The Royal Arch - What's the Point?

The Royal Arch - What's the Point?

In the summer of 2000, at the Imperial Grand Sessions of the Shrine,the Shrine, by majority vote of all delegates present, changed the qualifications required for entrance to the Shrine, an action that was well within their power and prerogative. The earliest mention of the Shrine comes in 1870, when two prominent New York Freemasons started thinking about organizing a new "Order" for a group of friends who were all senior Masons. The first Shrine Temple was organized in 1872.From the earliest days of the Shrine, the requirement for admission to the Shrine was that a man must hold either the degrees and orders of the Royal Arch Chapter and the Christian Orders of the Preceptories or Commanderies of the Knights Templar, or that he must hold the 32° of the Scottish Rite. The requirements for entry to the Shrine are now only that a man be a Master Mason in good standing in his Grand Lodge.

There has been much negative discussion on the effect this move will have upon the memberships of the Knights Templar and the Holy Royal Arch. Across North America, Brethren of good conscience have been questioning the propriety of the move by the Shrine, and also,prophesying the death of the "Concordant Bodies".

While I think it is perhaps hyperbolic to speak of the change by the Shrine as "ushering in the death of the Concordant Bodies", I do think it is time for all of the Concordants to take a serious look at themselves, to see if they are meeting the needs of their members, or indeed, if they are meeting the needs of Freemasonry.

I believe it is important to recognize two things in regard to this matter. First, the Holy Royal Arch was a popular and well-known part of Masonry long before the Shrine was conceived. Secondly, the Shrine will continue to raise money to fund their 22 hospitals, regardless of the degree of Masonic affiliation they require. That being the case,let's take a look at the Holy Royal Arch, and think for a bit about what it means, and teaches.

Freemasonry has been facing a worldwide decline in membership for the past forty years. Our numbers peaked, here in Nova Scotia, in the late1940's, and we have been in decline since then. Our experience mirrors the results seen in jurisdiction after jurisdiction, around the world.The "good men" of today have much more choice in terms of what they can do with their spare time than was the case 50 or 100 years ago. Infact, the amount of "spare time" is not greater than it was in the past. There are more and more demands on the time and resources of people, and there are more and more places to spend that time and those resources. Churches have also been affected by declining numbers. We are not alone in our concern over membership.

Let's take a very quick look at some very rough statistics. Out of one hundred petitioners to Freemasonry, we seldom see more than twenty of those Brethren, on any kind of basis, following the Degrees. Of that twenty percent, we are usually looking at an average of half of themas being "regular attenders", the backbone of Freemasonry. That is only ten percent, Companions, of all the Petitioners we bring in to the Lodge; is it any wonder that numbers are dropping? Extend that trend to the Concordant Bodies, Companions. How does it fit?

With the pace of modern society, with the wealth of "other attractions" available, with the increasing demands of family and employment and society, I think it is inevitable that overall numbers will decline. Chapters will return Charters. Preceptories will close.Lodges will surrender their Warrants. There is no question it willh appen. The only question is how long will it go on. I have seen predictions that we will no longer exist within twenty years.

My feeling, Companions, is that we will exist in twenty years; we will continue to seek out good men who can benefit from our teachings; we will continue to teach our lessons, and people will continue to learn from us. But things will be different.

The earliest mention of the Royal Arch as a separate ceremony is recorded in a newspaper clipping from about 1740. The Sublime Order of the Holy Royal Arch has been conferred on qualified Brethren here in Nova Scotia since at least 1780. The earliest record of the Mark Master Mason Degree is in 1756, in a set of By-Laws found attached to a copy of Anderson's Constitutions of 1723, in the Library of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham, and the Degree has been performed here in Nova Scotia since 1782.

The traditional history of the Royal Arch suggests a French origin for the degree. In its earliest versions, the Arch in question was the Arch of Enoch, taking the Degree to a much older Biblical period. The Royal Arch in Ireland is still based on the Enochian story. Our Archis in the Second Temple, the one built by the Jews returning from the Babylonian Captivity. This Temple is the one that existed when the Romans occupied Judea.

