Apostle of true ecumenism … In his inaugural address as Grand Master Pedro M. Gimenez stated : I pay a humble tribute to our brother who, during his incumbency as Grand Master, did his best to keep the spirit of Freemasonry alive, traveling here and there despite the vicissitudes of the weather, visiting the Lodges throughout the Islands and reminding our brethren of their duties as members of our Fraternity. What he did was without parallel. Indeed, he did his job so well that, in my opinion, it will be difficult to follow. Gimenez was referring to no other than William H. Quasha, whom his colleagues intimately called “Bro. Bill.” In this brief sketch, I will also refer to him as Bro. Bill. We know Bill best for his efforts in bridging what he himself called the “hiatus which exists between Masonry and the Roman Catholic Church.” Now we know that, since 1955, he had been working on bridging that “hiatus;” that, in 1959, he went to the Vatican on a exploratory talk on the subject; and that, in January 1962, the year of his ascendancy to the Grand Oriental Chair, he had an audience with his Eminence Rufino J. Cardinal Santos, proposing to the Cardinal that since the Catholic Church and Freemasonry, both of which believed in God, were faced with extinction from the onslaught of communism which had sworn to destroy both institutions, these could not afford to dissipate their energies by quarelling with each other and therefore they should scrap whatever shop-worn ideas and outmoded attitudes that contributed to the “hiatus.” We heard him say, “We must convince the Roman Catholic Church that the greatest single step it can take towards accomplishing an Ecumenical Movement is to withdraw its Encyclical against Masonry .” Besides, we read his article in the June-1955 issue of theCabletow, which reads in part as follows: What is immediately to be hoped for is this: that Masons direct all their thoughts not to “defending” themselves from the Roman Catholic Church, but rather endeavoring to make their own position clear. Suspicion is destructive of good relationships. Factual information can go a long way toward alleviating the misgivings of people who have not viewed us as sympathetically as we have looked at ourselves. We are Freemasons because we know it follows God’s path of goodness. Were it otherwise, Masonry would not have survived every form of adversity. When you know that something is right, there is no need to ,”defend” it. It is only necessary that you explain it in comprehensible terms. “Explanation” does not mean debate; it means the setting forth of our principles continuously but without militance. Bro. Bill was known for his vision of establishing another building than that of a closer because understanding relationship between our Fraternity and the Catholic Church -a temple the Brethren throughout the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine would be proud of. He pushed that vision into realization and, therefore, deserved the privilege of laying the cornerstone of the temple during his incumbency. During his term, too, as stated earlier in PGM Gimenez’s quoted address, he endeavored to build the spirit of Freemasonry deeper in the hearts of the Brethren by visiting them wherever they were. Throughout his life, indeed, the boy born in New York on May 19, 1912 became the builder that he prepared himself to be. Academically, his preparation was extensive as well as intensive. He obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from New York University in 1933; in 1935, he finished his Master of Arts degree at the same University. A year later, he got his Ll. B. degree from St. John’s University in New York. As a professional, he decided to build young people into becoming the persons they were meant to be. Hence, he started as a teacher; then he accepted his Alma Mater’s invitation to serve as an instructor in the faculty of Psychology. In fact, he also taught at the College of Liberal Arts of the University of Santo Tomas. Furthermore, he shared his expertise for several years at the U .S. Army Reserve School. His best-known work in the educational field is, of course, the test of mechanical aptitude, entitled “Revised Minnesota Board Test,” which he co-authored with Dr. Rensis Likert in 1933. He also dedicated himself to the building of a better world both in time of war and in time of peace. During World War II, he served the US Army in the Southwest Pacific area. During his 33rd-birthday celebration in Manila, he was promoted to the rank of Lt. Col. Of the numerous decorations he had received, he was proud of these two: the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Philippine Legion of Honor. In time of peace, he continued to work for the Filipino war Veterans’ cause; consequently, in 1951, he was voted the Outstanding Legionnaire in the Philippine Department of the American Legion in recognition of his contributions. In 1952, the Army and Navy Club of Manila honored him by electing him President. In 1954, he was elected Commander of the Philippine Department of the American Legion. In Scouting, he was proud to be an Eagle Scout with 36 merit badges. He first became active in Philippine Scouting in 1947; he was then Scoutmaster of the American School Troop No. 1. In 1949, he was elected to the executive board of the Manila Council, B.S.P.; he became Vice-President in 1956. For his distinguished contributions to scouting, he was awarded the presidential Gold Plaque and the Silver Tamaraw (the highest of all scouting awards). He was, Chairman of the Elk, Celebral Palsy from 1958 to 1960 During his term, this charitable intitution came to the lime. light when It WM given three award, by the Philippine Medical Association for outstanding work Active in other, social and civic organizatlon, he also was In 1950, he was Executive Vice. President of the Manila Lion Club; he served too as Charter Member -in fact past President -of the Mabuhay Toastmaster Club Furthermore, he was first Vice-President of the New York State Jaycees as well as a member of the American Embassy Screening Committee of the study and training of Fullbright scholars and other scholarship available to Filipino. As a Knight of Rizal, he got the degree of Knight Commander. In Masonry, he was the past President of the Far East Chapter. No. 15, National Sojourners and, for many years member of the Board of Director of the Bamboo Oasis, a Shrine Club. He was a noble of Mecca Shrine and an Honorary Life Master of Islam Temple of. He was besides the Past Master of Mt Lebanon Lodge No. 80, an Honorary Member of the Pampanga Lodge No. 48. Then he assumed the position of the Exalted Grand Lodge Oriental. MW Quasha, the Builder, was a staunch believer. in the power, of prayer. “I believe we should pray in church,” he once said, and I ask every Mom in our Grand Jurisdiction to go regularly to a church of his choice. Furthermore, I ask that every Lodge form an Intercessory Prayer Group. This group is to pray daily to God to use His Power to heal those person who are ill.” The contribution of MW Quasha in the building of our Fraternity into a potent force, of a healthy relationship with the Roman Catholic Church place to live in, certainly, as PGM Gimenez put it, were without parallel and will be difficult to follow. And he persist, to be the builder that he has always been.