Valley-Hi Masonic Lodge #1407 - Event Page

09/27/2026

MWGM Rumsey’s selfie from his visit to Valley-Hi Lodge #1407

09/26/2026

Would like to take a minute to shout out to my Mom, BJ Lancaster, who is herself a member of the Ladies of the Shrine & Social Order of the Beauceant.

Valley-Hi Masonic Lodge #1407 hosted its 2nd annual reception for DDGM, RW Chase Parsons and a visit from the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Jim Rumsey of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas.

Mom got up at 4am this morning to get things ready to take to lodge, then go to lodge with me and then prepared a Buttermilk Biscuits & Country Gravy and Sausage breakfast with a fantastic Fruit Salad as a side for a very large gathering of Master Mason’s.

Our lodge and visiting Brethren are deeply appreciative of her taking care of our breakfast needs on this most special occasion.

Thank you Mom, I love you

Pics Mom & MWGM Rumsey and mom and me.

09/26/2026

Was a huge honor

🔎🎉 THE GRAND MASTER'S 8TH SURPRISE VISIT IS IN THE BOOKS! 🎉🔎

Another clue solved, another Lodge revealed!

On Saturday, September 26th, M∴W∴ Grand Master Jim Rumsey made his 8th Surprise Lodge Visit, this time stopping in Somerset, Texas, near San Antonio, to visit the Brethren of Valley-Hi Masonic Lodge No. 1407 A.F. & A.M.! 🏛️

A big Texas-sized THANK YOU to the Brethren of Valley-Hi Lodge for the warm welcome, wonderful hospitality, and great fellowship extended to our Grand Master!

Eight visits down, and the journey continues! Where will M∴W∴ Rumsey show up next? 👀

📰 KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT CLUE!

Every Monday morning in the Grand Lodge Gazette!

🔎 ONE CLUE.
🏛️ ONE LODGE.
🚗 ONE SURPRISE VISIT.
⭐ EVERY WEEK.

Think you've got what it takes to solve the next one? Put those detective skills to work, Brethren! 🕵️‍♂️

09/26/2026

This morning, Valley-Hi Lodge #1407 had the pleasure of welcoming our District Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Chase Parsons (District 39A), for his second official visit.

We were also granted the singular honor and privilege of a surprise visit from Most Worshipful Grand Master Jim Rumsey, along with Right Worshipful DDGMs Chris Galloway (39C), Socrates Garza (42), Garrett Ethridge (51), and Don Jorge Santana (53).

I want to share a brief, sincere observation regarding our Grand Master—not as flattery, but as an objective reflection. Having had the pleasure of meeting MWGM Rumsey on several occasions, I am continually convinced that he is truly a "Mason’s Mason." As a former U.S. Army Sergeant, I can honestly say he is a leader who steps to the front and says, "Follow me"—guiding us not into battle, but in our shared effort to advance the Craft.

There is no pretension or hidden agenda with Most Worshipful Rumsey. He speaks with profound purpose and genuinely strives to meet every Brother on the level. His commitment to visiting local lodges weekly for the remainder of his tenure sets a remarkable standard for leadership—one I hope and pray Right Worshipful Justin Duty embraces when he assumes the Grand East next year.

To Most Worshipful Rumsey, thank you, Sir, for taking the time to visit our humble lodge. And to all the Right Worshipful DDGMs in attendance, thank you for supporting our Grand Master and spending your morning with us at Valley-Hi.

Valley Hi Brethren would also like to thank my mom, BJ Lancaster for taking time out of her morning to prepare a Buttermilk Biscuit and Country Gravy & Sausage and fruit salad side.

Bro Michael B Smith SW
Valley-Hi Masonic Lodge #1407

08/23/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Valley-Hi Lodge #1407 officially meets at Somerset Lodge #1205, offering Men a Daylight Lodge option in SW Bexar County and surrounding areas of SE Medina & NW Atascosa counties.

08/22/2026

Valley-Hi #1407 first stated at our new home at Somerset Lodge #1205 in Somerset Tx.

