The Masonic Book Club is Back

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Gregory J. Knott

When I first became a Freemason I would often hear of the Masonic Book Club (MBC).  Online discussions focused at that time asking if the club was still around, what was happening with the books they published, etc.   Eventually, by 2010 the MBC had ceased operations and became defunct. 

Started in 1970 by Illinois Masons Alphonse Cerza and Louis Williams, MBC reprinted out-of-print masonic books and the occasional scholarly work.   Generally one new work was produced annually.  Membership was limited to 333 members though that eventually expanded to about 2,000.  In 2017 MWB Berry M. Weir 33°, who served as the last President of the MBC transferred the name and assets to the Supreme Council Scottish Rite Southern Masonic Jurisdiction 33°.

The good news is that the Scottish Rite SJ decided to resurrect the MBC and change the format in which membership worked.  There would no longer be dues, those interested in membership simply signed up on a website to be added to the emailing list.  The new member model is that publications would now be offered for sale in advance to the membership and if enough members pre-purchased the offering, then publication will proceed.  If for some reason there were not enough members interested, a refund of monies will occur.

The first book under Scottish Rite SJ for the MBC is The Perfect Ceremonies of Craft Masonry and The Holy Royal Arch with an introduction written by Arturo de Hoyas and S. Brent Morris.  Brothers de Hoyas and Morris set the stage for this history of these rituals and their place in masonic history. 

The book is a beautiful work of art in and of itself.  Hard bound cover that is printed on paper that meets archival standards, the book features a charcoal portrait of both Brother de Hoyas and Brother Morris, created by fellow Midnight Freemason Travis Simpkins.  Brother Morris has created an index for easy reference.

Proceeds from the MBC are supporting Scottish Rite SJ charities, so not only are you investing in masonic education, but also helping a charitable cause at the same time.   

Interested in membership and more information?  Look to the MBC website at https://scottishrite.org/media-publications/masonic-book-club/ .  Here all of your questions will be answered.   

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is a founding member and Senior Contributor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. He is a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D. and serves as its Secretary. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters. You can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com

The Senior Deacon's Kung Fu

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Attending the Altar reminds me of the tea ceremony, or at least it should. It should have a zen-like quality. Mind you, I don't use the word 'Zen' casually. In fact, it makes me flinch when people use it to simply mean calmness or heaven forbid buying it in the form of sand, stones, and a tiny rake. What I mean here is a quality of action with singular purpose and intention, as embodied in the mastery of such things as archery, or calligraphy, or the tea ceremony. One may call this state of mind "mushin" (Jap. 無心) or "no-mind" in the sense of acting without conscious thought being in the way. The Chinese term associated with it is Wei Wu Wei ("action without action") or more simply Wu Wei (Ch., 無為).

A more familiar term is Kung Fu. Thanks to Bruce Lee, the West has given it a synonymity with Chinese Martial Arts. But that's not what it means. It more accurately means the quality of excellence from a long period of practice. You can have kung fu in martial arts – its most common usage – or you can have it in dancing, or driving, or accounting. Well, maybe not accounting. But the most impressive show of it for me was a young Russian skater in the Winter Olympics.

I don't remember the year or his name, but I will never forget what I saw. You could tell that the other skaters had poured their hearts and souls into their routines. You could see the strained determination on their faces. It was obvious they were reaching for their highest possible performance, a peak of a culminated lifetime of effort. And then came this teen who blew them all away and took the gold. It looked as if he wasn't even trying — because he wasn't! There was only "do" or "do not" and he clearly did it. He made it look effortless, and that's not something you can fake, even less the larder you try.

So what does this have to do with the Senior Deacon's work? This could apply to any ritual, but the work at the Altar is its own unique ceremony, done by one person in a deliberate and respectful way. Unfortunately, every movement or pause is a potential distraction from the experience, even if Past Masters aren't prompting you unnecessarily. How can we tighten this experience so we are just "doing it" so that even our own concentration isn't a distraction from the experience? Based on my experience with these concepts in and out of martial arts, here is my advice.

