ritualistic works and we are indeed thankful to Rev. George S. Gassner who was instrumental in making up the ritual. It comes directly from
the  first book of Kings Chapter 5 verses 1 though 10, and the second book of Chronicles, Chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. Of the two passages, the first book ofKings, Chapter 5 is more specific. It revolves around the building of the Temple  of Jerusalem, and that King Solomon had to rely in the help of King Hiram of  Tyre who send his Hewers of Wood into the forest of Lebanon to strike down and  shape all the tall cedars for use in the Temple thus the Tall Cedars of Lebanon  have a biblical background and performance of the Tall Cedar Degree in the Blue  Lodges at the conclusion of their meetings brings us closer to our
Masonic  forbearance.
     Thus, from March 18, 1902 to 1971, we are known as the Tall Cedars of Lebanon of the United States of America. However, on November 13 1971 in our 70th year of existence we instituted a Forest in Canada, and became known as the Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America. While our strength of membership lies in the  eastern section of the United States were are slowly expanding westward.
     All down through the years the Tall Cedars of Lebanon had in one way or another, on occasion contributed to worthy causes, However they really became of age when they decided that "no organization could continue to prosper unless it 
had a definite uplifting objective for the benefit of humanity." These were the remarks of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Harry Campbell of Washington, DC in 1933.
     After years of investigation and research in 1951 they found not only a worthy cause but one which desperately needed support, muscular dystrophy. Up until 1972 we supported the Metabolism Unity on the tenth floor of the Research Center in New York City through our Contributions and Life Fund Memberships in the National Charitable Objective.
     When the Metabolism Unity of the Research Center was closed in 1972 theSupreme Forest was advised that the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America were going to submit monies in the form of research grants to various universities and colleges in the search and cure for muscular dystrophy, and they would welcome our support in this endeavor. 
    It was decided that the Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America would become a part of this project with the Jerry Lewis Tall Cedar Day Camp in the summertime. Thus while one aspect of our National Charitable Objective fades away another one come into the forefront with the possible finding of a cure for  the dreaded disease through the project and to provide for a little bit of fun  for these children in the summertime.
    Before I close I would like to leave this thought with you. Should you meet a Cedar wearing a pyramid upon his head, greet him for he is always glad to extend  to you the hand of friendship for he carries in his heart compassion,
friendship  and love for his fellow man - that is why he is a Tall Cedar. 
 


 
 


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