Cleaning Up the Decades

 Cleaning up the Decades

By Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor

Gregory J. Knott, 33°

The Moving Crew

Items moved to St. Joseph

More items that were moved.

The recent merger of the Ogden lodge and St. Joseph lodge to form the new St. Joseph-Ogden Masonic Lodge no. 970 (name change pending grand lodge approval), came the task of cleaning out the Ogden lodge building.   A small committee had been appointed to coordinate the sale and the move. The building sold quickly and we had to get to work on the clean-up.

Ogden lodge itself was the product of a merger with Broadlands Lodge in 2008, which had merged with  Sidell Lodge 1983.  So within the Ogden building we had items and records from all three lodges that needed to be gone through.

After our passing of the light ceremony, we moved everything in the building into the dining room to use it as a staging area.  At that point we could begin sorting through what was going to St. Joseph and what was not going to be needed.   Furniture, member records, financial records, proceedings, masonic regalia, kitchen ware, tables, chairs, etc.   It was overwhelming.   But methodically we went through everything and began the sorting.   We ordered a dumpster, as there was just a bunch of stuff that had no value or reuse.   

We made contact with the local volunteer fire department and were able to donate a stockpile of tables and chairs, kitchen equipment and more that they will be able to reuse in their events with the community.  I took a load of items to the Salt and Light ministries retail store, which benefits their outreach programs.  Many individual items were given to brothers or other local people that could use them.    But there was still a large amount going to the St. Joseph Lodge.

I went through all of the paper records to ensure that all items of historical value such as petitions, minute books, register books etc were saved.  These include records dating back into the late 1800’s.   At a later time, we will go through all of the records in detail and consider a large digitization project to further preserve the information.  I will also be reaching out to the https://fraternalcenter.iu.edu/index.html Center for Fraternal Collections and Research at Indiana University for advice.

With everything sorted, packed and labeled, moving day was upon us.  We made contact with our local high school football coach to see if they might have any players who could assist us with moving.   Five players came to assist us and they did an awesome job!  We loaded and moved an entire moving truck full and had the items in St. Joseph Lodge all within two hours.   We are making a generous donation to the football program for their assistance.

With the contents taken care of, the closing of the sale of our Ogden building will be taking place in a couple of weeks. Numerous brothers helped in this process and it was truly a team effort.  I want to thank all of them who played a role.  It was a ton of work, but as I mentioned to someone, I have this as part of my Masonic experience now!

I am looking forward to the strong lodge we are forming in St. Joseph-Ogden Masonic Lodge no. 970!

~

Gregory J. Knott, 33° is the Senior Contributor for the Midnight Freemasons.  He is Past Master of both Ogden Lodge No. 754 and St. Joseph Lodge No. 970.   He is also an avid photographer since retiring.  You can see more of his photography at https://whyknottmedia.com/ 

A Scout is…A Freemason is

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor
Gregory J. Knott 33° 

Authors note:  I originally wrote this article in 2014 and have updated it with a few changes.  Since that time, I have remained an active Scouter.  I was proud to see my son Hayden earn his Eagle Scout award in 2020, as well as numerous other Scouts that we had in our Cub Scout Pack and Troop over the years, also earn their Eagle award.

I am even more convinced than I was in 2014, that what this country needs more of is: Scouting and Freemasonry. 

__________

As a Boy Scout, one of the first things I had to learn was the 12 points of the Scout Law.   I still say them often.  The Boy Scout Handbook¹ provides a brief description of what the 12 points mean to a Scout.  I wondered what they might read like if we applied them to Freemasonry.

 

 

A Scout is Trustworthy.

A Scout tells the truth. He is honest, and he keeps his promises. People can depend on him.

A Mason is a true and trusty brother, his bond is his word, and his brothers can count on him.

A Scout is Loyal.

A Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation.

A Mason has a duty to God, his country, family, friends, neighbors and himself.

A Scout is Helpful.

A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward.

A Mason practices faith, hope and charity.

A Scout is Friendly.

A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own.

A Mason is always ready to extend his hand in friendship to a fellow Mason and contribute to the relief of our widows and orphans.

A Scout is Courteous.

A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along.

A Mason exemplifies a demeanor of respect towards his brothers.

A Scout is Kind.

A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing.

A Mason shows brotherly love to his brothers and exhibits a sincere kindness to all whom he meets. 

A Scout is Obedient.

A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobeying them.

A Mason is loyal to his country, respects the rule of law and squares his actions by the square of virtue.

A Scout is Cheerful.

A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.

A Mason greets a fellow brother with a smile, a firm handshake, and a warm greeting.

A Scout is Thrifty.

A Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.

A Mason thrives to preserve the ancient usages and customs of the fraternity, yet is open to new ideas and means of growing our fraternity.

A Scout is Brave.

A Scout can face danger although he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him.

A Mason understands that wisdom, strength, and beauty are the pillars of a well-governed lodge.  He lives by a set of principles that set him apart from others in society, even if at times it may seem difficult to do so.

A Scout is Clean.

A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards. He helps keep his home and community clean.

A Mason is pure in thought, words and deeds.  

A Scout is Reverent.

A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

A Mason has a belief in God, living his life by that great book, and seeks the blessing of deity.  

¹ Excerpted from page 47-54, Boy Scout Handbook, 11th Edition,

(#33105), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3105-2 

~GJK

Gregory J. Knott, 33° 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