----- Original Message ----- From: James A. Rodriguez [email protected] To: Sarah ; Jessie Degollado KSAT-TV Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 12:05 PM Subject: Latest KSAT report Hello again Sarah and Jesse- I'm not sure if either of you have anything directly to do with KSAT-12's news coverage of the Alamo Masonic Cemetery situation, but they've caused a lot of harm to an innocent party with their 10:00 PM news coverage on Wednesday. The story they aired prominently featured the Scottish Rite Cathedral, of which I am the "General Secretary" or manager. Alamo Lodge is a tenant in our building, but are otherwise unconnected to the Scottish Rite Cathedral or the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. They also interviewed our inside and outside security guards, neither of whom are members of Alamo Lodge or have any direct knowledge of the situation. The implication of the visual part of the story is that Alamo Lodge must be well-off to have such an impressive building. Unfortunately, it is not their building and they own no part of it! Is there a person I can contact at KSAT-12 to try to set the record straight? The end result of the story is that I have had several members of the public and some of our Scottish Rite members calling, angry and upset, and asking why the Scottish Rite would let something like this happen. We certainly sympathize with the situation at the cemetery, and will be happy to coordinate some volunteers from the 27 local Masonic Lodges and our youth groups if there is an organized effort to clean up the cemetery. Thanks, --James Rodriguez "the DeMolay guy" Secretary, Recorder and Registrar San Antonio Scottish Rite Bodies (210) 222-0133 Phone (210) 222-0136 Fax (866) 222-9293 Toll-Free http://scottishrite.albertpikedemolay.org ******************* Hello again James! Yes I had something directly to do with the news coverage last night. I called them to come, and I was the little old lady in the blue sweater that did the talking. I will be happy to contact KSAT-TV and see if we can schedule another appearance, to undo the harm we have caused to an innocent party, the Scottish Rite Cathedral. To keep the Scottish Rite Temple out of it, we could film at the cemetery. I'm confused about these Masons not being a part of Scottish Rite or Freemasonry. Their website at http://www.alamo.tx-mm.org/ identifies them as "ANCIENT FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS OF TEXAS" and your website says that "Scottish Rite Masons continued in an informal organization for years thereafter during which they held occasional smokers and observed the annual Maundy Thursday Feast. In 1907 the number of Scottish Rite Masons had grown large enough to consider again the establishment of the Bodies in San Antonio. A meeting of a group was held at Masonic Temple on June 20, 1907, and there was then organized the Scottish Rite Masonic Club of San Antonio." I was born and raised in San Antonio, former Rainbow Girl, and I always thought the Scottish Rite Building was for the Masons and the DeMolays and the Eastern Stars and the Rainbow Girls, especially thir parties and special events. After Don Lively's letter of May 26th, I chose to cease correspondence with him. You haven't acknowledged the last 2 emails I sent to you on the 16th or the 17th of May, so I assumed you were no longer interested. Since the Masons are still in charge, perhaps you should contact Don Lively about a clean-up day, then let me know so I can post it on the internet to all of the interested genealogists and veterans. His email address is [email protected] , and he is in the phone book. The Sons of the Confederate Veterans are very interested in getting the disgraceful place cleaned up, since by now we have identified almost 50 CSA vets. I haven't contacted the veterans of the other wars, to tell them about the situation, but I will. On Memorial Day I had a little ceremony, and cut away brush from the headstones and placed flags on the graves, and found all the other veterans that way. Perhaps you could help me with something else as well...the only list of graves was done by the SAGHS in 1982 from gravestones, in their tremendous effort to document the cemetery and get a state historical marker. There are missing gravestones and I want to see them replaced. (You have a copy of that letter). Do you think you could get an official list of the burials, so we can make sure everyone is identified after the restoration? I have requested it twice, with no luck. Would you like a copy of the flyer we passed out yesterday? I'm planning on another one if some Masons don't get out there this weekend. Sincerely, Sarah Reveley "The Cemetery Lady" US Chairman and Publicity Director Task Force to Clean Up the Neglected Alamo Masonic Cemetery San Antonio Neglected and Disgraced Bodies [email protected] http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbexar2/alamomasonic.html

