Guessing the reason for the Worshipful Master's visit, the brother welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The Worshipful Master made him self comfortable, but said nothing.

In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After several minutes, the Worshipful Master took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth, all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

His host watched all of this in quiet contemplation. As the one, lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow, and its fire was no more. Soon, it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Worshipful Master glanced at his watch and chose this time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember, and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately, it began to glow once more, with all the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the Worshipful Master reached the door to leave, his host said, with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your fiery summons, my brother. I'll be back in our Lodge next meeting."

There have been some lean years during the past few decades, but Larry FitzPatrick, master of the Lodge, said there has been a renewed interest in the last couple of years.

"Our Lodge has been an integral part of the Lewisville area for over 150 years," FitzPatrick said, "although, for a period of time probably not as active as it could have been. The declining number and aging of the membership were the main reasons for our inactivity. Most fraternal organizations have suffered the same setbacks in recent years, primarily because there are so many other things to occupy a persons time. "Today's world is not the same as it was 75 and 100 years ago when fraternal organizations were at their peak," FitzPatrick said. "Curiously, we have seen a resurgence of interest, and an increase in membership in the last couple of years."

FitzPatrick said recent movies and television programs about Masonic Lodge activities are not the reason for the recent increases in lodge members. "In a recent survey of our membership, we discovered that it was not due to the publicity of movies such as National Treasure or documentaries on the Discovery Channel as we suspected, but more due to the fact that men were looking for a place to find help dealing with the issues of day-to-day life," he said. "They were drawn to the Lodge because they had a friend or relative, often times their grandfather, who had been a Mason, and had a special admiration they felt stemmed from his being a Mason.

FitzPatrick said the mission of the Lodge is "to help good men become better men. Our unique ability to bring men from all walks of life -- different generations, religions, races and income levels -- together on a level field, is again gaining popularity."

Five longtime members of the Lewisville Lodge will be honored in a special ceremony Thursday night at the Lodge location at 603 Minco Road.

They include Charles Mesnard, who has been a member for 65 years; Evan Thomas, Edwin McEver and Fred Kunz, who have been members for 60 years; and James Heath, who has been a member for 50 years.

The Lodge's next major event, the 2008 Race for the Children, will take place Sept. 13. Registration will take place from 6:30-8 a.m. at the greenbelt next to Lewisville City Hall, located at 151 W. Church Street.

People of all ages will be invited to participate in a 1-mile fun run or in a 5K race. An awards ceremony will follow.

Proceeds will go to the support of the Texas Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Galveston and the Lewisville Independent School District. Last year, the Lewisville Masonic Lodge gave $2,750 to the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital and $3,750 to the LISD for scholarships and to support the Learning After the Bell program. "In March 2007, our Lodge celebrated its 150th anniversary," states a brochure advertising the upcoming races. "This marked the beginning of a renewed emphasis on our charitable responsibilities and community involvement."

"We have approximately two hundred fifty members on our rolls, fifty of whom are active in some way and about 30 -40 who are involved on a regular basis. Of the surveys we sent out, about fifty five actually responded. We also make it a practice to interview our incoming candidates about their reasons for joining the Lodge. We were fortunate last year to raise twelve Master Masons and are on a pace to do at least that many again this year. In the ten years prior to 2005, we were lucky to raise two or three. Most of our new members are in their twenties and thirties and indicated that they joined for the reasons cited in the article. We also recently introduced a system of job descriptions and committee assignments that has really started to help get things done and get everyone involved.

Larry

My arms are widespread to receive those of lawful age and good report who seek me of their own free will. I accept them and teach them to use my tools in the building of men, and thereafter, find direction in their own quest for perfection so much desired and so difficult to attain. I lift up the fallen and shelter the sick. I hark to the orphans' cry, the widows tears, the pain of the old and destitute. I am not church, nor party, nor school, yet my sons bear a full share of responsibility to God, to country, to neighbor and themselves. They are freemen, tenacious of their liberties and alert to lurking danger. At the end I commit them as each one undertakes the journey beyond the vale into the glory of everlasting life.

I ponder the sands within the glass and think how small is a single life in the eternal universe. Always have I taught immortality, and even as I raise men from darkness into light, I am a way of life.

This picture of Elizabeth Aldworth dressed in her Masonic regalia was published in Robert Freke Gould's "Concise History of Freemasonry."

