Following in the Footsteps of S OVEREIGN G RAND I NSPECTOR G ENERAL BY S OVEREIGN G RAND I NSPECTOR G ENERAL
Many of us have heard the phrase, "A picture is worth a t housand words." This p h r a s e infers that pictures may
motion pictures of the Annual Sessions of the Supreme Council made for preservation in its archives. He began his Masonic travels in Forest of Lebanon Lodge No. 71, Mt. Vernon, Illinois, in 1933 and eventually served as Worshipful Master. After moving to Springfield, Illinois, he petitioned to join the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Northern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. He became a member of Menelik Consistory No. 49, Valley of Springfield, Orient of Illinois. In 1972, he was conferred the 33rd Degree of Freemasonry and appointed Deputy for the Orient of Illinois in 1985. He served in this position until 1992. Although Ill. Helm took photographs for the Supreme Council, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois (Grand Photographer), and other Masonic organizations, he is also credited with documenting African American life in Springfield through his photography for over 50 years, much of which would have gone unrecorded without him. Additionally, he served as the State of Illinois Official Photographer, Office of the Secretary of State, 1944 to 1992. Ill. Helm began working for the Illinois Secretary of State's office in
convey an idea more effectively and entirely than the written word. As an avid photographer, I can relate. I’ve taken thousands of photos at our United Supreme Council Annual Sessions, many of which have been shared with the membership through different channels. A well-composed picture has the potential to capture and communicate the significance, emotion, temperament, and nostalgia of an event or moment in time. Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Illustrious (Ill) Eddie Winfred "Doc" Helm, 33°, was someone who mastered this ability and exemplified the art of photography. An article in The USC Winter Bulletin, February 1961 Issue introduced Ill. Eddie Winfred Helm as the "Official Photographer of the Supreme Council" and credits him with furnishing most of the photographs reproduced in the Bulletin and for the
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