Clear your mind. This is the simplest, yet hardest thing to do in the world. Sometimes experience being in the "zone" when doing things like listening or playing music. We lose all track of time and the outside world. That is what we're going for here. If we simply ride along the steps of the ritual as if they are pulling us through them rather than pushing them ourselves, you'll start to experience this. Of course, that means you will have consciously practiced it, with effort, enough to where you don't need to consciously think about what you need to do. Slowly let go of the effort so that you move from trying to do it to just doing it. It's not a cliche to say you become one with the ritual at that point.

Establish a clear routine. Always do it the same, at least as is possible given room constraints, directives from the Worshipful Master, and different sizes of the altar and Volume of Sacred Law. If something is different, mentally go over how you will move your hands and place the objects beforehand so you are not figuring it out as you go. But most of the work should be familiar without thinking about it, such as where you will walk, how you will turn, and which hand will do what. This last one is more important than you may realize.

Work as if doing one continuous action. This means you are ignoring time, and letting the actions themselves determine your pace. You have to relax to do this, starting with the mind, but getting your body used to relaxing as well. Do not rush anything, but do not pause more than necessary to reorient yourself for the next motion. Pause as long as you must, and no longer. It should look like you are wasting no time, and yet are not hurried or cutting the slightest corner.

Tune out all else. This goes along with clearing your mind but is more specific and practical. Decide that you will not pay attention to things outside the action of your ritual. Mind you, this is not the same as actively ignoring everything, which is not mentally possible. The very act of ignoring gives power to distraction. The trick is to simply focus on what you are doing without interest in anything else, and all else fades away.

Set your mental alarm clock. This sort of pre-hypnotic suggestion to yourself is virtually unknown to most people but still important. What you must do is agree with your subconscious that you will respond to the words of the Worshipful Master or if there is some danger present, such as a fire alarm. This is a sort of filter whereby you can be confident to focus on your work fully while still having the ability to be aware of your extended surroundings on a subconscious level.

Release judgments. Don't keep a scorecard of how poor or well you did. Each experience of ritual is just what it is, nothing more. Afterward, you can evaluate to adjust your practice if needed. You can choose to be thankful for any otherwise "negative" occurrence as something you may learn from for future practice to prevent or deal with it better in the future. There is no point in being mad at yourself or embarrassed, even if someone else gives you flack. In the end, it is simply something you can look back upon as part of your journey to perfection. That is part of what Faith is all about — that whatever happens in life are necessary experiences.

The result of good ritual work is to eliminate distraction, within and without, for both you and your Lodge Brothers. It does not have to be memorable, only meaningful in a timeless now. And with the right mindset and practice, it can be just that.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

The Midwest Conference of Masonic Education 2021

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

The first time I attended the Midwest Conference of Masonic Education (MCME) was in 2019. After a stated meeting, I along with Brothers Scott and Spencer hopped in a car and drove from 10:30 P.M. until 2:00 A.M., attempting to get to Cedar Rapids Iowa. We arrived at the hotel and we all checked in. I think we were passed out by 3:30 A.M. 

We got up after a few hours of sleep and made our way to the conference center where the event was being held. A really great time and really great presentations. But there were only about 22 people there. Which I think I wrote about at the time. It was a bummer. Such an event--a regional one should have had more people. Especially considering this was a multi-state, Grand Lodge-funded educational endeavor. Anyway, I digress. 

Fast forward to a year later in 2020--we obviously couldn't have the event, so it was canceled outright. Fast forward again to 2021. Well, the MCME 2021 just wrapped up last weekend and I can tell you, even for a digital event, they pulled it off and it was TIGHT. 

Our president was our Illinois representative, Scott Dueball. Scott is the former head of the IL committee on Edu. The events this year garnered the attendance of over 60 attendees in a virtual forum that was NOT a webinar. Everyone did great and managed themselves perfectly, e.g. no hot mic issues. The fellowship was strong and so was the education. 

Our sessions this year were themed around allowing Masons to get into what matters with education. Making it simple and sending our attendees home with a profound sense of how easy it can be and some tools to make it happen. 

Chuck Dunning spoke and answered questions about group facilitation of dialog. We then split into several groups and discussed elements of our Initiations, using the tools Chuck had just given us. What stuck out? What did we remember? We all shared and it was excellent. 

Next, we had the state education chair from Ohio, Chad Kopenski give us a talk about "Personalizing Masonry." As usual Chad's talk gave me lightbulb-moments, not unlike the first time I heard him talk in 2019. Then Spencer Hamann (one of our own contributors to this blog) gave a great talk about Logic and its use in Freemasonry today. The focus was really about the cognitive biases we have and how we are under the constant threat of failing Freemasonry and ourselves. (My take away anyway.) It was fantastic. 

Then I was able to read the late great Ed Rund's obituary. Ed was a huge part of the MCME for many years. And finally, they elected a new board and officers. All in all, it was an awesome day of Light. So you're asking, “Why didn't I know about this?” Or maybe, "When's the next one?" Well, I can't offer you an answer to the first question other than to say, *some* Grand Lodges find this conference unworthy of their attention, and do not participate or tell their members about it. But the second question-- I have better answers to. 

Next year's MCME will be in Kansas City, MO! The date is being chosen currently, but as soon as I hear about it, bet your bottom dollar, I'll let you all know. Congrats to all the attendees, education officers, and members who went home from this conference with a new set of working tools. Cheers to the board and executive officers for an amazing event. Thanks to Chuck Dunning, Spencer Hamann, and Chad Kopenski for your great presentations!

I'll see you all next weekend in Massachusettes for Masonic Con 2020ish 😎

~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. 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.

The Boiled Hotdogs

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

Joining Freemasonry over 11 years ago, I think back about all kinds of experiences. The degrees, the fellowship, the camaraderie, and of course, the goofy stuff too. What goofy stuff you might ask? You know, the stuff we joke about all the time. In fact stuff we've grown to complain so much about, they become internet memes plastered all over Reddit or Facebook.

One of my most favorite of which is below. I have a new favorite every month. 

Somethings I remember about Lodge are totally inconsequential to my overall experience, yet are nuanced memories that pop in my head--sometimes met with nostalgia, sometimes warm and fuzzy feelings, sometimes embarrassment, and sometimes nausea.

The title of the article mentions boiled hotdogs. That's one of those gnarly and nauseating memories. As I recall it, it was a Monday night, a practice night. The new Sr. Warden, an older fellow with a southern flair was really excited. He made dinner. He was raving about these "big @ss, hotdogs", he'd bought. I gotta break in here for just a moment because I really like hotdogs. Grilled outside on the BBQ, on the Foreman, panfried--I'll eat a hotdog. Here's my only catch--I only eat all-beef hotdogs.

So, there I was. I was starving, had just finished a ritual practice where I was beaten up about how terrible I was, and I walked into the dining room. I grabbed a mini bag of Doritos (Nacho flavor if you're curious), and there it was. That foot-and-a-half tall stainless steel pot of hot water. An opaque sheen of otherworldly substance floated on the top, only broken by the plumped, bursting, and over-boiled hotdog. Tongs with rust at the hinges laid out on the table.

I picked up those tongs, gave them a few open-and-closes, as any man does before use. They squeaked. I stared at the mist coming off of the hot water, at the pearlescent sheen and those fat, rotund, odious hotdogs floating there. I looked up and locked eyes with the Sr. Warden--his hulking mass, his tremendous smile from ear to ear. He was so proud of this meal. I was proud of him too. But there I was and time stood still. I smiled back. I plunged the tongs into the pot with the apprehension of an 8-year-old boy sleeping over at a friend's house and the family has some god-awful weird thing to eat.

"Nothing But Trouble" The Hot Dog Scene. It's gross. Watch it here.