Sarah, Amazing what happens when the media gets involved. Great response to James, very to the point and well written. G. Winters ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 1:21 PM Subject: letter from Scottish Rite Temple... > ----- Original Message ----- > From: James A. Rodriguez [email protected] > To: Sarah ; Jessie Degollado KSAT-TV > Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 12:05 PM > Subject: Latest KSAT report > > > Hello again Sarah and Jesse- > > I'm not sure if either of you have anything directly to do with KSAT-12's news coverage of the Alamo Masonic Cemetery situation, but they've caused a lot of harm to an innocent party with their 10:00 PM news coverage on Wednesday. The story they aired prominently featured the Scottish Rite Cathedral, of which I am the "General Secretary" or manager. Alamo Lodge is a tenant in our building, but are otherwise unconnected to the Scottish Rite Cathedral or the Scottish Rite of > Freemasonry. They also interviewed our inside and outside security guards, neither of whom are members of Alamo Lodge or have any direct knowledge of the situation. > > The implication of the visual part of the story is that Alamo Lodge must be well-off to have such an impressive building. Unfortunately, it is not their building and they own no part of it! > > Is there a person I can contact at KSAT-12 to try to set the record straight? The end result of the story is that I have had several members of the public and some of our Scottish Rite members calling, angry and upset, and asking why the Scottish Rite would let something like this happen. > > We certainly sympathize with the situation at the cemetery, and will be happy to coordinate some volunteers from the 27 local Masonic Lodges and our youth groups if there is an organized effort to clean up the cemetery. > > Thanks, > --James Rodriguez > "the DeMolay guy" > Secretary, Recorder and Registrar > San Antonio Scottish Rite Bodies > (210) 222-0133 Phone > (210) 222-0136 Fax > (866) 222-9293 Toll-Free > http://scottishrite.albertpikedemolay.org > > ******************* > > Hello again James! > > Yes I had something directly to do with the news coverage last night. I called them to come, and I was the little old lady in the blue sweater that did the talking. I will be happy to contact KSAT-TV and see if we can schedule another appearance, to undo the harm we have caused to an innocent party, the Scottish Rite Cathedral. To keep the Scottish Rite Temple out of it, we could film at the cemetery. > > I'm confused about these Masons not being a part of Scottish Rite or Freemasonry. Their website at http://www.alamo.tx-mm.org/ identifies them as "ANCIENT FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS OF TEXAS" and your website says that "Scottish Rite Masons continued in an informal organization for years thereafter during which they held occasional smokers and observed the annual Maundy Thursday Feast. In 1907 the number of Scottish Rite Masons had grown large enough to consider again the establishment of the Bodies in San Antonio. A meeting of a group was held at Masonic Temple on June 20, 1907, and there was then organized the Scottish Rite Masonic Club of San Antonio." I was born and raised in San Antonio, former Rainbow Girl, and I always thought the Scottish Rite Building was for the Masons and the DeMolays and the Eastern Stars and the Rainbow Girls, especially thir parties and special events. > > After Don Lively's letter of May 26th, I chose to cease correspondence with him. You haven't acknowledged the last 2 emails I sent to you on the 16th or the 17th of May, so I assumed you were no longer interested. Since the Masons are still in charge, perhaps you should contact Don Lively about a clean-up day, then let me know so I can post it on the internet to all of the interested genealogists and veterans. His email address is [email protected] , and he is in the phone book. The Sons of the Confede rate Veterans are very interested in getting the disgraceful place cleaned up, since by now we have identified almost 50 CSA vets. I haven't contacted the veterans of the other wars, to tell them about the situation, but I will. On Memorial Day I had a little ceremony, and cut away brush from the headstones and placed flags on the graves, and found all the other veterans that way. > > Perhaps you could help me with something else as well...the only list of graves was done by the SAGHS in 1982 from gravestones, in their tremendous effort to document the cemetery and get a state historical marker. There are missing gravestones and I want to see them replaced. (You have a copy of that letter). Do you think you could get an official list of the burials, so we can make sure everyone is identified after the restoration? I have requested it twice, with no luck. > > Would you like a copy of the flyer we passed out yesterday? I'm planning on another one if some Masons don't get out there this weekend. > > Sincerely, > Sarah Reveley > "The Cemetery Lady" > US Chairman and Publicity Director > Task Force to Clean Up the Neglected Alamo Masonic Cemetery > San Antonio Neglected and Disgraced Bodies > [email protected] > http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbexar2/alamomasonic.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx >