New Regular Contributor

 New Regular Midnight Freemason Contributors

I am pleased to announce the addition of three new Regular Contributors to the Midnight Freemasons Blog.

Bro. Erik M. Geehern is currently Master of Goshen Masonic Lodge #365 in Goshen, NY under the Grand Lodge of New York. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in October of 2019 and since then has served in various progressive chairs along the road to the east. He writes and curates a newsletter for his Lodge quarterly which disseminates education, history, and esoterics. He is also a member of the Grand College of Rites, the American Lodge of Research, and the Kansas Lodge of Research. He works in restaurant operations & consulting, and when not engaged in his usual vocation, or laboring in the Craft, he loves spending time with his wife and two children.

New Regular Contributors

New Regular Midnight Freemason Contributors

I am pleased to announce the addition of three new Regular Contributors to the Midnight Freemasons Blog.

Patrick Dey

Patrick M. Dey is a Past Master of Nevada Lodge No. 4 in the ghost town of Nevadaville, Colorado, and currently serves as their Secretary, and is also a Past Master of Research Lodge of Colorado. He is a Past High Priest of Keystone Chapter No. 8, Past Illustrious Master of Hiram Council No. 7, Past Commander of Flatirons Commandery No. 7, and serves as the Secretary-Recorder of all three. He currently serves as the Exponent (Suffragan) of Colorado College, SRICF of which he is VIII Grade (Magister), and is a member of Gofannin Council No. 315 AMD and Kincora Council No. 8 Knight Masons. He is a facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society, is the Editor of the Rocky Mountain Mason magazine, serves on the Board of Directors of the Grand Lodge of Colorado’s Library and Museum Association, and is the Deputy Grand Bartender of the Grand Lodge of Colorado (an ad hoc, joke position he is very proud to hold). He holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Colorado, Denver, and works in the field of architecture in Denver, where he resides with wife and son.

Jim Stapleton

Jim Stapleton is the Senior Warden of USS New Jersey Lodge No. 62. He is also a member of the New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786. Jim received the Distinguished White Apron Award from the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. He was awarded the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award. Jim is also a member of the Society of King Solomon.

Phillip Welshans

Phillip Welshans is Senior Warden of Palestine Lodge #189 in Catonsville, MD under the Grand Lodge of Maryland A.F. & A.M. He is also a member of the Maryland Masonic Lodge of Research #239, and the Hiram Guild of the Maryland Masonic Academy. As a member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, S.J. in the Valley of Baltimore, he has completed the Master Craftsman programs and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society. His interests are primarily in Masonic education, particularly the history of the Craft, esotericism, and the philosophy of Masonry.

Please join me in welcoming all three brethren to the Blog.

~DL

Welcome Chris Hathaway!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin Lahners

 

 

It is my pleasure to introduce the newest Midnight Freemason regular contributor, Christopher Hathaway.  I have known Chris for a number of years and on a personal level I'm ecstatic to be able to have him join us in writing for the blog. Chris was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is the current Worshipful Master of Bloomington Masonic Lodge #43. He belongs to the Valley of Danville, AASR where he is the Most Wise Master of the George E. Burow Chapter of Rose Croix and Membership Chairman. Other appendant bodies include the Gao Grotto, Mohammed Shriners, and the Illinois Lodge of Research. Outside of the lodge, he enjoys spending time with his wife Taylor and cheering on the Fighting Illini and Chicago Cubs. 

~DAL

 

The Pitfalls Of Being Worshipful Master

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

I recently ran across some photos of being installed Worshipful Master of Ogden Lodge back in 2010.  I recall that day clearly.  I remember going home after being installed, all wound up about all the things I was going to accomplish during my year in the East.  I told my wife, Valerie, that it wasn't necessary for her to call me Worshipful at home--she could just call me MASTER.  

I was only joking, but it made her so angry, I didn't see her for two solid weeks!  Well, actually after a week, I could see her a little bit out of my left eye.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog.  You can contact him with complaints about this piece at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

Exercising Self-Discipline

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Just like any muscle in the human body, character traits also grow stronger when they are exercised.  Of these, I think most will agree that self-discipline is key to many of those most desirable traits. It’s also the most difficult to master—if we ever really do master it. If you look at just a few of the virtues a Mason strives towards, temperance, fortitude, and prudence, you’ll realize that without self-discipline there is little hope of making progress in any of those virtues.

