Freemasonry IS NOT For Everyone

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Taken at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. (photo by Greg Knott)

Believe it or not, I don't carry petitions in my pocket. I don't walk around handing out petitions the same way banks walk around college campuses handing out credit card applications to students. I'm a quality over quantity guy. I'm looking for specific characteristics. I'm looking for men of good character. I'm looking for men with a desire and a capacity to learn. I'm looking for men who are trustworthy and personable. When I find that guy, that's when I might be inclined to bring up the subject of Freemasonry. I was told recently that makes me an elitist. I disagree. It makes me selective. 

Freemasonry has always been selective. Sometimes we forget that. We get all wrapped up in bringing in numbers, we forget there is a larger purpose. We're supposed to make good men better. Good men. The Fraternity has always looked for men of good report and well recommended. We're not looking for warm bodies, we're looking for men who want to grow--men who possess certain desirable traits.  We want a man that will not only benefit from Freemasonry, but will be a benefit to Freemasonry. 

I have an old friend who is angry with me. I've known him for decades--since we were kids. He was angry that a couple of our mutual friends have joined the Fraternity at my suggestion, but that I've never invited him to join. I decided to spare him my full reasoning and focus on the one thing that makes that impossible--he's an atheist. He just laughed and said that was no problem at all--he said he had no problem saying he believed in the existence of God. 

And that's exactly why I could never recommend him. 

So don't look for warm bodies to fill your rosters--that benefits nobody. What you should be looking for are men who would make good Masons.  When you start looking for those men, you might just be surprised at how many you'll find.

~TEC (originally published 8/22/2026)

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is the award-winning author of the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He currently serves as Secretary of St. Joseph-Ogden Lodge No. 970 (IL).  He formerly served the Grand Lodge of Illinois as the State Education Officer. He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research (FMLR) and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville.

Why Are We Here Again?

 by The Midnight Freemason

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Do you remember the very first time you walked through the doors of your lodge?  Do you remember that feeling? That feeling that this place, these people, were doing something that actually mattered.

Maybe someone personally invited you. Maybe you showed up on your own because you'd heard about the work they were doing in the community. But whatever brought you there, something made you stay. Something clicked with you.

You found a place where you belonged.  And that feeling wasn't an accident. It was the result of an organization operating with a clear, compelling sense of purpose. They knew who they were. They knew why they existed. And that clarity of purpose is what made them strong. 

I want to talk today about what happens when that clarity starts to fade. When we drift from our original purpose.  And more importantly, what we can do together to get it back.

Here's the thing nobody wants to say out loud—most organizations don't drift on purpose. Nobody says in a meeting, "You know what, let's slowly abandon everything that made us great."

It happens gradually. Quietly. One small compromise at a time.  I’m a pastor, and I’ve seen churches make this mistake.  A church (or even a whole denomination) starts to notice the seats getting a little emptier. So they soften the message, just a little bit at first, to make it more comfortable for visitors. Then a little more. Then a little more after that. Before long, the people in the pews are hearing something that feels less like the gospel and more like a motivational seminar. The message that once changed lives has been watered down so it can't offend anyone — but it can't truly transform anyone either. 

Or take a fraternal organization — a lodge, a civic club, a brotherhood built around a specific mission of service and community. Somewhere along the way, they get pulled into a heated internal debate. And suddenly, every meeting, every newsletter, every conversation is about that one issue. The original mission sits quietly on the back burner while everyone argues about everything except the reason they exist. 

So focused on being relevant and current that they miss they’re destroying the very thing they’re trying to build.  And the energy fades.  Members are going through the motions, but the passion was gone. Membership starts to decline. Volunteers are harder and harder to recruit. You have fewer and fewer people involved.  You may even notice the people who've been around the longest start to quietly step back. 

And why?  What brought them to begin with is gone.

And here's the sad truth: when an organization drifts away from it’s purpose, it doesn't just lose members. It loses its voice. It loses its impact. It loses the very thing that made it strong in the first place. 