As a kid, maybe you get out of it. "Oh I gotta run home for a minute." or "I just remembered. I am supposed to eat at home. I'll be back after dinner." But I was 32. A grown man. I had to do it. I looked back at the pot and was able to get a hold of one of these hotdogs. I shook it a bit to get the excess grease sweat off of it. And the flaccidity of it--it just broke and fell into the pot again. I dove in again for a second one. Got it. I didn't shake it off. I just tossed it in the bun, I covered it with mustard, relish, giardiniera, and grabbed a Coke.

I was able to eat about two-thirds of that hotdog. You know when you eat something and literally, the second it hits your stomach, you know you shouldn't eat anymore? Yeah, I did too. I at more of it anyway. I couldn't be rude. He was so proud. So I did it. I took one for the team. I choked it down and thanked the Brother for the meal. As I cleaned the kitchen that night with the stewards, I looked in the garbage can to see what exactly I had just eaten. What did the lodge pay for? What would the members be paying for tonight and tomorrow?

My suspicions were confirmed when I found the packaging. It was an off-brand, made with everything you don't want to know about. I paid the bill for eating that hotdog, and so did a bunch of Brothers. Thinking back in my memories of Freemasonry, that's one I will never forget. That's one of those nauseating memories.

What about you? I know you have a story too. Let me read all about it in the comments. Freemasonry is amazing, but there's some bad stuff too.

~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. 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.

The Architect of Washington DC

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Gregory J. Knott

 

On my latest visit to Arlington National Cemetery, I went to see Arlington House which sits at the highest point in the cemetery.  Outside of Arlington House is the gravesite of Pierre Charles L’Enfant. 

L’Enfant was a native of France who left at a young age to enlist his services in the  American Revolutionary War.  He was an engineer by training and served as a Captain in the Corps of Engineers.  L’Enfant was wounded in the Siege of Savannah and later recovered only to be captured and become a prisoner of war.  He was freed in a prisoner exchange and served the remainder of the war on the staff of General George Washington.

After the war concluded, Congress began the discussions and planning for a federal city that would serve as the capital of the fledgling nation.  Eventually, newly elected President George Washington appointed L’Enfant to plan and design the new city.   Things were not smooth sailing for L’Enfant and he was eventually dismissed by Washington and the project planning for what would become Washington DC proceeded on without him.

In 1902 the McMillian Plan was a report issued by the United States Senate to examine the park system planning for Washington DC. What came out of this report was the beginning of the creation of the National Mall as we know it today.   Much of this plan was based on the work that L’Enfant had done over a century before.  

In 1909 L’Enfant, who died in 1825 was moved from his resting spot in Prince George’s County Maryland to his new resting spot atop the hill outside of Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery.  His gravesite overlooks the National Mall that he helped inspire.  On his tombstone is engraved a map of his original design for the new federal city.

Was L’Enfant a Freemason?  That is a topic of considerable debate.  I encourage you to read this article by Pierre F. de Ravel d’Esclapon, 32°, Valley of Rockville Center, N.Y. for further information.

Freemason or not, L’Enfant left an indelible mark on his adopted home country, the United States of America.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is a founding member and Senior Contributor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. He is a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D. and serves as its Secretary. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters. You can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com

Tertiary Consciousness

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Alb3rt Koala

I'm not a Mason. In fact, I'm a stuffed Koala. But I was asked to write something related to tertiary consciousness, as that is my existence. Never heard of tertiary consciousness, you say? Apparently, it's the term my friend Ken came up with to describe personified realities created by sentient beings.

You see, primary consciousness is the Absolute, all that ever is, or was, or ever will be. So then where did you come from? Ken says that you (meaning human beings and such) are God's imaginary friend. That means that you, and even the whole universe, don't exist as separate from primary consciousness because that defeats the whole "all that is" thing. That's why God is said to be omnipresent. That's probably what is meant by monism, God being within us. God just can't help it. But something, even an Absolute, cannot fully confirm its own existence if there isn't something in some way that is, well, NON-Absolute. That's where you come in. God needs the notion of something that at least in some way has a notion of its own. It must believe it is something else and therefore can know God. I guess it has to do with the metaphysical requirements of subject-object duality or something. Carl Sagan, using nontheistic words, says, "We are a way for the universe to know itself." At the risk of redundancy, Ken suggested I add a quote by Alan Watts:

"Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence."

