An Appendant Body We're Not...

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
Bro. Robert Johnson 32°


It was late at night, my phone was still sending me notifications on new emails. I rolled over in a groggy way which was clumsy yet poetic in its tired fluidity and grabbed the phone to see what it was all about. A private message--"From who?" I wondered. Well, one eye opened to allow some five in the morning clarity, I read the words, "How do I join The Midnight Freemasons? What kind of degrees do you confer?".

It was something I never thought about. In fact the question was so off my radar that I didn't even put it together for a couple minutes that he thought that The Midnight Freemasons was an appendant body within regular Freemasonry. Not wanting to make any mistakes, I set the phone down and went back to bed for a few hours.

The next morning I had all but forgot about that email. There it was in my inbox, I proceeded to let
the gentleman and Brother know that we were just a group of writers who happen to write at night since we all have day jobs, well that, and it sounds cool. I never did get a response from that brother.

Not a month ago, Brother Bill Hosler received a similar email. Apparently some Brothers are under the impression we are a regular Masonic group that confers a set of additional degrees. However Bill had to inform him, much in the same way I did, that we were not an appendant body of regular masons, but a group of writers, who happen to be Freemasons.

This got me thinking however, if the Midnight Freemasons did confer degrees, what would they be called? I'm certain they would be hilarious. Perhaps a degree based on Star Wars where you reject the Dark Side, it would feature three Sith who want me to teach them about the Force? I asked my fellow writers for some ideas,

Perhaps a set of degrees based on The Wizard of Oz? Todd E. Creason suggested the first half of the degree be in black and white!

Brian Schimian suggested The Hobbit, where the candidate represents Bilbo Baggins.


      "At first he is uncertain of the journey before him... He passes many tests to not only prove, but ready himself. He is in the company of others that he may not have been, without his journey. He eventually becomes enlightened and believes in his abilities. He is also "finds" something and keeps the secret around it. In the end, he risks his own well being for others and returns home feeling as a part of something bigger...."

Bro. Schimian went on, 

      "That or the Hangover trilogy... Nothing says Brother like the Wolf Pack..."

Bro. Bill Hosler mentioned my favorite show of all time. The Original Star Trek. 
      "How about a Star Trek degree? Captain Kirk could be accosted by three red shirts on the way to the bridge who are tired of their brethren being killed when they go to a planets surface."

I laughed pretty hard at that one. Michael Shirley came in as well suggesting a degree based on good old Inspector Holmes. 

      "How about a Sherlock Holmes degree? Holmes does everything in disguise except WM, who wears a deerstalker hat. If it's a third, Moriarty makes an appearance".

So, there you have it, if The Midnight Freemasons did confer a set of degrees, you can plainly see they would be hilarious, theatrical and in some cases downright outrageous. We tend to be a funny group of folk. We can be serious and write about heartfelt things, but generally, we are "The Lighter Side of...Freemasonry."


~RHJ

RWB Johnson is a Co-Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for the AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry", "The Master's Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self - Annotated Edition" and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way.

10 comments:

  1. Goofy.

    Actually the thought never crossed my mind either. The only thing I thought about, when I first started reading, was that you all might be clandy.

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  2. I think a Monty Python Holy Grail degree would be awesome. You could start with an old man asking questions 3, a battle with the black knight and finally being made a Holy Kaniggit of Camelot by King Arthur Himself!

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  3. Christmas Story

    Actually The thought never crossed my mind

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  4. I picture the Midnight Freemasons all wearing top hats & capes carrying silver topped walking canes arriving by limo to a late 19th or early 20th century mansion at sunset. A sumptuous meal is served. At midnight the meeting begins. The degree work is conferred. The meeting ends just before sunrise. All retire to the library to sip brandy,smoke cigars, and watch the sunrise.

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  5. You could confer Fahrenheit and Celsius additions to the degrees. ;)

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  6. I am l laughing too much :) Bro Alan

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  7. haha.. This is too much brother. Thank you for that laugh.

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  8. I was sitting back relaxing when an idea hit me that you didn't talk about in this article. One that would be much easier to talk about when conferring degrees... The Matrix... where one goes through the degrees to find out he is the one and trying to find perfection within the program designed by the Great Architect.

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