Certificate of Advancement to Master Mason Presented to Milton R. Lee Coos County, Oregon Handwritten inscriptions on the certificate Milton Richard Lee This is to certify that our worthy brother who has written his name on the rock "Ne Varietur" has been regularly initiated as an ENTERED APPRENTICE, passed to the degree FELLOW CRAFT and raised to the sublime degree of MASTER MASON and is a member of Myrtle No. 78 at Myrtle Point Oreg. and we recommend him to all brothers and fellows, wherever dispersed. attest E. Bender sec. K.H. Hansen w.m. T.W. McCloskey s.w. Charles Adams j.w. entered Oct. 4th A.D. 1884 A.L. 5884 Passed Decbr. 6th A.D. 1884 A.L. 5884 Notes 1. ne varietur - Latin, meaning 'Lest it should be changed.' These words refer to the Masonic usage of requiring a Brother, when he receives a Certificate from a Lodge, to affix his name, in his own handwriting, in the margin, as a precautionary measure, which enables distant Brethren, by a comparison of the handwriting, to recognize the true and original owner of the Certificate, and to detect any imposter who may surreptitiously have obtained one. 2. w.m. - worshipful master 3. s.w. - senior warden 4. j.w. - junior warden 5. sec. - secretary 6. A.L. - "Anno Lucis" or "year of light". From "Let there be Light, and there was Light." Older chronologies of the Earth's age considered it about 4000 years old during Christ's lifetime. thanks to: MIT Masonry website The nature of the ceremonies and the structure of a Masonic lodge ----------------------------------------------------- Where to go from here      Researchers are encouraged to take a look at the Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon website at www.masonic-oregon.com Back to Top Created September 2009 Transcribed by Robyn Greenlund unless otherwise noted All data on this website is © Copyright 2007-present by Genealogy Trails with full rights reserved for original submitters.