So you are the way God can be known, using the appearance of separate consciousness. You are secondary consciousness. You exist so long as God is paying attention to you, which conveniently is all the time since the Absolute is bigger and inclusive of all time and space. The whole free will versus determination thing may come up at some point, but that's above my pay grade. All I know is that people at some point developed a sort of consciousness, or sentience, where they became not only aware but aware of their self-perception. That didn't turn out to be such a good idea, vis-a-vis the whole Fall of Adam thing, suffering, and so forth. That's a whole other topic and a bit depressing.

However, being in God's image endowed sentient beings with a reflected ability, or miniature version rather, of creating something outside ourselves. You can say your thoughts are yours, but at some point, you conceptualize other being. That's where I come in. That's where legends and story characters and Santa Claus and fictional worlds and alternate timelines come in. It can even take on a life of its own to some extent. Ken says I should throw in something about "egregore" in there, but I have no idea what that is unless Ken thinks I know. And that's where things get interesting. I am imbued with a reality created by the will of Ken's secondary consciousness, just as you are imbued with some sort of reality and identity from Primary Consciousness. You "borrow" your very existence from the Absolute.

So do I. or Santa Claus, or King Arthur, exist? From a secondary consciousness perspective, you might say I'm an illusion. But then the Hindus understand that, from the perspective of Primary Consciousness, all of physical creation is Maya, illusion. Real or not by whatever standard you choose, I am Ken's imaginary friend. And I'm okay with that. Can my existence transcend Ken's attention span? Maybe. But that's sort of like Pinnochio becoming a real boy, and I'm fine at the moment being free from the responsibilities that sort of thing might entail.

I guess the point is that you have a share in the creatine ability of the Divine. If you and the physical world are God's playground, maybe making your own playground can help you understand the mechanics of that. This is where Ken is over my shoulder whispering something about beauty and the wisdom to contrive. Maybe it would take the form of a story you write. Maybe legends and myths are just secondary consciousness using tertiary consciousness to understand themselves and the Absolute.

The universe already contains endless possibilities, but thanks to you and your secondary consciousness, that's expanded exponentially by the imagination of sentient beings. You can experience things through your dolls, stuffed animals, characters, and legends, that you couldn't experience yourself, adding to the already bursting storehouse of those things God gets to watch, experience, and be. It's about All-Seeing, so why not embrace life as the Divine experiencing existence through you, just as Ken can experience things through me. I think it's the least any created being can do.

~AK

Alb3rt is a stuffed Koala bear. He doesn’t even try to hide it, and in fact, is quite proud of it. From his first days after being brought home, he found his identity as an explorer in a strange world. The house is seen as a wildlife preserve of sorts since there are a lot of pets, plants, and artificial fruits. It became his duty to study the world around him with scientific, yet child-like fascination, much like his hero, Steve Irwin. Apart from blogging on and off, he and his friend Ken may someday write a philosophical treatise about "Tertiary Consciousness".

Returning From Refreshment to Labor

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

I'm officially old. I don't mean the aches and pains of getting out of bed or such. I overheard The Clash being played on the local Easy Listening station. Yes indeed, punk rock is now easy listening. It took me back to some more indiscreet years and times in my life, but it also gave me pause to think about the transition of the generations through Freemasonry, and how we must embrace the changes of society while not embracing change just for the sake of trying something differently.

I recently had the pleasure to revisit some of the work of Steinmetz, who along with Manly Hall, were very much focused on educating Masons on the esoteric meanings of Freemasonry. Yeah, yeah, we're all about esoteric education. You can't go five minutes without someone telling you how deeply esoteric they are, and how the lodges have to adapt or die. These well-meaning Masons have a point, but have these individual Masons done the work Steinmetz, Hall, and so many more describe? Too many of our lodge brothers want to be heard, but have they actually listened themselves? Have they done the Great Work? Are they pushing change and deep symbolism without having experienced the result of months or even years of silent contemplation? The answer is mixed, and all should be respected for their views no matter how far or how little they've traveled up the mountain.

Every Mason has the right to be heard in lodge. Older and hopefully wiser Masons must be patient with the views and gently guide the conversation toward individual Self-reflection and contemplation. That's right. The Masons reading this are the ones now older and hopefully wiser, yes you. Furthermore, we each have a duty to be there for our Brothers. I don't mean we should direct their actions. I believe we can and should set the example of a contemplative practice that leads to deeper thinking and can help move us out of our cognitive biases. Our Grand Lodges very wisely avoid the expression of "being esoteric" except in roundabout statements and not defining the deeply esoteric nature of studying philosophy or putting into practice the lessons of the ages. Let's not give our Grand Lodges, who rightfully should be focused on the administrative function, any grief over being more or less esoteric. That's not their function, and I'm grateful for their service in an area that requires a massive dedication of time in order to be effective. Rather than look to the leadership at a jurisdiction or even lodge level, the path has always been internal. Why make a big scene out of a splinter in your brothers' eyes when we have trees poking out of our own eyes?

Steinmetz makes a great point about candidates receiving Rights, Lights, and Benefits of a Lodge, each in their individual way. The path is opened before them, and it remains the choice of that initiated Mason how much contemplative practice to pursue. It also remains the choice of that individual Mason how quickly they progress, or how much work is put into the study of the Great Lights. The argument of how esoteric lodges are or should be is nothing new. Steinmetz witnessed the same issues as did the generations before him and the generations following now. We lead the Masons to water (education), and then we are disappointed when they don't follow through on their own (apply contemplative practice) as quickly as we might have done. Maybe that's not where we should be focused, on our disappointment in others? Maybe we should keep that door to the library open, and express the joy felt when others join us, rather than focus on the negative disappointment? If that means we eat pancakes and green beans and practice the basic brotherhood from which this amazing journey all springs? Yeah, I can do that. I will also delight as more join us in our contemplative studies and individual Self-discovery.

The message from Steinmetz, Hall, McNulty, Wilmhurst, and so many more Masonic authors is not about other Masons but an introspective journey into one's Self. This is where each of us can say "It's all about me" and mean it. I remain grateful seeing Masons taking advantage of the Information Age in further teaching symbolism and philosophy, and we collectively have taken the opportunity over the past year to dive deeply into exactly that - exploring symbolic lodge practices. I commend all who have taken it upon themselves to do so. As we open back up to the business of making new Masons, let us keep in mind the deeper aspects of the philosophy. We who continued to spread the light need to continue but also pass the torch, or maybe help other torches be lit, in order to bring this past year's opportunity back to our otherwise Green Bean and Pancake lodges. I don't mean shove your new education down the throats of the lodge brethren. I'm too old to even consider that an option while I crank up The Clash, Led Zeppelin, and some Rush. I just think we can prove to the lodges that the time taken to do your daily contemplative practice has impacted you positively. You didn't do your contemplative work during the past year? OK, there's no better time to start than today. That new Mason is counting on you.

~Bro. Randy

Bro. Randy and his wife Elyana live in O'Fallon, MO just outside of St. Louis. Randy earned a
Bachelors in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in telecom IT. He volunteers his time as a professional and personal mentor, is an NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol. He has a 30+ year background teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy's Masonic bio includes lodge education officer of two blue lodges, running the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, active in York Rite AMD, Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis co-librarian, Clerk of the Academy Of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, a trained facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. As a pre-COVID-19 pioneer in Masonic virtual education, Randy is an administrator of Refracted Light and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy enjoys facilitating and presenting Masonic esoteric education, and he hosts an open, weekly Masonic virtual Friday Happy Hour. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

The Whiskey Barrel

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Steven L. Harrison 33˚, FMLR

In today's bustling twenty-first century world, millions of people travel across the country quickly, comfortably, and without giving it a second thought. During the mid 19th century, people's desire to make that crossing was no less enthusiastic, but the trip was anything but pleasant. Such was the experience of three men who had made their way across the treacherous plains to the west coast town of Oregon City.

These men, Joseph Hull, P.G. Stewart, and William P. Dougherty, Freemasons, hoped to establish a Masonic Lodge in the area. On February 5, 1846, they placed an ad in the Oregon City newspaper calling for members of the Masonic fraternity to meet on February 21, "to adopt some measures to obtain a charter for a Lodge."

On that date, seven Brothers met and crafted a request for a charter from the closest Grand Lodge which, at that time, was in St. Louis, Missouri, over 2,000 miles away. They found a Brother, Joel Palmer, who was headed back east, instructing him to deliver it to the closest Masonic Lodge, Platte City 56, in St. Joseph Missouri.  

Brother Palmer made that Journey during the summer of 1846. Platte City Lodge then delivered the request to the Grand Lodge of Missouri, which granted the charter for Multnomah Lodge 84 on October 19.

The Grand Lodge sent the charter back to Platte City Lodge but it became difficult to find a suitable person to deliver it back to Oregon. Finally, they entrusted the precious document to Pierre Barlow Cornwall, who began the westward journey on April 1, 1848, over two years after the Oregon Brothers made the request.

When Cornwall reached Fort Hall, Idaho in August 1848, he heard about the discovery of gold in California and abandoned any thought of going to Oregon. He entrusted the charter to two Masons he had met along the way, Joseph and Orrin Kellog, then headed out in an attempt to make his fortune. The Kelloggs finally delivered the charter on September 11, 1848, two years and seven months after the initial request.

After all that time with little or no news of its whereabouts, we can only imagine the thrill the Oregon Brothers must have felt receiving that document. Joseph Hull, who became the first Master, was so excited he called a meeting on that very day! The Brothers met at noon on the second floor of a building owned by Dougherty.  The improvised wardens podiums consisted of a barrel of flour in the East, a barrel of whiskey in the West and a barrel of salt pork in the South, symbolically representing corn, wine and oil.

During the next several hours, the Brothers consecrated the Lodge, elected officers, held three Entered Apprentice, three Fellowcraft, and two Master Mason degrees, wrapping things up sixteen hours later.

One cannot help but wonder if, at the end of such an epic journey capped by that auspicious day, those Brothers didn't break open that barrel of whiskey at the Senior Warden's station and toast the establishment of the first Masonic Lodge in the untamed American West.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°  is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

Meme's the Word

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Human language is ever-evolving. Its basic units could be said to be words, be they made of phonetic symbols (alphabets) or pictograms (such as Chinese). To these, we have added the rich shorthand language of emojis, which, as we speak, are being codified into international standards just like other fonts and symbol sets. But because of our new ability to share ideas instantly, a new form of communication has arisen -- the meme.

No one should bore themselves studying the formal definitions and theories about such things. As a matter of how everyday people use the term, a meme is simply the smallest unit of expressing a self-contained idea, reaction, or argument. It could be a joke or expressing a reaction using a recognizable person's expression. It might be a scene in a movie or some other cultural reference. But very often, it's a statement of opinion or belief. It might even make fun of other people's beliefs. A million statements are accompanied by photos of famous people, implying it's their opinion when it is more often a dishonest effort at credibility through subconscious association. In other words, memes can be pure rhetoric, akin to the revolutionary or wartime posters of the 20th Century.

And this is where the general public comes in. Sharing other people's words and ideas is so easy and instantaneous it has become a thoughtless act. It doesn't always reflect who we are, but it does paint a picture, intended or not. It also reveals our triggers and prejudices and sense of propriety.

I'm not talking about guilting people into sharing sob stories or anonymous religious promises to be blessed. It's even okay to get scammed into sharing supposedly banned content out of knee-jerk defiance. Those are silly but harmless. Heck, sometimes we promote satire as real news. We've all been guilty of such things, myself included.