Why would any sensible woman join the Masons, a secret society ruled by men who dress up in strange clothes and practice arcane rituals? Mira Katbamna went to find out

Freemasonry has never enjoyed a particularly good reputation. Hounded by accusations of cronyism, inscrutability and sexism, Masons were also persecuted by the Nazis (Hitler believed they were trying to bring down Christianity), and today they endure "revelations" posted all over the internet by numerous conspiracy theorists, not to mention fans of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

Val Gibbens, Grand Secretary of the Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons based in north London, likes to think of the Freemasons not as a secret society, but "a society with secrets". What is not secret is its maleness.

Women, however, have always been involved in Freemasonry. The first known woman Mason, Elizabeth St Leger, was admitted in 1735, after she was caught spying on her father's lodge (she is said to have been given the choice of death or immediate initiation - unsurprisingly, she decided to sign up). Women now practice "the Craft", as it is known, separately from men, but they have been at it formally since 1913. Although nobody knew that until the mid-90s - when the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the body that controls men's Freemasonry, decided to become more open - because it was, of course, secret.

The Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons is one of two women's fraternities in the UK, and between them they have around 350 lodges, each with between 25 and 100 women attached. Even taking into account the fact that a Freemason can belong to more than one lodge, there must be at least 10,000 women Masons in the UK. That is 10,000 women who all call each other Brother, and, until recently, referred to each other as "he" and "him".

In June, 1908 Annie Besant and Lady Lutyens, wife of the architect Sir Edwin, set up the first co-ed Masonic lodge. Though it was short-lived, it changed the face (and body) of Freemasonry forever. Soon, all-female lodges sprang up, first in England, then elsewhere.

It sounds absurd, but Gibbens says it is all part of remaining true to the spirit of Masonry. "Women's Freemasonry grew out of the Co-Masonry movement that developed in the 1800s, so women Masons had guidance from men from the beginning," she explains. "We take the men's book of laws, their book of constitutions, and if we have a point of procedure we are unhappy about, then we have conversations with their Grand Secretary to make sure we continue to be seen as regular." In fact, in 1998, the UGLE issued a statement saying that it acknowledged the existence of women practicing Freemasonry in a way deemed to be "regular" (conforming to the rules of UGLE) but that it did not "recognize" women's Masonry: in other words, men could not visit women's lodges and vice versa. Janet Wayman, a lawyer in the City, and Master of a south London lodge, does not think it matters. "For some of the men, and particularly the old school, we don't exist and probably never will do. But that doesn't affect my enjoyment of Masonry."

Wayman does not seem the type to join a secret society, any more than Gibbens. A keen motorcyclist, Wayman is a thoroughly modern woman, but says Freemasonry has made a huge difference to her life. "People think Freemasonry is all about stuffy old ladies getting together on a Tuesday afternoon," she says, "but I have benefited big time from Masonry. I am much more confident, it's done wonders for my self-esteem and I am much more understanding and giving. It's made me a happier, more fulfilled person."

But what is it that Freemasons do that has such an extraordinary effect? Back in Golders Green, Gibbens takes me into the main meeting room: the Temple. Passing through two wooden pillars mounted with globes, the room is filled with exactly the kind of strange and esoteric looking objects you would expect of an arcane organization. A dais with a Bible takes pride of place, and seven intimidating, high-backed wooden chairs adorned with suns and set squares line the wall behind it. The floor is laid with a huge checked carpet, and on the walls hang the pennants of the different Lodges that meet in this room. Slightly less antique in appearance, there is also what appears to be a battered electronic keyboard still in its box propped up against a wall. It is easy to imagine that someone being brought in here to experience a ritual could undergo a transforming experience.

The eldest of four children born to Midrach Israel and Mary Paxton, Bro. Israel was born in Pennsylvania either in 1745 or 1746. His father was Jewish and his mother was Christian, which was to cause him some trouble in his later years. Ten years prior to the outbreak of hostilities with Great Britain, at about age 21, Bro. Israel sailed for Barbados to seek his fortune. Following almost a decade of working diligently to amass a considerable amount of property, he returned to America a relatively wealthy man. He and his brother, Joseph, at that time belonged to the Mikveh Israel congregation. Soon after his homecoming, on Sept. 7, 1775, he married Hannah Erwin at Old Swede's Church in Wilmington, Del., where he acquired a nearby farm.