But here's the good news! That purpose doesn't disappear. That need doesn’t go away.  It just gets buried. And anything that's buried can be uncovered.

Think about a house that's been renovated one too many times. Layer after layer of paint, wallpaper, and new flooring have been added as each generation has tried to modernize it.  But underneath all of that? The original foundation is still solid. The bones are still good. 

That's what I genuinely believe about most organizations that have drifted. The foundation isn't broken. It's just been covered up.  The path back starts with something almost embarrassingly simple: go back and discover the original intent.

Now, I'm not talking about being stuck in the past. I'm not saying every organization needs to do things exactly the way they did them fifty years ago. Times change, and how you fulfill your mission absolutely can, and should, evolve.

But what you're called to do, your core purpose, your reason for existing, that doesn't change with the times. That's your compass. Not your map.  Returning to your purpose isn't nostalgia. It's courage. It takes real courage to look honestly at where you are, compare it to where you started, and say, "We've drifted — and we need to find our way back." That's not weakness. That's leadership. And that kind of honesty is exactly where transformation begins.  Go back to the blueprint. Reclaim your why. And watch what happens when an organization finally remembers who it is.

~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 the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He is also a member of St. Joseph-Ogden Lodge No. 970 (IL).  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). He is a charter member of Admiration Chapter No. 282 and a Past EHP.  You can contact him at webmaster@toddcreason.org

Coming Back Is Not Easy

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Gregory J. Knott

I don’t know about you, but returning to meetings for the blue lodge and other groups has been harder than I thought.   After basically a year of not attending meetings in person, I’ve come to see I have a different perspective on the necessity of my attendance.   I haven’t had as much free time as I did in the last year since I was very young and I have very much enjoyed not going to as many meetings.

As we get back into full speed, I have personally made the determination that I am going to attend meetings I wish to attend, not because I have to attend.   My days of going to mindless business meetings that really serve no purpose other than to plan the next mindless business meeting or talk about who is behind on paying dues are going to be limited.   

This isn’t to imply that I am down on Freemasonry, because I am not.  However, for me, Freemasonry isn’t reading the minutes, talking about a roof for months on end or complaining about the same guys who don’t pay their dues on time year after year.    Freemasonry to me should be educational opportunities, fellowship, service to others, and work within the community all with a purpose of individual self-improvement. 

What are your thoughts on returning to the lodge?  Do you look at things differently?  Are you satisfied with the way things were going before the pandemic and hope they return?  I am curious about your thoughts and perspectives.   Please leave them here in the comments or on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/midnightfreemasons

~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

Blue - It Isn't Immemorial

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

Blue. Blue is a color we love in Freemasonry. We call our lodges "Blue Lodges", we use it in our symbolism and on the basis of our allegory which ties into the Old Testament, it was also a sacred color then. In a presentation I give, I refer to the color as relating to the sky, representing the idea of limitlessness and even universality. But while these ideas are seemingly immemorial, the color Blue is decidedly not. At least in terms of perception. What follows below is a paraphrasing of several articles I linked in the sources below and some of my own brief commentary.

It turns out that the color Blue is a recent "discovery" in terms of our ability to see it. But I guess, I should really say it's a recent "ability" we've been able to utilize. A fellow by the name of William Gladstone (1809-1898) made an interesting observation. In Homer's Odyssey, Homer never describes the water or the sea as, "Blue". Instead, he uses the term "wine-dark".

This is very curious indeed! Did humans adapt to the ability to see the color blue? Did the eye change? No, not really. It was always there, and we did see it, however, our brains did not discern it or distinguish it in any particular way. The evidence wasn't just brought forth by 19th-century Prime Minister Gladstone.