The story of the Royal Arch is sometimes believed to have been imported from the Middle East by the Knights Templar (the original ones, not the Masonic Knights Templar of today), and sometimes it is told that it stems from the sixteenth century, although still associated with Templar Masonry. Dr. George Oliver, the Masonic writer, wrote "There exists sufficient evidence to fix the era of its introduction to a period which is coeval with the memorable English Masons about the middle of the eighteenth century".The late Bro. D. Murray Lyon was of the opinion that the Degree was fabricated on the Continent between 1735 and 1740. Bro. Robert F. Gould says that, in England, "the Degree was certainly worked from about the year 1740, and presumably from an earlier date".

It is spoken of, at this date, as being a Degree which was restricted to Past Masters; that ancient provision eventually having given rise to the Degree which we now know in the Chapter as "Past Master,Virtual" to mark it from the "Installed Master" ceremonial. From its earliest time, the Holy Royal Arch was considered something that had to be achieved, not just given to all and sundry. It is often statedthat the Degree is the "completion of the Master Mason Degree",because it is in this Degree that the Lost Secrets of Freemasonry are again discovered.

The Royal Arch Chapter thus has its own reasons for existence, reasons that have little if anything to do with the membership requirements of another Concordant Body.

Has the structure of the Degree changed in significant detail from the form conferred in the late eighteenth century? Certainly, in someplaces it has changed. Yet, the Degree still teaches the same lessons,of humility, of continuity, of struggle, and of eventual victory inthe struggle. Those lessons remain as valuable today as they were in the 1700's.

Once, being a Mason was a very special thing. Only special men, who looked on our teachings as valuable in their daily lives, were accepted through our doors. Over a long period of time, we tried to expand the influence of Masonic teachings, to spread our ways wider and wider, and we eventually began to accept petitions from men who had no intention of working in the Lodge, or the Chapter, or Preceptory. We all know at least one "ring knocker", a man who has taken the Degrees, but never attends Lodge, the fellow who always has an excuse for not attending, but always wears his ring anyway. I do not suggest that we did anything improper, Companions; that is not my point. But, such men are included in the numbers that are now declining. It is unfortunate that we are unable to always reach the hearts of the Petitioners to Masonry; the hearts we DO reach are the important ones.

The change in membership requirement for the Shrine will have an effect on the Concordant Bodies. If we are watchful, we will see some of the ninety percent who never intended to work in the Chapter,becoming aware of the fact that their Masonic Educations are not complete. Some of those will come to the Chapter, later. This is aproven effect, Companions, as seen by several of the Shrine Temples that had been doing the same thing by dispensation for years. In theme an time, the Chapters have an opportunity, and that opportunity is to take the ten percent and educate them, work with them so that their understanding of the lessons of the Royal Arch will sustain them, keep them interested, and encourage them to continue working to improve themselves. We have an opportunity to prove that the Chapter is needed in modern Freemasonry. We have a chance to show that we, here, are the ten percent who can always be counted upon.

The Holy Royal Arch occupies a special position in Masonry,Companions. Only in the Degrees of the Chapter are we given the responsibility to teach, by example, the lessons of life that we learn as Masons. It is our Obligation to ensure those lessons are not lost to future generations, as the "Genuine Secrets of a Master Mason" are lost to the Brethren in the Craft Lodges. Be a "Ten Percenter".

J. Douglas Welsh, PHPGrand Historian District Grand Lecturer

Delivered by J. Douglas WelshDistrict # 1 "Field Day"Sept. 22, 2001Copyright©2001 J. Douglas Welsh. All rights reserved

Note: Anyone wishing to use this lecture has the permission ofR.Ex.Comp. J. Douglas Welsh to use it but credit must be given to The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Nova Scotia for it's use.

(From
http://www.grandchapterram.org/lecture3.html )

Our Relations with the Knights of Columbus

STB-MR74

OUR RELATIONS with

THE KNIGHTS of COLUMBUS

This Short Talk is an address given by Worshipful Brother C. C. (Buddy) Faulkner to more than a thousand Masons assembled in Murat Temple, Indianapolis, Indiana, for the January 12, 1974 Founders' Day Communication of the Grand Lodge of Indiana. Brother Faulkner is a Past Master of Mystic Tie Lodge No. 398, Indianapolis, and is well known as the former Executive Secretary of the Indiana DeMolay Foundation and former Assistant Grand Secretary of Indiana. His gracious permission to publish his address in this form is sincerely appreciated.