The onset of hostilities with Great Britain prompted Bro. Israel to join the local patriotic Committee of Safety and to support the American war effort wherever possible. This also caused him to sacrifice his fortune. These activities made him a marked man, as many of Bro. Israel's neighbors maintained their allegiance to the British Crown as Loyalists. The opportunity to capture Israel came when a British frigate, the Roebuck, anchored on the Delaware River opposite Israel's farm. The Roebuck's commanding officer, Captain Andrew Hammond, was informed that Bro. Israel reportedly declared he would sooner drive his cattle as a present to General Washington, than to receive thousands of dollars in British gold for them. The statement has probably been paraphrased as the story was told and re-told, but the essence of his patriotic spirit is undoubtedly clear. While Bro. Israel was traveling back from a visit with his mother in Philadelphia, he and his brother-in-law were seized and taken as prisoners onboard the warship to stand trial for treason.

As a prisoner on the Roebuck, Bro. Israel was harshly treated - purportedly given the worst of the ship's food and made to sleep on deck in a coil of ropes. It was decided that Bro. Israel would stand trial with the ship's officers to serve as his judge and jury. In the meantime, Captain Hammond ordered a detachment of the ship's Marines to land and seize the animals from Israel's farm. Hannah Israel witnessed the embarkation of the British party into small boats and quickly guessed the mission of the Marines. Despite the hostile musket fire directed at her, Hannah kept her wits and heroically drove the cattle away beyond the reach of the British shore party.

From the deck of the Roebuck, Bro. Israel and Hannah's brother undoubtedly witnessed the entire affair with horror, fearing for the brave young woman's safety, but proud of her courageous actions. Before the trial commenced, a kind-heated sailor privately asked Bro. Israel if he was a Freemason. Following an affirmative reply, the sailor informed Bro. Israel that a lodge was held on the warship and the officers, who were Masons, were conducting a meeting that night. The trial probably did not begin well for Bro. Israel, as his Loyalist accusers were confident he would be convicted and executed for treason against the British Crown. Given the opportunity to explain his actions and mount a defense, Bro. Israel displayed the Masonic sign of distress to the ship's officers gathered to pronounce his fate. Upon recognition of the sign, the tone of the proceedings changed dramatically and instantly, as the British officers' hardhearted demeanor transformed into those of sympathy and admiration. Bro. Israel's Loyalist accusers were rebuked for their testimony against such an honorable man and the court was subsequently dismissed. The British officers ordered transport for Bro. Israel and his brother-in-law back to land and gathered a small gift for Hannah. The records of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania bear witness to Bro. Israel's salvation from almost certain death through Freemasonry.

In a time when political positions were held in addition to one's usual vocation, he became politically active in support of the French Revolution in 1793 as a co-founder of the Philadelphia Democratic Society. The Federalist Party was not supportive of the Revolution, and used anti-Semitic slurs against Bro. Israel and his son, John, to try to hold onto their party members and votes. Ironically, by this time, neither were practicing Jews, having assimilated into society by marrying Christians and joining Christian congregations, but the name made them an easy target. He served one term in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1797-1798. In 1800, he became the High Sheriff of Philadelphia and in 1816, he became Justice of the Peace for Philadelphia's 5th District.

It is not known when Bro. Israel was made a Mason, although it is recorded he was admitted in May 1794 to Lodge No. 3 in Philadelphia, where he later served as Master for five six-month terms. From 1799 until 1801 he served as Deputy Grand Master and from 1803 through 1805 as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge. He became a member of Royal Arch Chapter No. 3 in 1796, and he served as Grand High Priest while also serving as Grand Master. As a loyal Mason, Bro. Israel regularly attended meetings and participated in a number of Grand Lodge committees, including one established in 1800 to arrange for meetings conducted in the Pennsylvania State House (later known as Independence Hall).

Bro. Israel died on March 17, 1822, at the then-advanced age of 78 and his remains are interred in South Laurel Hill Cemetery within Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.

Masons do lack a recognition symbol outside the lodge (unless you include the Grand Hailing Sign). This could be useful in this modern age when you stop at traffic lights alongside a car with a masonic rear sticker. So how do you salute your brother? The sign of an EA? That's not a very friendly gesture.