Temperance is not about abstinence as many believe today, it’s about moderation. It’s about maintaining a balance, and applying due restraint to our passions so that we aren’t tempted by the allurements of excess. Masons are taught to avoid excess in all things, and temperance is that virtue that reminds us to practice all things in moderation. That requires a level of self-discipline.

Fortitude is that virtue that provides us with strength. As we’re taught, fortitude is that steady purpose of mind that enables us to withstand any pain, peril or danger. It allows us to stand strong in our words and deeds and not stray off the noble path. Again, this requires a mastery of self-discipline because standing strong in the face of danger or even criticism is a very difficult thing to do.

Prudence is a virtue closely related to both temperance and virtue. It is a virtue that helps us regulate our lives by applying reason and wisdom to any given situation to help to determine the proper path. It is the wisdom to know when to act, and when not to act. It is the wisdom to know when it is best to speak, and when it is best to remain silent. It is the wisdom to know when to fight, and when to flee. Prudence is the balance between temperance and fortitude. And without question, prudence requires a great deal of self-discipline.

I’m an impulsive person by nature—self-discipline is not something that has come easy to me. It’s something I’ve worked very hard on since I’ve become a Mason, and I’ve made tremendous progress over the last thirteen years. Much of the progress I’ve made is because I practice self-discipline every day.

I discovered early on, that I do great at self-discipline until I’m tempted, or I was put under stress, or I was challenged in some way—then my self-discipline vanished in an instant. That’s because I had self-discipline in theory only, but not in practice. I’d have a great day and meet all my diet and exercise goals, and then I’d drive by the Dairy Queen on the way home, and suddenly I’d be eating a peanut buster parfait. I’d stop by the tavern on the way home at 5 o’clock for “one beer” and I’d still be there at 10 o’clock (or later). I’d make an effort to control my temper, until somebody said something I didn’t like and in a flash . . . well, you get the idea. So I decided to teach myself self-discipline the same way I learned how to write books and play the piano. I practice it over and over again every day, and over time it becomes easier to apply in those situations when I’m tested.

I have a number of daily exercises I use. The purpose of these exercises is to challenge myself, and make myself pay particular attention to my words, my actions, and my attitudes in an area that I feel I need improvement in. I intentionally make myself live outside my comfort zone in different areas so that I can better handle myself in a proper manner when real challenges present themselves. Some of the daily challenges are fairly easy, but require me to think about one particular area for a day. Other challenges are very difficult for me, and I’ll often have to repeat them for a few days in a row until I move on—and I’ll go back to those again and again until they get easier to accomplish. Some of my challenges I’ll set up to last a week. Some of my challenges involve diet and exercise. Some involve my interactions with other people. Some involve distractions that I need eliminate. Some involve productivity. Some involve getting out of a rut I’ve found myself in. Some involve changing the way I think about things that repeatedly seem to irritate me. Patience is something I’m particularly challenged with at times, so those are exercises I go back to time and again. One thing you can be sure of, is that I’m working on something every day.

And it works. The more you exercise something, the stronger it gets—makes no difference if it’s a muscle or a trait. And just like with athletes, the time they spend training and working out off the field prepares them for the challenges they face on the field. As I’ve said many times before, it’s not just about doing Freemasonry, it’s about living Freemasonry. A big part of Freemasonry is that idea of personal growth and self-improvement. You can learn the principles of Freemasonry from books, but you can only apply the principles of Freemasonry through practice in your daily life.

Freemasonry isn’t three degrees and done. It’s a lifetime commitment to keep chipping away throughout our entire lives on that rough ashlar.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is an award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is the author of the the From Labor To Refreshment blog.  He is a Past Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary.  He is a a Past Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees.  He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research (FMLR) and a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282.  He is also a member of Tuscola Odd Fellows Lodge No. 316.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

It Is Time To Clean Up Our Act

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

"Anger is an acid that  can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."

~Mark Twain

Polar Star Lodge No. 79, St. Louis, MO.