The subject of my remarks today--"Our Relations with the Knights of Columbus"-- was assigned to me some months ago by Right Worshipful Brother Frank J. Krug, Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Indiana. Although his letter of invitation to me to accept the responsibility for presenting this subject to you contained no guidelines, the fact that the topic is being discussed during this mid-year meeting of the members of the Grand Lodge is significant.

Significant in that it means to us that the former relationship that existed for many years --nearly a century--now is evolving into one that is new and different and exciting, and that the leadership of our Fraternity in Indiana considers that new relationship to be not only note-worthy, but important.

By comparison with Freemasonry, the Knights of Columbus as an organization is, relatively speaking, a "youngster," only 92 years of age. When it was founded in 1882 by Michael J. McGivney, a Roman Catholic Priest, one of its principal purposes was that of providing insurance benefits to Catholic families. The organization has enjoyed an increasing membership through the years, and today the Knights of Columbus is international in scope, numerically about 1,200,000 members strong, with local groups called "Councils" in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Panama Canal Zone, Guam and Guatemala. To my knowledge, the organization is not in existence on the European continent, nor in Asia, Africa, Australia or Greenland.

The mission and purposes of the Knights of Columbus are to provide financial aid to members and their beneficiaries; to help its disabled and sick members; and to foster participation by its members in religious, social welfare, and charitable projects.

Membership in the Order is limited strictly to practicing Roman Catholics 18 years of age and older. Solicitation of new members among the eligible not only is permissible, but is encouraged. A unanimous ballot is not required.

Displaying an awareness of the importance of training young people, the Knights of Columbus sponsors and operates, as a part of its permanent and on-going program, the "Columbian Squires," an organization for Roman Catholic boys between the ages of 13 and 18 years.

Each local K. of C. Council is governed by its chosen officers. The presiding officer is known as the Grand Knight, who is assisted and supported by a corps of officers in a progressive line. This state organization is known as a State Council, presided over by a State Deputy. Internationally, the Knights of Columbus is governed by a Supreme Council, presided over by the Supreme Knight.

Through the years since the Knights of Columbus was formed in New Haven, Connecticut (the International Headquarters is located there), its relationship with Freemasonry has paralleled the Roman Catholic Church's relationship with Freemasonry, for reasons that are obvious.

Therein lies at least a part of the background against which we view the contrasting and refreshing changes that began recently to occur. And so, for the purposes of better understanding where we are now, and why the changing relationship between the Knights of Columbus and Freemasonry is something to talk about, let us consider the following facts on a purely historical basis and for no other purpose.

The Roman Catholic Church many, many centuries ago patterned its form of Church government after the form of government of the Roman Empire. For nearly a thousand years before its first pronouncement against Freemasonry, the Church had disapproved of the various trades and professions and guilds that were organized outside the framework of the Roman Church. Such groups (and among them were the operative Masons) were organized for their own purposes and without control from the outside, but their members were members of the Roman Church.

In April, 1738, Pope Clement XII issued a prohibition against Freemasonry. He placed on the document the customary seal composed of a blob of lead, called a "bulla," which explains the origin of the term "Bull," by which the prohibitions have been called. From 1738 until several years ago, the Roman Church prohibited its members from belonging to organizations considered by the Church to be secret societies or free associations. That prohibition extended to include a number of organizations, and specifically included Freemasonry. Indeed, there have been no less than eight Papal "Bulls" issued against Freemasonry, together with nine Papal Encyclicals on the same subject. The most recent "Bull" was proclaimed in 1884, two years after the founding of the Knights of Columbus in the United States. Four of the Encyclicals were issued during and after 1882, the most recent being in 1890. Those pronouncements from the seat of power in the Roman Church had a long-term influence over relationships between the Knights of Columbus and Freemasonry. lt is significant--and every Mason ought to know this--that in spite of the outright tension that existed during those years of separation, there has never been, and there is not now, in the philosophy and attitude, or in the ritual of Symbolic Freemasonry, even the slightest hostility toward the Catholic Church or to any of its members, or to any of its organizations, including the Knights of Columbus. From its beginnings in the Middle Ages, it has been a landmark of Ancient Craft Masonry to forbid Lodges and Masons from interfering with churches, governments, and other organizations and societies, to discuss their affairs, or to act officially concerning them. Freemasonry for that reason never has been in controversy with the Roman Church, nor has the Craft taken official recognition of any of the pronouncements against it by any Church or anyone else.