Some gestures, such as the ubiquitous act of pointing, differ little from one place to another, but most gestures do not have invariable or universal meanings, having specific connotations only in certain cultures – and woe betide you if your beneficent hand movements are actually insulting to the person you're signing to!

Handshake
The handshake is a quintessentially Masonic gesture, although it's universal everywhere. Its origin is probably connected with the 'hi!' sign. When greeting someone you raise your right hand, palm outwards to show that it contains no weapon. The handshake (always done with the right hand) is an extension of this. Driving on the lefthand side of the road is also an extension. If you were on horseback or walking, you passed an oncoming person right hand to right hand so that both people could ascertain any evil intention.

The first full-length study of gesture was published by John Bulwer in 1644. Bulwer analyzed dozens of gestures, and provided a guide on how to use gestures to increase eloquence and clarity for public speaking.

John Bulwer 1606-1656 was an English physician and early Baconian natural philosopher who wrote five works exploring the body and human communication. He was the first the first person in England to propose educating deaf people.

Approximately

The Four Times of Day: Evening By Bro William Hogarth

Performed by holding the hand horizontally, palm down, with the fingers forward or spread, and then rolling the hand to clockwise-anticlockwise. It indicates that a number or a statement is to be taken as an approximation. It's equivalent to saying “more or less”, “as far as I can estimate” or to be cynical about a third person's statement “we can take that with a pinch of salt!” Don't let your boss see you doing that!

Mezzo-mezzo
A similar gesture, but with a gentle rocking left-right movement, is understood to mean "so-so", (or, not too good, not too bad) a response one might give to the question, "How's it going with you?"

This gesture is understood among various cultures or language groups; in particular the Spanish, French, and other Romance language groups use it.

Bunny ears/cuckold
The bunny ears gesture is a joke, and is common with young children. It consists of sticking up the pointer and middle finger, just like the V sign (peace sign), and putting that hand behind someone's head, to make it look like the "victim" has bunny ears. It is usually done while a picture is being taken.

Detail from the preceding painting by Bro William Hogarth showing the cuckold sign behind the man’s head.

Normally little kids and young bachelors do this, and it is considered a juvenile gesture.

The sign existed before the convenience of photography. It was typical tavern humor to signify a cuckold (a husband under the control of his wife, or a husband whose wife is having an extramarital affair). The joke lay in the fact that the victim was usually unaware of the source of the humor.

Note the cuckold sign in this engraving by Bro William Hogarth. Although the sign is formed by the two horns of a cow, the sign would have been instantly understood by all in the 18th century. Indeed the woman in the picture is large and overbearing, the man, small and meek.

The town became a commercial center for the local cotton plantations and in 1847 they had a post office granted to them. A Masonic Lodge was chartered in 1851 and the town incorporated in 1856.

There is a marker for Jacob Haller, the cemetery's first interment, but the exact location of his grave is not known. Because of the unusual spelling of Chappell - many of the markers that were engraved out of the region have the standard Chapel spelling.

In addition to members of the Crockett and Travis clans being buried there, there are a few other things worthy of note: The misspelling of Chappell Hill is even written in stone. Although members of the Chappell family have their name right, many tombstones are inscribed with Chapel Hill.

There are at least two graves decorated with seashells - a practice that dates to Roman times. In Texas graves decorated in this manner are found in Native American, African-American, Caucasian and Mexican cemeteries. An excellent book with more information on seashell graves and other burial practices is TEXAS GRAVEYARDS by Terry G. Jordan, University of Texas Press. The Masonic Cemetery is an active one and plots are still sold. A clean and well-maintained restroom is available near the northern boundary.

The Town

The town was connected to the Washington County Railroad just before the outbreak of the Civil War. During the war, Chappell Hill organized The 21st Texas Lancers and had both a Confederate hospital and Quartermaster's Depot in the town.

As it was in most of the South after the war, Chappell Hill's economy was a disaster. On top of economic collapse, there was also an outbreak of Yellow Fever in 1867 that caused more of the population to leave.

Polish immigrants appeared in the early 1870s and rescued the town from permanent ruin. More Poles made the trip after 1884 and by 1889 they had founded their own church - St. Stanislaus. The population reached the highest point up to that point - over 800 people.

The years between 1880 and our involvement in World War One (1917) showed a decline in population, but it had risen again by 1930 to 1,000 people. The population was just over 300 in 1990.