07/26/2026

“Stepping Beyond Belief: Building the Temple of the Soul”
7/26/2026
By Bro. Michael B. Smith

When we stand in the East, West, or South and contemplate the sacred precepts of our Order, our eyes are naturally drawn to the ladder that spans the distance between earth and heaven—that grand ascent supported by three principal
rounds: Faith, Hope, and Charity.

We often speak of these theological virtues as the core pillars of a Mason's journey. But before we can climb this ladder, we must strip away the world’s misunderstandings and examine what each round truly demands of us.

THE NATURE OF FAITH

To begin our ascent, we must ask: What is Faith? I can tell you first what Faith is not.

Faith is not passive intellectual agreement, nor is it blind credulity.

It is not simply reciting a creed, nodding along to ancient dogmas, or holding static opinions in the quiet comfort of your mind.

It is not sitting back and waiting for the Great Architect to move without lifting a finger
yourself, nor is it closing your eyes to reason and truth.

What, then, is Masonic Faith?

Faith is taking action on the very things we believe, hold, and value.

It is Active Trust: Faith is the courageous step onto a bridge you cannot entirely see, trusting that the Great Architect of the Universe has placed a solid foundation beneath your feet.

It is the Foundation of Moral Conduct: In the Craft, Faith is represented by the Volume of the Sacred Law. It is not a textbook to be revered from a distance, but a rule and guide for our daily conduct—a moral compass that
directs our feet to walk uprightly before God and man.

It is Demonstrable: As Speculative Masons, our Faith is not proven by the loudness of our professions, but by the squareness of our actions, the rectitude of our intentions, and the integrity of our lives.

THE NATURE OF HOPE

If Faith is the action we take, what then is Hope? I can tell you what it is not.

Hope is not wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking is idle. It sits with folded hands in the shade, longing for rain while refusing to till the soil. Wishful thinking desires an outcome without commitment, without labor, and without a foundation in Truth.

Masonic Hope is made of sterner, noble stuff. It is represented by the Anchor—cast deep into unseen depths to ground the vessel when tempests roar. It is the steady, unshakable expectation that our labor as Speculative Masons is not in vain, assuring us that every rough ashlar, crafted with patience, moves us closer to that house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.

THE NATURE OF CHARITY

And what of the third and greatest round of the theological ladder—Charity?

Just as we must strip Faith and Hope of their superficial counterfeits, so too must we examine what Charity truly is,
and what it is not.

Charity is not mere almsgiving.

In our modern tongue, the world has diminished the word "charity" to mean simply writing a check, tossing spare change into a cup, or donating leftover garments we no longer require. While relief to the distressed is a
duty incumbent on all Masons, true Masonic Charity is far grander than financial patronage.

• Charity is NOT Transactional: It does not ask, "What will I receive in return?" nor does it seek the applause of the world, public acclamations, or honors in the Lodge.

• Charity is NOT Reluctant Duty: It is not a tax levied upon our abundance, given grudgingly out of mere obligation or social pressure.

• Charity is NOT Judgmental: It does not wait for a Brother to be perfect before offering him aid, nor does it demand that a fellow human prove their worthiness before receiving our compassion.

What, then, is Masonic Charity? Charity is an active, boundless, and unselfish love for God and all mankind.

It is symbolized by the Heart, radiating warmth and goodwill to every creature. Charity is the spiritual bond that cements our Brotherhood into one sacred band of friends and Brothers.

• It is Forgiveness and Patience: Charity is whispering good counsel in the ear of an erring Brother, defending his character in his absence, and throwing the mantle of compassion over his faults and foibles.

• It is Personal Sacrifice: It is the gift of your time, your listening ear, your presence at the bedside of the sick, and your hand extended to lift a fallen soul from the dust.

• It is Universal Benevolence: It recognizes that every human being—regardless of nation, creed, or condition—has a claim upon our affections as a child of the same Grand Architect.