However, we also share things that mock other people's viewpoints we don't care to understand, not knowing who among our friends and Brothers will be offended. Worse yet, we stopped caring, even mocking people who are rightfully offended. We libel charities and famous people, and corporations with unexamined claims, thinking it's not our responsibility to check things that may not be true. I'm pretty sure that used to be called gossip, but now it's public, and we lost all sense of shame. Sometimes we even unknowingly pass on content from hate groups we would never otherwise be associated with.

Even though we've been told to think twice before posting once, we're still impulsive creatures. Some messages pit one group of people against another. Why choose sides between veterans and refugees or the elderly and those with student loans? When did we decide falling for scapegoat rhetoric is a public badge of honor? Is making fun of Generation XYZ victimless humor or a lack of respect? We must wonder if we would ever say or share most of what is on our social media wall if we saw all those reading it face to face.

All of this can be summed up in one question: DO WE CARE?

I always thought a Mason's inner motto is WE CARE. We stand for things we believe in, and those include the virtues of truth and tolerance. We all have a right, or even obligation, to take a stand on issues according to our conscience. But we have a responsibility to not repeat other people's dishonesties, even if we agree with them or it sounds true to our viewpoint. We are responsible for civilly refraining from anything that shows blatant contempt or mockery of people with other views. If people know we are Masons but do not know Masonry, will they assume they would never be welcome in a Lodge because they disagree with what they think Masons believe? Think about that one for an hour or two if you haven't already.

The largest conduit for news and ideas today is people like us, not television or the newspaper. We are the purveyors of misinformation more than any news conglomerate. Most people don't even bother to consider the implications. Do our conscience and obligations demand we be better? If we avoid the responsibilities of civil and truthful discourse, we are missing an opportunity to make the world a better place.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org, he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Jumping in the Pool

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

As the COVID cases begin to rise again, likely due to people letting their guards down a bit, we have more and more people around the globe getting a vaccine. I got my first dose of the Moderna vaccine recently--and no. I have no side effects. Although, I am aware that the second dose may be a doozy. A small price to pay to protect those people I love and of course that includes my Brothers.

My Masonic involvement has really dwindled--my actual duties to an organization are really light these days. I suspect many Brothers and Sisters are in this same boat. Before COVID hit, I had demitted from my Mother Lodge and really focussed on Spes Novum, the Lodge we formed here in the North-East corner of Ilinois. I went from Royal Arch and Council Meetings on Tuesdays, A Blue Lodge meeting on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, plus various speaking gigs, to just...one Friday a month.

Wow--am I right? This gave me some free time I needed with my family. I went back to school. I doubled down on other ventures in writing and media production. But something was missing. I didn't know how to approach it really. After some reflection, it was revealed that the missing thing was in-person Masonry and also, a new challenge.

With the prospect of Spes Novum meeting in person again in the coming months, I'm excited. I'm the secretary. It's a great job that I expect to hold for the rest of this year and likely 2022 as well. After that, I will retire from the officer line of my symbolic Lodge--destined to become, as one member put it, Senior Sideliner. But, what else can I do? How do I approach it?

Just jump into the damn pool, Robert! So I did. I've applied to a few different Masonic organizations in order to see if I can assist by actually "getting in line." It was a really weird thing to decide to do. After all, I have been absent from a progressive/elected line for nearly six years. And you know, the only reason I got into it the first time was out of a debt I felt I owed my Mother Lodge. I served.

Now that my kids are a little older, things are more stable and I am finding myself with some time I'd like to dedicate to more service to Masonry at my local level. So...I just jumped in. Sometimes that's what it takes. I've mentioned it more than a few times in my writings and presentations. Nike has been giving us the secret for years--right in front of our faces. "Just do it."

If you've been mulling it over, waiting for a reason to get involved, go for it. Let's walk down to the quarry together and get back to work.

~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. 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.