A short time later a gent who studied the origin of words, Mr. Lazarus Geiger analyzed the languages of Icelandic, Hindu, Chinese, Arabic, and Hebrew and confirmed, no mention of the word "Blue" in any of the earliest texts from these languages. The first society to actually mention the color as we know it didn't happen until the Egyptians, who had a dye to make the color.

Modern science has taken a look at this and arguably the best work on the topic comes from Dr. Jules Davidoff who is a Psychologist from London. He's figured that essentially, we just didn't recognize it until recent times. He conducted studies with remote cultures like the Himba Tribes in Namibia, who had many words for the color Green, but not one for "Blue". In fact, when shown a chart with many green squares and one that was blue, they couldn't pick out the blue one.

Wild? I'd say so. However, he also found that that same tribe could pick out a slightly different green square from the others and his participants here in the USA could not. It's a matter of perception. Recently MIT conducted a study and found that native Russians have no real word for Blue, but do have a word for "Light Blue" and "Dark Blue" further, these people can distinguish between shades of colors much faster than we can in the United States.

Reading all this, made me think about the sacred blue in the Hebrew tradition called "Tekhelet". The recipe for which has been lost to time, but reportedly was made from snails. I reached out to a few scholars on the matter inquiring that if Blue is so new, why do we have evidence of this ancient Blue in the Hebrew tradition? The answer? Simple. It's still relatively recent in terms of Homer and that ancient world. It came after the ability to recognize it which is what added to it's mystique.

Sources:
Progress in Colour Studies: Volume II. Psychological aspects

Business Insider

New Scientist

~RHJ

RWB, Robert Johnson is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 where he is a Past Master. He is also a Past District Deputy 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 focus 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 and is also an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.

Toleration Amongst Brothers

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason

One of the things I enjoy as a Scottish Rite Mason is a part that I do in the 4th Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.  It's the Prologue part of the 4th Degree--an introduction to the Scottish Rite in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.  I do it twice a year, at our Valley Spring and Fall Reunions, and have for many years.  It's a great honor to do that part, because it's a very important part.  It's the first Scottish Rite degree our new candidates see, and I'm the first person they see on stage at the very beginning of their journey.  Those words in the prologue, and my delivery of them sets the tone and the expectation for what those candidates can expect as they pursuit their goal of becoming a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason.  So I make sure that I strive to do it the best I possibly can every single time.

In that Prologue, I tell those candidates a few things they need to know about how the Scottish Rite works, and I talk a little bit about the principles the Scottish Rite holds in high regard.  Without giving away any Masonic secrets, amongst those principles are Truth, Love, Charity, and Toleration.  They'll learn much more about those principles and many more on their journey through all 29 degrees of the Scottish Rite.

In today's world, I think one of those principles is more important than ever.  Toleration.  Freemasonry has always been a society that believes in toleration.  That's one of the reasons we don't discuss religion and politics in our Lodges.  There are few topics that can so quickly escalate into bitter conflict than a conversation on the topics of religion or politics.  I lost a good friend and Masonic Brother over politics.

My friend was a very active Mason.  He was involved in his Lodge, he served the Grand Lodge, and he was active in many appendant bodies including the Scottish Rite.  And like me, he absolutely loved history.  He was also a writer.  We became very good friends and occasional research and writing partners.  We'd have lunch together and get into huge debates over points in history.  And we discussed the importance of Freemasonry at great length.  

But during a very nasty and contentious national election cycle, contrary to our long standing tradition, some of the members of his Lodge began arguing over politics (outside the Lodge).  And these arguments divided these men.  In the end, my friend got so angry over the politics of some of his Brothers, he felt he could no longer sit in Lodge with them.  He didn't find a new Lodge to attend.  He quit.  He quit his Lodge.  He quit the position he held with our Grand Lodge.  He quit every single appendant body he was a member of.  Almost overnight he went from being one of the most active and involved Masons I knew, to just being gone.  I haven't spoken to him in months, and in our last conversation he said he'd never sit in Lodge again.  

One of the great strengths of Freemasonry is that we come together on the things we agree on and do amazing things together.  It's our diversity that makes us unique, and it's toleration of our differences that makes that diversity possible.  I don't want to sit in Lodge with a bunch of guys exactly like me.  That's not why I joined.

It pains me to say it, but I think my friend was right to quit.  I still hope one day he'll come back, but I do understand why he left.  If I get to the point where I can't sit in Lodge because somebody thinks differently than I do, or believes something differently than I do, I'll quit too.  I'll have to, because it would mean that I have totally missed one of the most fundamental principles of Freemasonry.  

Toleration.

~TEC 

Todd E. Creason is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog, and the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is the Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL).  You can email him at webmaster@toddcreason.org  

Blue Lodge First

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

WB Scott S. Dueball

*Editors Note* This piece was first featured on the "Whence Came You?" Podcast and was read by the writer, WB:. Scott S. Dueball. Listen here. 

When it comes to the appendant bodies, I often hear the phrase "Blue Lodge comes first." In fact, before I can develop a well thought-out response to a new Mason inquiring about the appendant bodies, this line comes careening across the room. Every. Time. I am not going to argue with that point as it holds some degree of truth. However, when I hear this phrase, it is used to mean something different. What may sound like "Blue Lodge should always come first", progressively transitions into "Blue Lodge should be the most important thing to you" and completes its evolution as "You shouldn't do anything else if you aren't going to Blue Lodge". That's right, the Scottish Rite steals members. The York Rite steals members. The Shrine steals members. I take exception to this position. The problem is that this thought allows the individual Blue Lodge (or those espousing the aforementioned belief) to expect you to participate without providing you something in return. This belief is propagated in order to require you to come to stated meetings, participate in degrees, and perhaps to learn lengthy lectures. All of which, I admit, are laudable. You are admonished that your duty is to fill whatever needs your Lodge may have. These duties may include sacrificing church to volunteer at pancake breakfasts, sacrificing tucking your children in to perform the "charge" for the evenings degree, or sacrificing most of your Saturday off for additional ritual instruction.

Where this becomes unhealthy is that we, as individual members, lack the same expectation of our Lodges. We do not believe that our Lodges owe us anything in return. We do not expect that the Lodge should be providing us with some fulfillment as well. By saying that the three degrees (and a few pancakes) should provide you with everything you need, we assume that the only thing you could ever need is to watch the same ritual performed in the same way that it has been for over 200 years. That is not fair. You can make the claim that you learn something every time you see the degrees and I would agree with you but remain firm when I ask "That's it?"

It is unfair to Masonry to pit the Blue Lodge against those Brothers who enjoy the appendant bodies. We don't lose active Brothers to the appendant bodies because those Brothers have their priorities wrong. It's quite the opposite, we (the Lodge) have our priorities wrong. The appendant bodies provide opportunities to their members that Blue Lodge do not. The Blue Lodge teaches one set of philosophies and almost never expands on them. You don't become a 33rd, KCCH, KYCH, by exclusively attending Blue Lodge. The appendant bodies also offer occasions to interact outside of your our Lodge. These are likely flaws with the existing model of many Blue Lodges.

I am sure you have all heard this sentiment before but I assure you that it is not a part of every Lodge. Blue lodges with thriving membership don't hold this belief (they certainly do not verbalize it). Thriving lodges provide their membership with reasons to show up and be active. They do not need to guilt their members by suggesting that their first responsibility is to be present. These lodges treat Masonic Philosophy as living, progressing, and ever evolving such that it requires constant discussion within the tyled space. These lodges have a genuine expression of appreciation for those dedicated to the Craft and its teaching. These lodges are never short of diverse interactions among Brothers.