Up to the time of the Protestant Reformation, which had its beginnings in 1517, Operative Masons in Europe were under the patronage of the Church and State, and were of the Roman Catholic religion. And so, prominent in the mosaic of our fraternity's beginnings, the Craft has had many ancient ties with the Roman Church. In our Ancient Charges, under the first general heading, "Concerning God and Religion," we read: ". . . in ancient times Masons were charged in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was...."

Notwithstanding the events that I have just recalled for you from the pages of history, there are now, and there have been through the years, members of the Roman Church who have been raised to Freemasonry's Sublime Degree, both in Indiana and in other jurisdictions in this nation and around the world. The late Rudyard Kipling, Freemason, reminiscing about the brotherhood and fellowship in his Mother Lodge in India, poetized one such reference:

"We'd Bola Nath, accountant An' Saul the Aden Jew, An Din Mahammed, draughtsman of the Survey Office, too: There was Babu Chuckerbutty, An' Arnir Singh the Sikh,

An' Castro from the fittin'-sheds, The Roman Catholik."

Freemasonry never brands or compliments (and never will) a man for his sectarian religious views. It has insisted that a man have a firm belief and trust in a Supreme Being; and it has established certain criteria for membership in the Fraternity, including age, residence, being freeborn, and of good character. And that is all. Coming thus "well qualified," any man, including members of the Knights of Columbus, have been free to seek a relationship with us, within our fraternity.

Does it not logically follow, then, that if we can be friends with a man once he has become a part of our mystic circle, we should be able to become friends with him outside our fellowship?

In recent years, both in Indiana and in other parts of the nation, we have been pleased to see a relaxing of the Roman Church's restraint, and a ripening friendship between our Craft and the Knights of Columbus. Lodges have entertained Knights and their ladies; Knights and their ladies have reciprocated, and in many instances have been the ones to make the first gesture of friendship. The resulting gatherings have been aimed toward havingpleasant associations socially, concentrating on the similarities between the two organizations, forgetting about matters on which we do not agree.

And there are indeed many similarities: in our system of three degrees; in our efforts to help, aid, and assist our less fortunate members; in our aims to improve the community through the improvement of the individual member; in our active sponsorship of well-rounded and wholesome activities for the youth who come under the sphere of our influence. All those things are points of agreement on which we place emphasis during our social gatherings with our K. of C. friends.

Even the official publication of our Grand Lodge, The Indiana Freemason, has, on occasion, published articles written by leaders and spokesmen of the Roman Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. Always, those articles have been not only complimentary to Freemasonry, but have expressed pleasure at the bridge of friendship that is being built so carefully between our two organizations.

Several times each year, officers and leaders of our Grand Lodge meet together with leaders and representatives of the Indiana State Council of the Knights of Columbus, for an evening of social fellowship, and to explore new avenues of cooperation in our mutual interests and pursuits. As a token of friendship, each organization has contributed modestly to the other's foremost charity, they to our Indiana Masonic Home at Franklin, and we to their Gibault Home for Boys near Terre Haute.

Across the length and breadth of our state, and at many intermediate points in between, Lodges and Councils have extended to each other the arm of friendship in many ways. Hopefully, this new friendship and relationship will grow deeper and more meaningful to all of us in the months and years to come.

Let it be said emphatically that our joint meetings contain no effort or attempt, overt or otherwise, to solicit members or to have any joint venture but those of purely social intent, whereby we become better acquainted with each other's philosophies and views, aims, and purposes.