We’ve all heard the old axiom “you are what you eat.”  It’s very true.  Our health is very reliant on how we nourish it.  Bad food leads to bad health eventually.  We ignore that fact at our own peril. The same is true with what we consume in other ways.

We live in a very angry world right now.  We’re buffeted on all sides with it—it’s on social media, it’s all over the news, we’re exposed to it from our friends, we’re exposed to it from our co-workers.  Sadly, I’ve seen a few instances where this anger that is consuming our culture is being dragged into our Lodges as well.  I gave an example I witnessed of that in this article.

I’ve had enough.  I get tired of hearing people complain.  I get tired of being attacked as I work to improve the world in my own way because somebody doesn’t agree with my beliefs.  I get tired of losing friends over elections.  I get tired of the incivility of the whole thing--it’s not enough for some people to believe a certain way, but they feel they have to go that one step further and demean and ridicule what other people believe.  

This seething anger that seems to be everywhere is poisoning us all.  

I took action.  I decided a change was in order.  I went through all my social media accounts.  I unfollowed, I unfriended, and I blocked hundreds of individuals that not only post that anger, but can’t seem to be civil when they’re posting comments on other people’s posts.  I don’t see that garbage anymore, and when I do I toss them out.  

I’ve done the same with the media.  There’s no positive story and no negative story that’s going to change the way I believe, the way I live, or the way I’m going to vote.  I can’t think of one thing that could come out in the news between now and the next election that would make me change my mind on a number of issues I think are important.  Most people are that way.  So why am I following it every single day?  I didn’t have a good answer, so I turned off the daily dose of fighting, and name calling, and the nasty back and forth in Washington D.C. that has fascinated me for decades.  Until our political parties are less hostile towards each other, I’m done wasting my time listing to the most recent round of partisan bickering. 

As Masons, we’re supposed to be examples.  Too many of us aren’t being good examples at all.  We contribute to this hostile environment by the things we post, the things we say, and the way in which we treat each others.  And we don’t help by giving negative people on social media (I hesitate to use the word trolls) an audience.  They post outrageous opinions or memes so you’ll be angry about it, and then you fall right into the trap hook, line and sinker.  Next thing you know, you’re part of the problem.  You're helping them draw attention to themselves while they’re leaning back enjoying the show.  Just say no.  Or better yet, stop following those individuals.  

And why in the world aren’t we pulling our Brothers aside after a Lodge meeting and saying to them, “Hey, I saw what you posted on Facebook the other night.  That was really offensive.  Why are you posting that?  As a Mason you represent us all.”  That’s exactly what we should be doing.

And we're just as guilty when we let those fights happen on our own forums without intervening.  We have the ability to delete comments, we have the ability to say that conduct is not going to be permitted on our forums, and we have the ability to block people from our forums that can't be respectful and considerate to others.  I couldn't name the number of times I've been attacked on a friend's Facebook page while they've sat back and said or done nothing to stop it.  That's wrong.

Now I can already hear the Brethren saying they have a right to have an opinion.  They have a right to express their beliefs.  Of course you do.  It’s how you do it that matters.  It’s about being civil, demanding civility in return from others, and being willing to separate yourselves from individuals that demonstrate an inability to do that.  Remember what George Washington said, “It’s better to be alone than in bad company.” 

George Washington was right.  

I’ve noticed a few things since I made these positive changes a couple weeks ago.  I feel better being rid of all that negativity.  My Facebook feed now is full of pictures of dogs, humor, inspirational quotes, and photos of my friends and their families--like it used to be.  I listen to music in my car--and I turn it up really loud, too.  I’ve filled that time I usually spend at home watching the news with reading, or catching up on missed episodes of RWB Johnson’s excellent Whence Came You? podcast.  The time I was wasting on social media I’ve been using to write a new book with fellow Midnight Freemasons contributor Greg Knott—it’s going to be a good one, too.  There are more productive ways to spend our time. 

We’re not going to change the world spouting our opinions on social media—it’s our actions in the real world that make a difference.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and is a regular contributor.  He is the award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is the author of the From Labor to Refreshment blog.  He is the Worshipful Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754.  He is a Past Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees.  He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research. (FMLR) and a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D.  He recently joined the Tuscola Odd Fellows Lodge No. 316.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org