The appendant bodies know that they must provide you with something to justify your participation. Your time and your priorities belong to you. How you choose to spend time away from home and family is completely your decision. Sacrificing time away from your non-Masonic life should be worthwhile. If you are giving up time with your spouse and kids, you have every right to expect to get something out of it. I admit that I am a member of my Lodge because I wanted to be Worshipful Master. There is truly no more or less to it than that. This period has been extremely fulfilling. A time where I will no longer receive the fulfillment of being Master is on the horizon and I will be in search for new fulfillment. I constantly wonder if I will I find it in my lodge or someplace else.

To suggest that our lack of participation is anyone else's fault but our own is myopic. It appeals to our own insecurities but it is far from true. Craft lodges and appendant bodies should both seek to prioritize the fulfillment of their members. When we use guilt to force members to stay active rather than giving them what they are seeking, we do the Gentle Craft a disservice. My wife and I are expecting a baby girl in August; is the chance to deliver a lecture I have heard a hundred times worth time away from her? Will running a Facebook/Eventbrite/Wordpress campaign be worth diverting focus and energy away from her and my wife? There are Masonic organizations that make these trade-offs worthwhile. It's a matter of who can deliver them and, quite honestly, no amount of reminding me that 'Blue Lodge comes first' will factor into that decision process.

~SSD

WB Scott Dueball is the Worshipful Master of D.C. Cregier Lodge No. 81 in Wheeling, IL and holds a dual membership in Denver Lodge No. 5 in Denver, CO. He currently serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois on the Leadership Development Committee and as the 2nd Northeast District Education Officer. Scott is also a member of the Palatine York Rite bodies, E.M. Lambert Council A.M.D. and the Valley of Chicago A.A.S.R. - N.M.J. He is passionate about the development of young masons, strategy and visioning for Lodges. He can be reached at scott@wheelingfreemasons.org ​

Suspended NPD — for Twenty-Five Years!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Over the years I've seen my Lodge and other Masonic bodies deal with members who don't pay their dues in a variety of ways. It seems there has been a progression of sorts requiring less and less of a financial effort for a Brother to return. Years ago I recall the NPD Brother had to pay the dues for each year missed, plus the current year's dues, to become a member in good standing once again. Then there was a period when the member in arrears had to pay just last year's and current year's dues. Now, for one of the bodies where I am a member, a Brother can re-join just by paying the current year's dues. If things keep going this way I guess we'll have to pay them to come back.

Of course, these men are our Brothers and we do, in fact, want them back; and there are good reasons why some don't pay — hardship and illness being at the top of the list. Every Masonic body I belong to always takes that into consideration and I have seen many meetings where understanding members remit the dues of a Brother who simply cannot pay.

Still, I think we're pretty lenient with NPD. My personal opinion is we probably should be. I mean, how many times have we heard it... "It's easier to keep the members you have than to go out and get new ones." 

With all that in mind, I ran across something that really made me do a double-take — make that a triple-take.

I was going through records kept by a 19th century Grand Secretary in Missouri when I came across a list of suspensions for Missouri Lodge No. 1. The first half dozen entries were for a group of Brothers suspended July 2, 1868, for non-payment of dues. The first line made note that Brother William Stewart was suspended NPD for a period of five years.

"Wow," I thought, "five years — that's pretty stiff."

No, it turns out Brother Stewart got off easy. The next four entries were for members suspended for periods of 20 or 25 years. Twenty-five years for NPD! Now, that sends a message.

The sixth entry was for Brother Maximilian Eller, suspended for a period of 10 years. This line also contained a note that Brother Eller came back after the 10-year suspension ended and paid his dues.

In those records there were other Brothers suspended for 25 years, which seemed to be more or less the standard; but beginning in 1872, with only two exceptions, NPD suspension penalties were: "until paid." 

So apparently, "until paid" became the new standard. One of those original six Brothers, Charles Eager, may have heard about this. Originally suspended for 20 years, the records indicate he returned in 1876 and made restitution. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine he went back to Missouri No. 1 and said, "Hey, look, I got a pretty harsh suspension for NPD but today you're letting guys off the hook if they just pay up. How about cutting me a little slack, too?" 

