SLS 181ES-40 ORIGINAL
2018 First Extraordinary Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 3
BY SENATOR PEACOCK
COMMENDATIONS. Commends the Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley on the one hundredth
anniversary of the dedication of its Scottish Rite Cathedral.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend and congratulate the membership of the Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley upon
3 the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of its Shreveport
4 Scottish Rite Cathedral.
5 WHEREAS, the Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley of master masons and officers are
6 composed of four distinct sections that include the Shreveport Lodge of Perfection, the
7 Chapter of Rose Croix, the Council of Kadosh, and the Shreveport Consistory, which are
8 ordered as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction,
9 Orient of Louisiana, and Valley of Shreveport; and
10 WHEREAS, Scottish Rite and Freemasonry are woven into the rich history of the
11 founding fathers of the state of Louisiana and the nation, and the legacy of masonic temples
12 can be traced back, farther still, to its origins in sixteenth century Europe; and
13 WHEREAS, on March 6, 1910, a gathering of Scottish Rite masons petitioned for
14 the establishment of a new lodge that would become the L. C. Allen Lodge of Perfection;
15 these founding thirty-second degree masons were L. E. Thomas, V. L. McCarty, S. J. B.
16 Whited, A. T. Kahn, Marx M. Levy, A. W. Cheesman, E. R. Bernstein, H. H. Bain, H. I.
17 Hardy, J. J. Lyons, and P. B. Stedman; and
18 WHEREAS, soon the idea of a flagship masonic cathedral was conceived and
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SLS 181ES-40 ORIGINAL
1 executed; designed by noted local architect and mason, Edward F. Neild, the building
2 expressed the Beaux Arts style with its cornerstone laid in 1915; the cornerstone has an
3 atypical setting in the northwest corner of the site to facilitate greater visibility by the public;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, at a final cost of $186,500, its dedication ceremony was held on
6 November 12, 1917, amid great fanfare, and the occasion was feted with dances and music
7 recitals accompanied by two pipe organs that are still operational today; the cathedral
8 remains a majestic architectural wonder that was listed on the National Register of Historic
9 Places in 1986; and
10 WHEREAS, the following officers were elected to serve as the first official family
11 of the L. C. Allen Lodge of Perfection: E. R. Bernstein, Venerable Master; L. E. Thomas,
12 Senior Warden; T. B. Chase, Junior Warden; David B. Samuel, Secretary; A. T. Kahn,
13 Treasurer; A. W. Cheesman, Almoner; E. Kirby Smith, Orator; and W. H. Booth, Master of
14 Ceremonies; and
15 WHEREAS, Freemasonic beliefs are grounded in the fatherhood of God, the
16 brotherhood of man, the immortality of the soul, and the steadfastness of one's accepted
17 faith; and
18 WHEREAS, the Scottish Rite is a fraternity whose members are drawn from
19 Freemasons and whose integrity and good character are paramount in daily life without the
20 stigma of prejudice to race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or nationality and whose duty
21 is to foster and promote the intangible values of trust, morality, and justice; and
22 WHEREAS, the Scottish Rite Cathedral is one of the most historic and
23 architecturally beautiful buildings in the south; its appointments include a three-tiered
24 auditorium, a marble lobby, a pair of marble staircases, banquet hall, DeMolay room,
25 masonic library, and classrooms for speech therapy; it is the oldest building in downtown
26 Shreveport that has never changed ownership; and
27 WHEREAS, the cathedral has both modern amenities and well-preserved historic
28 applications; among these classic appointments are ninety-two original, hand-painted
29 background scenes or drops that are utilized on stage during degree presentations to convey
30 masonic symbolism; these drops are enhanced by a wardrobe of pristine original costumes;
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SLS 181ES-40 ORIGINAL
1 and
2 WHEREAS, the Shreveport Scottish Rite Cathedral facilitates the needs of the
3 community as a reception hall for weddings, musical performances, banquets, and black tie
4 events; it has even been used as an authentic period movie set for the film industry; and
5 WHEREAS, the Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley provides opportunities to expand
6 masonic knowledge and education, to contribute to the improvement of families and
7 communities, to encourage productive citizenship, and to improve the lives of children
8 through its various charities, such as RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center;
9 along with its founders, Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley assisted in the establishment of
10 Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in Shreveport, the first of its kind in North America;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, in anticipation of its next one hundred years of continued service to the
13 community and to Freemasonry, the Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley will ensconce a time
14 capsule that shall contain programs, lapel pins, coins, and memorabilia to be unearthed in
15 another century.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
17 congratulate the Shreveport Scottish Rite Valley on the occasion of the one hundredth
18 anniversary of the establishment of its Shreveport Scottish Rite Cathedral and does hereby
19 commend its status as a historic landmark and as a source of great pride in the community.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
21 Gary Gribble, secretary of the Shreveport Scottish Rite Temple.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Susan P. Montague.
DIGEST
SCR 3 Original 2018 First Extraordinary Session Peacock
Commends the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Shreveport Scottish Rite
Cathedral.
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