And so I am pleased to report to you that the status of our relations with the Knights of Columbus is good. Notwithstanding the events of history, there is no reason for our relationship to be other than good, or less than good. If you and your Lodge have not experienced the pleasure that comes from making new friends in your community, then perhaps you will want to give that ecumenical spirit a try, provided the members of your respective Lodges will give you their unqualified and enthusiastic support. I caution you that the support of your Lodge is important. If, after discreet exploration you find that kind of support, extend the invitation for a friendly relationship, or respond favorably to an invitation if it is extended to you and your Lodge.

In closing, let me say that as a man and a Freemason, I claim no credit for the achievements of my forebears, nor any blame for their failures and defeats. I claim them all as a part of my heritage, and accept my obligation and responsibility to meet, as best I know how, the challenges that are mine today. The victories and failures of past generations give me insight and inspiration, and help me to chart my course. I believe that ought to be the dominating philosophy of all well-intentioned Knights and Masons as they seek to foster a friendship with each other.

I want to leave with you these thoughts about the refreshing but gentle ecumenical breezes that move about us today. One thought is about the value of our Craft's firm stand not to become embroiled in controversy. You will recall an admonition in our ceremonies, "Neither are you to suffer your zeal for the Institution to lead you into argument with those who may ridicule it." The blows of many sledge hammers have beat upon the anvil of Freemasonry in the centuries that have gone. The anvil is unharmed. The hammers have worn. Our ancient charges, like gold, have withstood the acid of time.

I believe too that the new friendship that we find among our brethren of the Knights of Columbus is a culmination or fruition of Freemasonry's firm and time-tested belief in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man--the brotherhood of ALL men.

During the last decade, man has extended his reach and has touched the very surface of the Moon. If men can do that, then I believe that men ought to be able and willing to extend the arm of brotherhood to a neighbor. If men cannot do that, then we might well be parties to the greatest tragedy in the history of the human race.

So, if Freemasonry is something that you and I are serious about, if it is inextricably a part of our personal character and life-style, and not merely words on our lips, then these new changes and friendships bode well for the cause of peace and brotherhood among men of good will.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Barberton York Rite News is closing

I will no longer publish the Barberton YorkRite News . Too many different veiws in play.


The KeyStone Reporter

*Murphy's Lesser Known Laws*

1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people "appear"brightuntil you hear them speak.

2. Change is inevitable-- except from a vending machine.

3. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

4. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

5. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting somethingright, there's a 90% probability that you'll get it wrong.

6. If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them, on a hill, in the fog.

7. The things that come to those who wait will be the scraggly junk left by those who got there first.

8. The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.

9. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

10. When going to court, you are putting yourself in the hands of twelvepeople who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

How to Tell the Sex of a Fly

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter

'What are you doing?' She asked.

'Hunting Flies' He responded.

'Oh ! Killing any?' She asked.

'Yep, 3 males, 2 Females,' he replied.

Intrigued, she asked. 'How can you tell them apart?'

He responded, '3 were on a beer can,2 were on the phone."

The 5-Minute Management Course

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob, the next-door neighbor,' she replies.'Great!' the husband says. 'Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?' Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:

A priest offered a nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'The priest apologized, 'Sorry, Sister, but the flesh is weak.'Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.' Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, opportunities for advancement will pass right by you.

Lesson 3:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.''Me first! Me first!' says the Admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.' Puff! She's gone. 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.' Puff! He's gone. 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4:

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?' The eagle answered, 'Sure , why not.'So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5:

A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. 'They're packed with nutrients.' The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree. Moral of the story: Bull shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 6:

A little bird was flying south for the Winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and shit on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!


THIS CONCLUDES THE 5-MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

"Recieved by a E-mail"

Very Interesting Subject -

Subject: Jesus folded the napkin

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table wipe his fingers and mouth with that napkin and toss it on to the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done.' But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, 'I'm not finished yet.' The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

IF YOU BELEIVE HE IS COMING BACK - PASS IT ON, I DID!

"Recieved by a E-mail"