I doubt he used that exact phraseology but they did, in fact, let him back in.

I have to conclude somewhere along the way Missouri No. 1 decided its penalties for NPD were excessive, and backed off. It's also possible the Grand Lodge somehow stepped in with different standards. Whatever the case, at that point those standards became more closely aligned with those we have today. We may never know why they made that change but it's possible they, too, discovered "it's easier to keep the members you have than to go out and get new ones." 

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Worshipful Master. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and 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. His latest book, Freemasons: Tales From the Craft & Freemasons at Oak Island. Both are available on amazon.com.

You Must Be The Change

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Todd E. Creason, 33°, FMLR

"As these men I have profiled in the book show, Masonry has always attracted capable and industrious people.  Builders, doers, pioneers, and freethinkers tend to migrate towards Masonry."

Todd E. Creason's Famous American Freemasons: Volume I 

I was just beginning my journey as a Freemason when I wrote those words in my first book back in about 2006.  I'd been a Mason for maybe a year, but I clearly understood this concept very well--Masons do things. I'd seen it in my Lodge.  I'd seen it in the Scottish Rite.  I'd definitely seen it in the men I had researched and written about in my books.  As Benjamin Franklin said, "Well done is better than well said."  

That certainly doesn't mean that all Freemasons are builders, doers, pioneers, and freethinkers.  They aren't.  Lodges need great leaders--and far too many don't have them.  Some lodges have fallen into decades of the status quo--dying a slow but inevitable death.  They've forgotten what their purpose is.  And all they really need is a leader with a vision-- a leader with a plan.

The fraternity desperately needs leaders who have ideas, who have a vision, and can make a clear argument for change.  Leaders that will bring life back into the meetings, meaning back into the ritual, and make education and self-improvement a priority for its members.  It's not enough to complain about the problems in your Lodge, you have to be the change.  If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.  If you want to bring the light back into your Lodge, you need to be willing to carry the torch.

And I'll tell you something--it isn't easy.  I've been there.  You will be criticized.  You will be second-guessed.  You'll have no shortage of armchair quarterbacks ignoring every success, and pointing out every failure.  But you won't just find critics--you'll also find allies.  Men that will share your vision for the future and join with you.  That's key.  You'll never get there alone, but if you can make a compelling argument and get your Brothers behind you, you will be successful.  Before you know it, there will be more following your lead than listening to your critics.  And that's when you know your Lodge is turning the corner.  That's when your Lodge comes out of it's long slumber and begins to grow again.  That's when even your harshest critics will begin to see your vision--and when you win over your critics, you've achieved a success. 

Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, but I've seen Lodges come roaring back that were only a few meetings away from fading away forever.  Masonry is important.  It's not just about your Lodge, it's about your community.  The world has never been in greater need of men of the type that Freemasonry has been known to help produce for centuries.  Men who possess a strong moral code.  Men with values.  Gentlemen of strong character.  Once these qualities weren't at all uncommon, but today, they have become much more difficult to find.  There are few places left where men can strive to improve themselves in these areas--a Lodge of Freemasons is one such place.  But these places must continue to exists and thrive, and it's up to us to make sure that they do.

But it will take leadership, and strong leaders to bring that purpose back to the forefront.  Maybe that's what you're supposed to be to your Lodge.  

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor. He is also the author of the From Labor to Refreshment blog, where he posts on a regular schedule on topics relating to Freemasonry.  He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and currently serves as Secretary, and is also a member of Homer Lodge No. 199.  He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL), and a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research.  He was recently awarded the 2014 Illinois Secretary of the Year Award by the Illinois Masonic Secretaries Association.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

A Unique and Important History

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

A recent episode of The Masonic Roundtable (it's Must-See-TV*) discussed Lodge history.  Saying Lodge history — or Grand Lodge history, or even Masonic history — is a good thing is about as bold as being for Mom and apple pie but cataloging it and keeping it up to date is a difficult process.