THE TRIUMVIRATE OF THE CRAFT

Consider, Brethren, how these three grand virtues interlock in the life of a Mason:

Faith is the foundation on which we stand; Hope is the anchor that holds us steadfast; but Charity is the living flame that warms the temple of the heart. Faith and Hope will end with this mortal life—for Faith will be lost in sight, and
Hope in fruition—but Charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of eternity.

THE CHARGE TO THE BRETHREN

Therefore, my Brethren, let us not settle for cheap substitutes in our daily walk. When you leave the tiled doors of your Lodge:

Do not merely agree—act in Faith.

Do not merely wish—anchor your soul in Hope

And do not merely give—love with genuine Charity.

Let us strike the chisel against the rough ashlar today, knowing that the temple we build with Faith, Hope, and Charity will endure long after our earthly labors are complete.

07/12/2026

07/04/2026

Pillars of Liberty: The Scottish Nexus in American Independence and Freemasonry
By Bro. Michael B. Smith
7/4/2026

Abstract

The American Revolution is traditionally viewed through the lens of English constitutional disputes and French military aid. However, an institutional and ideological undercurrent directly connected the American colonies to Scotland. This paper examines how the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the principles of the Scottish Enlightenment intersected with colonial Freemasonry to foster a revolutionary environment. By bypassing crown-aligned elite networks and introducing structural models of merit-based democracy, Scottish-chartered lodges served as practical incubators for American independence.

Introduction

In the mid-18th century, American Freemasonry was far from a unified institution. It was divided by class, politics, and Grand Lodge jurisdictions. As tensions escalated between Great Britain and its colonies, a distinct schism emerged within American lodges. Wealthier crown loyalists and royal officials gravitated toward the original "Modern" Grand Lodge of England.

Conversely, working-class colonists—merchants, artisans, and mechanics—increasingly sought institutional authority elsewhere. They turned to the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the "Antient" Grand Lodge of England for charters. This institutional preference created a vital, anti-elite network that transformed colonial lodges into clandestine centers of revolutionary strategy and democratic experimentation.

Institutional Charters: The Path of the "Antients"

The Grand Lodge of Scotland provided colonial patriots with a mechanism to assemble outside the watchful eye of royal authorities. By offering alternative warrants, Scottish Freemasonry shattered the crown's monopoly on fraternal gathering and structured the logistics of the rebellion.

The Green Dragon Tavern and the Lodge of St. Andrew

The most prominent example of this institutional connection was Boston’s Lodge of St. Andrew, chartered directly by the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Seeking a permanent meeting space, the lodge purchased the Green Dragon Tavern. Historian Daniel Webster later termed this building the "Headquarters of the Revolution."

Within this Scottish-chartered space, prominent Masons such as Paul Revere and Dr. Joseph Warren mixed fraternal business with political subversion. It was inside the Green Dragon Tavern that members of the Lodge of St. Andrew reportedly planned the Boston Tea Party, later executing the raid on the night of a cancelled lodge meeting.

The Fredericksburg Lodge and George Washington

The Scottish connection also extended into the Virginian planter class. George Washington was initiated into the Lodge at Fredericksburg in 1752. Operating initially without a formal English warrant, the lodge successfully secured its official charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1758. This independent Scottish lineage decoupled early colonial military elites from British crown control, establishing an autonomous fraternal network that persisted through the war.

Ideological Synchronicity: The Enlightenment and Fraternalism

Beyond logistics, Scotland supplied the intellectual and philosophical framework that justified the overthrow of a monarch. These concepts were mirrored in both Masonic ritual and revolutionary documents.

The Declaration of Arbroath and Consent of the Governed

Signed in 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath is widely regarded as Scotland's declaration of independence. It uniquely asserted that a king's right to rule was explicitly contingent upon the consent of the governed—and that the people maintained the right to depose a tyrant. This specific contractual theory of government resurfaced heavily in Thomas Jefferson's formulation of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Scottish Enlightenment and Common Sense Realism

The ideological underpinnings of the American Revolution were fundamentally shaped by the Scottish Enlightenment, a period of intense intellectual output from 18th-century Scotland. Thinkers like David Hume, Adam Smith, and Francis Hutcheson rejected rigid dogma in favor of reason, human empathy, and empirical observation.

Central to this movement was the school of Scottish Common Sense Realism, spearheaded by philosopher Thomas Reid. This philosophy posited that all human beings are endowed by nature with an inherent moral sense and a capacity for common sense reasoning. Crucially, this meant that the average individual—regardless of royal pedigree or aristocratic birth—was fully capable of self-governance and moral decision-making.

When imported to the American colonies, these ideas became explosive. Thomas Jefferson’s famous assertion in the Declaration of Independence that certain truths are "self-evident" is a direct linguistic and philosophical nod to Scottish Common Sense Realism.

Because Freemasonry already operated as an egalitarian meritocracy, Scottish-chartered lodges became the practical laboratories where these Enlightenment concepts were tested. On the lodge floor, the abstract idea that ordinary men possessed the collective wisdom to elect their own leaders and draft their own laws became a weekly reality, directly preparing the colonists to apply those same principles to a new republic.

Anderson’s Constitutions

In 1723, a Scottish Presbyterian minister named James Anderson compiled The Constitutions of the Free-Masons. This text established the foundational bylaws for modern lodges, mandating meritocracy, religious tolerance, and civic duty.

When Benjamin Franklin reprinted Anderson's Constitutions in America, it became the first Masonic book published in the colonies. The text served as a civic blueprint, teaching colonists how to govern themselves democratically within the lodge before they attempted it on a national scale.

Profiles of Scottish-American Patriots

The physical ex*****on of the American Revolution relied heavily on Scottish immigrants and descendants who operated within these Masonic frameworks.

John Paul Jones - Recognized as the "Father of the American Navy," Jones was a native Scotsman. He was initiated into St. Bernard’s Kilwinning Lodge No. 122 in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, before bringing his naval expertise to the continental forces.

General Hugh Mercer - A Scottish-born physician who fought during the Jacobite rising, Mercer fled to America and joined the Scottish-chartered Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4. He became one of Washington's closest military advisors and a martyr for the cause at the Battle of Princeton.

Dr. John Witherspoon and James Wilson - Both men were Scottish immigrants who heavily influenced the Continental Congress. Witherspoon, a Presbyterian minister and president of Princeton, along with Wilson, a brilliant legal theorist, directly integrated Scottish Common Sense Philosophy into the foundational frameworks of the new republic.

At Princeton, Witherspoon personally taught this philosophy to a generation of American leaders, including James Madison. Madison would later weave these Scottish concepts of human nature and balanced institutional factions directly into the United States Constitution.

Adam Smith and Economic Liberty

The year 1776 marked not only the birth of the United States but also the publication of Scottish philosopher Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. Smith’s critique of British mercantilism—which choked colonial trade through taxes and monopolies—aligned perfectly with the economic grievances of the patriots. His theories on free enterprise and individual liberty provided the young republic with the economic blueprint necessary to break away from crown dependency and build an independent merchant network, heavily utilized by Scottish-American merchants and Masons alike.

Chronological Clarification: The "Scottish Rite"

To maintain historical accuracy, a clear distinction must be made between the “Grand Lodge of Scotland” and the “Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.”

While the "Scottish Rite" handles higher degrees (4° through 32°), it did not organize or influence the American Revolution. The Scottish Rite was formally organized in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1801—nearly two decades after the Treaty of Paris concluded the Revolutionary War. The operational "Scottish connection" during the war was strictly limited to the Grand Lodge of Scotland's craft lodges (1° through 3°) and the flow of immigrant ideas.

Conclusion

The intersection of Scottish Freemasonry and American independence reveals that the revolution was not merely a spontaneous localized uprising. Through the alternative chartering system of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, American patriots secured autonomous zones free from crown oversight. Concurrently, Scottish Enlightenment philosophy provided the moral, intellectual, and economic am******on needed to challenge the divine right of kings. Together, these forces shaped the egalitarian and democratic architecture of the United States.