First of all, I have to mention my state, Missouri, has done a great job preserving its history with a large Masonic Museum and an extensive library.  If you're ever in Columbia, both are worth the trip — but there is more.

Beginning in 1999, the Missouri Lodge of Research, under the direction of its Editor Ronald E. Wood, Jr., published a complete history of existing Missouri Lodges.  The monstrous eight-volume set included one volume of Grand Master biographies and took seven years to complete.  As a reference library it's a masterpiece and, in my opinion, hasn't gotten the recognition it deserves.

In order to get it written, Brother Wood asked each Lodge to submit its own history with a picture of the current building.  He then compiled it into what may be the most comprehensive history of the local Lodges in any jurisdiction.

The project had some rough spots.  First, different authors made for differences in writing styles and inconsistencies in the individual histories.  Some Lodges submitted extensive reports requiring as much as 20 pages.   Others contributed only a paragraph.  One such Lodge's only item of significance, for example, was that at one time it moved from 111½ Vermont Street to 111 Vermont Street... an earthshaking piece of Masonic history thankfully never to be lost.

The second issue related to the fact that the Missouri Lodge of Research selected each of these eight volumes to be its "book of the year" — the premium distributed to each member.  While cataloging this history was important, members became impatient with receiving similar books over the seven-year period.  More than that, Ronald Miller, then Secretary of the Missouri Lodge of Research, reported there was a significant drop in membership from those outside the Grand Lodge of Missouri, who saw the books as not being relevant to their interests.

Still, even with its foibles, this is a unique and important history.  As Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, I found the set invaluable.  

It would have been more valuable were it on the Internet in searchable, usable form.  In fact, groups contemplating such projects should consider — as the Roundtable pointed out — publishing them on the Internet, followed by hard-copy publication, a step that may not even be necessary.  This kind of project is an enormous undertaking but, for the purposes of Masonic research and history, well worth the work.

*Well, technically, its a podcast most listen to, so it's Must-See-TV that most don't see and it isn't TV.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Worshipful Master. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and 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. His latest book, Freemasons: Tales From the Craft & Freemasons at Oak Island. Both are available on amazon.com.

Freemasonry Is...

Survey Says? Part II

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB. Robert. H. Johnson

Not long ago, I published the first in a series of articles I planned on writing involving Masonic data. I asked a simple question about the Scottish Rite and you can read about it and see the crazy results of that survey here.

This time around, I wanted to gauge whether or not we as a fraternity really understand what and who we are, that is--Do we know that we are a fraternity of men who are a total mix of different religions and whats more, that we are not tied to any one faith?

We had over 300 responses to the initial open-ended question:

So without bias, and for your edification, here are the results.

67.9% said there was no particular background.

13% said that Masonry is a Christian fraternity who accepts others.

19.1% said that Masonry was a Deist order who accepts others. 

The results are what I expected. An overwhelming number of respondents believe what I do, and that is we are indeed, "The Brotherhood of man, under the Fatherhood of God." The other results are somewhat concerning to me. nearly 33% feel that there is some kind of religious category we fit into. 

I'll leave you all with these results and to do with them as you will. Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to make those changes or to whisper some council in an erring brother's ear. Overwhelmingly, this boils down to a tolerance issue. And as far as tolerance is concerned, if you look it up in a dictionary, there should be a picture of the Square and Compasses. 

~RHJ

Bro. Robert Johnson, 32° is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the First North-East District of Illinois. He is the Master of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 and Education officer for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies Royal Arch, Cryptic Council, Knights Templar, AMD, The Illinois Lodge of Research and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago as well as a charter member of the Society of King Solomon, a charity organization run by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. In addition, he produces video shorts focusing on driving interest in the Fraternity and writes original Masonic papers from time to time. He is also a cohost of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of three. He works full time in the safety industry and is also a photographer on the side as well as an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays.