Education Application – Episode 2: The Current “Culture Club”

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Mark St. Cyr

 

Originally published at the Whence Came You Podcast (link here) on August 29, 2023 for its  Education Application series. Adapted here for the Midnight Freemasons. 

Let’s dig in…

When I refer to culture, I’m speaking directly to the attitude of all those involved both from an operational sense, as well as its general membership. In other words – all its statutory officeholders all the way through the rank and file membership.

So with that, let’s now use an actual real-life example to give further context that’ll also help ease further understanding.

Ready? Here we go…

A meeting was about to begin and everyone was ready to start, then it became obvious one officer was missing.

As everyone looked around it became apparent one of the officers was either going to be late or was a no-show, but no one knew. Everyone began doing the “Do you know?” Did he call you?” Did he say anything to you?” and so forth. You’ve all witnessed scenes like this.

So now the obvious was to find out so a decision to delay or something other could be had.

A phone call went out where it was then learned – he had just finished a colonoscopy and was in no shape to attend and fulfill his role at the meeting.

The brothers, to a man, took sympathy with the situation and proceeded to make hurried arrangements to still conduct the meeting. As to “get it in the books.”

Luckily they were able to meet quorum because there just so happened to be one extra in attendance who just so happened to be the only one to return of many who participated in a recent one-day class.

Now let’s move into the true devil in the details in all of this and just to reiterate: Remember during the inaugural episode I made the point I will not sugarcoat issues? Well, we’re now going to enter that sugar-free zone. So here we go…

First and foremost…

Had this newly initiated brother not been there?

A quorum would not have been met – therefore – no meeting. Resulting in a complete waste of time for all involved. A true debacle right out of the gate.

Next…

How is it that a brother, who has now moved to the next level up in the line of chairs for higher office allows such a thing to happen regarding his nonattendance and the difficulty he surely knows that causes?

Another…

To simply not take the time nor even make the effort as to warn or notify anyone prior, even up to the day of the actual meeting is cause alone for stern rebuke in and of itself. Let’s be candid here: This type of procedure is one that’s scheduled in advance. This is not like some emergency that happens to everyone where making arrangements to the contrary is impossible. We’ve all had those, and they happen. It’s called life.

But it doesn’t stop there…

The handling by this brother is one thing but then everyone else’s reaction to it was not what should be thought as “acceptable” by any measure. As a matter of fact – it borders on pitiful if not downright so, trying to argue to the contrary, which many of you may now be contemplating with arguments such as…

“The missing brother may have a legit excuse that we just don’t know – and the attending brothers were just trying to work through what was just a bad situation the best they could therefore blah blah blah”

Sure, OK, but I’m sorry, it’s arguments like this that demonstrate why you yourself may be more of the problem than you fully understand. Why? Because it’s these sorts of responses, general nullifications, or excuses if you wish that de facto legitimize situations such as this to happen routinely, continually ad infinitum.

Again, If you think I’m being too harsh here? Let me lay it out this way…

To reiterate: A procedure such as this (the colonoscopy) is usually scheduled far in advance. At some point in time when adding it to his own calendar – mentally or otherwise. He must have become aware there was going to be an obvious conflict.

Again, for clarity, I ask you to answer for yourself: Does one simply not know or does one casually forget when their respective Lodge meets either day or time? Add to that: especially if it's a seasoned member?

Let’s move on to another…

He answered his phone. That’s how it was learned. They had to call him to find out, otherwise – squat. So what have we learned? Well, we are now fully aware he was not incapacitated enough to answer – therefore logic dictates – he was also not incapacitated enough to not call and let someone know. Or said differently…

By dint of his own actions, it demonstrated the decision in relation to commitment of obligation was not worth his effort. You may want to disagree, but the fact proves otherwise. Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s what I do.

Here’s the other in all this that needs to be part of this summation: The vast majority of the brothers attending this meeting were themselves all high officers in different bodies both in blue lodges as well as concordant. Why is this important to the overall thesis?

Because: as far as could be discerned, it was all just shaken off as “Oh well, another day in the life of Lodge.”

This is a snapshot of the culture permeating throughout Freemasonry today where the jokes write themselves. Think about it. A brother decided he would rather go through a colonoscopy and beg for forgiveness later than – attend a meeting that lasted little more than 40 minutes consisting of a discussion itself mere minutes on prior meeting plans, then a reading of the minutes from the prior meeting of plans discussed at the last meeting – then – adjourned.

The problem is – it’s no laughing matter. And It’s all true. How do I know?

Because I was there – I was that new initiate.

We’ll tackle how this and more can change in subsequent articles. See you then.

Mark St.Cyr
Freemason

Education Application – Episode 1: The True Existential Crisis Facing Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Mark St. Cyr

Originally published on the Whence Came You Podcast (link here) on August 7, 2023. Adapted here for the Midnight Freemasons.

Before we delve into this topic, it is important to clarify a few points. First and foremost, this series does not reflect any endorsement or should be inferred as such from any Grand Lodge or Concordant body. Please refer to your jurisdiction’s rules for governance before considering any application of the ideas presented here.

Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter. This is not a cookie-cutter recital of methodologies borrowed from management guru books. Instead, we will address the hard issues that need to be addressed within the Craft. For decades, the Craft has grappled with these issues, and the results speak for themselves – actually, they’re screaming.

What you can expect from this series are real-world solutions presented in quick and easy-to-understand scenarios. These solutions will be delivered by me, off the cuff, and in an extemporaneous manner. I must clarify that I’m not here to make friends; I’m here to provoke thought. The former takes place in the Lodge room, while the latter will take place here.

Now, you may be wondering, “Why should I listen, and who is this guy anyway?” Allow me to answer that question.

I have spent the last two decades at the forefront of thought leadership in the world of business and financial insight. While I understand that some of you may try to find fault with my arguments or give knee-jerk reactions of “But that won’t work here!” and more, I ask you to keep an open mind and consider whether I may make some points worth considering and applying.

To give you a metric to judge my credibility, let me share a story. A few years ago, one of the top business and financial news outlets sought perspectives on the prospects of the US economy and Apple, the largest company at the time. They asked Warren Buffet for his thoughts and quoted him in their article. When they wanted a viewpoint on Buffet’s thoughts, they quoted me. This is not to brag but to emphasize that I may possess some knowledge in this domain.

Ultimately, what you take away from this series is up to you. But at the very least, you now have a metric to judge my credibility.

Now, let’s address the true existential crisis facing Freemasonry today: Nobody wants it to be just a hobby. This argument (e.g., just some hobby) undermines the Craft itself, as well as attempts to shore up membership and keep those remaining engaged. Unfortunately, many cannot see this issue or, even if they do, refuse to come to grips with it. The numbers prove that this problem will continue to worsen, no matter the remedies the Craft employs.

To understand why this issue is so significant, we must recognize that any organization or structure faces a dozen core issues that can cripple it. While each issue alone could be self-sufficient in causing substantial damage, they usually work in combination. In severe cases, all of these issues are present simultaneously.

Identifying and remedying these core issues is challenging, which is why many once heralded institutions crumble into oblivion once the so-called “management guru consultant class” leaves, declaring “Problems solved.” These methodology presentations often fail because they apply the latest buzz phrase from some generic best-selling book. The decision to bring in these consultants is often based on a desire to fulfill a requirement rather than prioritizing efficacy.

Don’t just take my word for it – look at all the companies and institutions that were once market leaders but have now vanished after consultants left the building. Sears serves as one such example.

Returning to the dozen core issues I mentioned earlier, the first step in remedying them is to identify the most dramatic issue affecting all aspects of the organization, from the public to the customer base and even the people within it. Without addressing this singular issue as a priority, all other attempts to fix the organization will be futile. They will only mask the problems temporarily before they resurface in a magnified form.

We have all witnessed organizations that appeared to be getting their act together, only to crumble shortly thereafter. These brands, once respected and possessing unshakable customer loyalty, are now disappearing. Craftsman, once a renowned brand, serves as a prime example.

So, what does this argument about the Craft being treated as a hobby actually mean? It means everything.

The culture within the Craft must realign with its original purpose and raison d’être. No amount of strategy sessions or tactical measures will lead to lasting change unless the underlying culture shifts. This is why committee meetings and well-intentioned programs only work temporarily and at the surface level. They eventually succumb to the stagnation and entropy of the past.

Why does culture play such a vital role? Because culture eats strategy and tactics for breakfast. Implementing new ideas or management principles will not fundamentally change an organization. It may create an illusion of progress, but it will not have a lasting impact in the larger context.

The existing culture within the organization will do everything in its power to resist change. Deep down, it prefers to complain rather than embrace change. It clings to what is familiar and resists anything new, regardless of how much it argues otherwise. Even in the face of oblivion, the culture will argue that “things have to change” but will not actively participate in that change unless their own employment is at stake. And if that happens, they will complain, claiming that their insights went unheard.

This phenomenon is far too common.

Within the Craft, the culture today often treats obligations to the craft as a hobby rather than a transformative way of life. It fails to recognize that the Craft is sacred in its institution, instructions, and commitment. Instead, more people treat the Craft as “their thing,” similar to how they approach their hobbies of choice.

Before I delve into specific examples, I’d like to leave you with a thought experiment. Imagine your boss asks you, a week in advance, to pick them up from the airport at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. They explicitly state that you are the only person they trust with this responsibility. You agree to fulfill the task. However, on that Thursday, you suddenly realize you have a prior engagement or appointment. What do you do?

Do you cancel your commitment and make arrangements for your forgotten task, regardless of the consequences, in order to fulfill your obligation to your boss? Or do you fulfill your forgotten task and beg your boss for forgiveness as they are left stranded at the airport, having to find their own way home?

Most of you likely agree that canceling your prior engagement to fulfill your boss’s request is the obvious correct path.

The problem lies in how we apply our resolve to the Craft. In practice, we often choose the latter path, neglecting our obligations and seeking forgiveness later.

In subsequent articles, I will provide specific examples to illustrate this further. Until then.

Mark St.Cyr
Freemason

The Lodge Education Series: A History of Blue

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

R.H. Johnson

Prepared for Waukegan Masonic Lodge July 17th, 2023

*Note* This is the second time I've posted about this unique phenomenon. You can read the first one HERE. For this version, I prepared it for my Mother Lodge and I also quoted, almost in full, an article that ran on the Business Insider website. This piece received good feedback. It was practical, interesting, not all the way Masonic, but was unique enough to cause interest in historical, masonic, and scientific thinking Brothers.

The color blue holds great symbolic and practical significance in Freemasonry. Symbolically, blue represents fidelity, wisdom, loyalty, and truth, which are all key virtues cherished by Freemasons. The use of blue in Freemasonry can be traced back to ancient times, where it was associated with divine truths and spiritual enlightenment.

In the Western world Blue is associated psychologically with safety. Interesting when we consider how our candidates come into the lodge for their degrees.

Practically, blue serves as the primary color of the Masonic Lodge. The walls of the lodge are usually painted in various shades of blue, and the Master of the Lodge, as well as other officers, typically wear blue Masonic aprons. This use of blue creates a distinct atmosphere within the lodge, fostering a sense of unity and harmony among the brethren. It also serves as a visual reminder of the values and principles that Freemasons strive to uphold.

Furthermore, the color blue is integral to several Masonic rituals and ceremonies. For instance, when a candidate is initiated into Freemasonry, he is blindfolded and led around the lodge, ultimately approaching the "Blazing Star" in the East, which is often depicted as a blue star. This symbolizes the candidate's journey from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge. The blue star also represents Divine guidance and signifies the pursuit of truth and wisdom.

In addition to its symbolic and practical significance within Freemasonry, the color blue also holds historical and cultural significance. In ancient times, blue pigments were precious and rare, as they were obtained from naturally occurring minerals. This made blue a color associated with nobility and spirituality. The use of blue in European heraldry further emphasized its association with honor and virtue.

In the history of Mankind, Blue is almost brand new. And I mean this scientifically—Humans did not recognize the color blue until what we might consider semi-modern times. But the sky? The Ocean?

The following article is a wonderful journey into the human discovery of blue. It is lifted in bulk and placed within this piece to give full understanding. The article was originally published by Business Insider and was written by Kevin Loria.

No one could describe the color 'blue' until modern times

“In "The Odyssey," Homer famously describes the "wine-dark sea." But why "wine-dark" and not deep blue or green?

In 1858 a scholar named William Gladstone, who later became the prime minister of Great Britain, noticed that this wasn't the only strange color description. Though the poet spends page after page describing the intricate details of clothing, armor, weaponry, facial features, animals, and more, his references to color are strange. Iron and sheep are violet; honey is green.

So Gladstone decided to count the color references in the book. And while black is mentioned almost 200 times and white about 100, other colors are rare. Red is mentioned fewer than 15 times, and yellow and green fewer than 10. Gladstone started looking at other ancient Greek texts and noticed the same thing — there was never anything described as "blue." The word didn't even exist.

It seemed the Greeks lived in a murky and muddy world, devoid of color, mostly black and white and metallic, with occasional flashes of red or yellow.

Gladstone thought this was perhaps something unique to the Greeks, but a philologist named Lazarus Geiger followed up on his work and noticed this was true across cultures.

He studied Icelandic sagas, the Koran, ancient Chinese stories, and an ancient Hebrew version of the Bible. Of Hindu Vedic hymns, he wrote: "These hymns, of more than ten thousand lines, are brimming with descriptions of the heavens. Scarcely any subject is evoked more frequently. The sun and reddening dawn's play of color, day and night, cloud and lightning, the air and ether, all these are unfolded before us, again and again ... but there is one thing no one would ever learn from these ancient songs ... and that is that the sky is blue."

There was no blue, not in the way that we know the color — it wasn't distinguished from green or darker shades.

Geiger looked to see when "blue" started to appear in languages and found an odd pattern all over the world.

Every language first had a word for black and for white, or dark and light. The next word for a color to come into existence — in every language studied around the world — was red, the color of blood and wine.

After red, historically, yellow appears, and later, green (though in a couple of languages, yellow and green switch places). The last of these colors to appear in every language is blue.

The only ancient culture to develop a word for blue was the Egyptians — and as it happens, they were also the only culture that had a way to produce a blue dye.

If you think about it, blue doesn't appear much in nature — there are almost no blue animals, blue eyes are rare, and blue flowers are mostly human creations. There is, of course, the sky, but is that really blue? As we've seen from Geiger's work, even scriptures that contemplate the heavens continuously still do not necessarily see it as "blue."

In fact, one researcher that Radiolab spoke with — Guy Deutscher, author of "Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages," tried a casual experiment with that. In theory, one of children's first questions is, "Why is the sky blue?" So he raised his daughter while being careful to never describe the color of the sky to her, and then one day asked her what color she saw when she looked up.

Alma, Deutscher's daughter, had no idea. The sky was colorless. Eventually, she decided it was white, and later on, eventually blue. So blue was not the first thing she saw or gravitated toward, though it is where she settled in the end.

So before we had a word for it, did people not naturally see blue?

This part gets a little complicated because we do not know exactly what was going through Homer's brain when he described the wine-dark sea and the violet sheep — but we do know that ancient Greeks and others in the ancient world had the same biology and therefore same capability to see color that we do.

But do you really see something if you don't have a word for it?

A researcher named Jules Davidoff traveled to Namibia to investigate this, where he conducted an experiment with the Himba tribe, which speaks a language that has no word for blue or distinction between blue and green.

When shown a circle with 11 green squares and one blue, they could not pick out which one was different from the others — or those who could see a difference took much longer and made more mistakes than would make sense to us, who can clearly spot the blue square.

But the Himba have more words for types of green than we do in English.

When looking at a circle of green squares with only one slightly different shade, they could immediately spot the different one.

Davidoff says that without a word for a color, without a way of identifying it as different, it is much harder for us to notice what is unique about it — even though our eyes are physically seeing the blocks it in the same way.

So before blue became a common concept, maybe humans saw it. But it seems they did not know they were seeing it. If you see something yet can't see it, does it exist? Did colors come into existence over time? Not technically, but our ability to notice them may have ...”

Our earliest art using the color is 1,500 BCE. Throughout the medieval period, blue was worn by poor commoners. But in the 13th Century, the nobility took a real interest in blue, and “red V. blue” was a real thing.

The earliest known blue dyes were made from plants – woad in Europe, indigo in Asia and Africa, while blue pigments were made from minerals, usually either lapis lazuli or azurite.

Overall, the color blue is deeply ingrained in Freemasonry's symbolism and culture. It represents the virtues and principles that Freemasons strive to embody and serves as a visual reminder of their commitment to truth, wisdom, loyalty, and fidelity.

~RHJ

RWB Johnson is an Emeritus Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four and 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 Divisions of Empires - The Scottish Rite Northern Masonic andSouthern Jurisdictions - Revisit

A story of jurisdictions within the Scottish Rite body of Freemasonry.

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

*Updated May 2015 from the original which was published in The Working Tools Magazine

In light of the recent events of Celebrate the Craft 2016, the annual fundraiser for the Southern Jurisdiction House of the Temple, the upcoming November 12th celebration of Scottish Rite Day, and the absolute awkwardness that was the Scottish Rite NMJ survey, I found myself fielding tons of questions as of late regarding the Scottish Rite, it's jurisdictions, schisms, differences, and similitudes. So below is a slightly revised version of an article I wrote for the Working Tools Magazine quite a while back. Enjoy...

When I joined the AASR (Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite) in 2012, no one told me that there were two jurisdictions within the order (in North America, let alone the different versions which exist globally). All I knew was that when I took the tour of our new cathedral (The Valley of Chicago), it felt like both a country club and a great fraternal organization to be a part of. 

Let's explain for the brothers who might not know about the two jurisdictions or empires as I jokingly referred to them. We begin in the fog of antiquity. There are some documents and writings which suggest that the Scottish Rite was active in the 1730s in England, but I am not here to debate the origins. I will talk about what we know.

Some speculation--We know that the Scottish Rite was a bunch of Scottish Masons who left Scotland to go to France. Some say they (the Scotsmen) were defectors, but this is not official. After a stay in France, these Scottish Masons became tired of their Masonry being diluted with French culture (again, additional speculation), so they left and took with them the system of degrees.

There were many spinoffs of the Scottish Rite system, Memphis-Mizraim, for instance, with 96 or 99 degrees depending on which source you use, but again, I won't be touching that one. When the system reached America, the Scottish Rite system was almost a product. It was being sold by the multitudes like traveling salesmen selling vacuum's or steaks to an unsuspecting sucker err Brother… There was no quality control, no authority on the degrees and, there were versions galore. So, the Mother Council of the World was created in Charleston, South Carolina in, 1801. They added a few degrees to the existing 25 and now had the well known 32 degrees plus 1 honorary degree, the 33rd (some say the 33rd was actually taken from the competing "Cerneau" degrees, a system which later caused the biggest schism the Fraternity had then known.)

They adopted a new motto, a Latin phrase, "Ordo Ab Chao," meaning Order Out of [from] Chaos. Most would agree this phrase was adopted because it refers to the chaotic status of the Rite during the preceding years, in plain language, it was a mess, but no longer. Well, …. kind of.

There were still a few rogue groups of Scottish Rite enthusiasts way up in the North and North East ("Cerneauism"). They were ordered to get their stuff together, and they did. In 1806 the Supreme Council of The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction was formed, holding precedence over fifteen states, the remaining thirty-five plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico being under the Southern Jurisdiction.

Coming back now to the year 2012, there I was sitting in the theater of the VOC (Valley of Chicago), receiving my degrees over an amazing three days. I remember at the time I was working a 1st shift job, I woke up at 4:30 am, worked 9 hours then, got dressed, and went to the reunion at night. I was super tired. Nevertheless, I had a great time. I was introduced to the awesome system of Scottish Rite Degrees. 

During that reunion, the Valley of New Orleans had come up to share in the fellowship and put on a "Red" third degree. That degree was amazing, but it is a story for another time. Over dinner, I sat with the Brothers from New Orleans, and that is when I first learned of a difference between our two jurisdictions. I was thoroughly confused. The Brothers from New Orleans advised me to check out the Master Craftsman Program, a correspondence course set up by the Southern Jurisdiction to help us understand the degrees and gain better insight. 

So needless to say, I did it. I started the MCP (Master Craftsman Program), and that's when I realized that these degrees were different. Not just a little, a lot. The names were different. The degrees were different. The messages were different. Not one thing was the same, not even the "Royal Secret." When I looked to the all-powerful Internet for further information, there were no official statements or even articles which explained the differences between these two organizations. There was nowhere to turn other than forums like Reddit. So I really hope this article helps anyone who was in my situation. Well, it wasn't long before I decided I needed to see this "Southern Jurisdiction" first hand.

Lucky for us, this was easy. Both jurisdictions recognize each other, although if you see a degree in either jurisdiction, it doesn't count if you are a member of the opposite. And now I knew why. The answer? Because they are completely different. You would think that the AASR is the AASR no matter where you go, but it isn't. I talked to my good friend, mentor, and SR brother, Frank, about visiting the Valley of St. Louis. Then I called the Valley of St. Louis and inquired what I needed to attend their Spring Reunion.

The secretary advised me to bring my current dues card and my cap. ( I thought, I guess I have to buy a cap?). I asked if there was a fee for us to pay, and there wasn't. I asked about hotels in the area, and they gave me a bed in the dorm for free. Apparently, this trip was going to cost me a tank of gas, and that's it. I was excited. My next step was to ask my Scottish Rite Mentor, Frank, about these caps. Frank loaned me one to wear on my stay. At this point, all I knew was that the hospitality at the Valley of Chicago wore the typical black cap. It turned out, in the SJ, everyone wears a cap. I later bought one while at the Valley of St. Louis.

So, I got down there, had a great tour, stayed in the dorm, was fed meals, and given drink. It was definitely Brotherly love in action. I didn't know what exactly to expect when I saw the degrees of the SJ. I had a little grasp since I had done the MCP, but again I thought, "How different could it be?". The answer again was COMPLETELY. I'd like to outline a few things and differences between the NMJ and the SJ, between these seemingly amicable empires who strive so hard to spread light among brothers.

The first thing which strikes a difference between the NMJ and SJ is the degrees themselves. In fact, this is probably the biggest difference. The easiest way to describe it, is that where the SJ maintains the look and feel of a traditional degree, complete with an alter, VSL (Volume of Sacred Law) and various implements associated with the degree, the NMJ uses only a scripted play, no altar, no aprons just a skit which should impart the lessons contained. The SJ tends to style each degree as most blue lodge, and York Rite members are accustomed. There is an explanation of the degree, a password (in some degrees), specific aprons, and esoteric fundamentals explained. Most of all, each degree in the SJ is set up where it feels like a lodge being opened and closed with a small drama in-between and a typical explanation on the meaning and secrets of the degree after.

The NMJ usually starts with a preface, and then explodes into what I can only describe as "Broadway." There isn't an explanation into the mysteries per se, but rather a specific "take away" that the degree team hopes you have seen and realized. Further, the NMJ uses "passports," which you have stamped after each degree in order to keep track of what you have seen, and also each page which has the title of the degree also has the "take away" or moral lesson printed therein. No passwords, no grips, no aprons. Just a performance with a message, which is pretty modern.

In short, the NMJ was a modern adaptation of a play, where the SJ was a ritual that you watched, like a play. I hope that makes some sense.

Further differences between the two seem to be that, as I stated before, in the NMJ, the black hats are worn by members are typically worn only by the hospitality (Although this varies by state and sometimes particular valley.) whereas, in the SJ, they are given to each member as a part of their initiation into the Rite (again this varies from valley to valley). On the whole, all members, regardless of how they got their hat, are encouraged to wear their black hats at all SR events in the SJ. The basic membership or 32nd-degree members in the NMJ typically do not wear caps.

Another interesting difference is the emphasis on the 14th degree, and it's ring. In the NMJ, little is mentioned about this ring, whereas again, in the SJ, there is an explanation of it, and sometimes one is given to each candidate. This practice has been suspended in many valleys due to the cost of buying a ring for each candidate. Nevertheless, candidates who have received the 14th degree in the SJ are encouraged to acquire and wear this ring and to wear it always until which time IF they are chosen to receive the honorary 33rd degree. The NMJ really focuses on the Fraternity aspect or even social qualities and really emphasizes the 32nd degree.

There are a great many more differences as well, for instance in some valleys in the SJ, the members perform a public play for the profane (uninitiated), this play is actually the 20th degree of the NMJ. It deals with George Washington and Benedict Arnold. What is a private degree for the NMJ is a public event in the SJ. The 4th degree of the NMJ in many cases is given as a video presentation and is kind of a "general preview" of what to expect in the degrees of the AASR NMJ. According to some sources, the 4th-degree video was originally intended to be a promo for the AASR NMJ for Masons and their families, and possibly to give them an idea what the SR was all about and somewhere along the line, it just became the 4th degree. The 4th degree in the SJ is again, more of a lodge ceremony similar to the blue lodge and York Rite degrees.

The degree structure in both is a bit different as well. In the NMJ and SJ, the 4th through 14th degrees are under what is called "The Lodge of Perfection." However, after this, there are some differences. The NMJ then confers the 15th and 16th degrees under what is called "The Princes of Jerusalem," while the SJ confers the 15th through18th as the "Chapter of Rose Croix." The NMJ confers the degrees in the "Chapter of Rose Croix" in just two degrees, the 17th, and 18th. From there, the NMJ confers the 19th through the 32nd under the "Consistory," while the SJ confers the 19th through the 30th under the "Council of Kadosh," and finally, the 31st and 32nd as the consistory.

After seeing degrees in both jurisdictions, it was apparent to me that both merit applause. Hard-working Brothers, putting on the best degrees they can for the betterment of the AASR. I will continue to receive degrees in both jurisdictions because they are complementary in certain ways.

Still, after all, this had a question, "Why the difference?". Why was the SJ just rocking these revised Albert Pike rituals, and why did the NMJ decide to revise and, in many cases, continually revise degrees? While there seems to be no "official" language, there is speculation on the reasons for the contrast.

One reason often cited was that Albert Pike being a confederate officer, the status of which was "held against him," and so the North refused the degrees he rewrote, siding instead with the Charles T. McClenachan version, which was a re-write of Pike's re-write. Although there is often stated that there is no contention between these jurisdictions today, writings often refer to these jurisdictions as "rivals" in the early days.

Also, it should be noted that the Charles T. McClenachan version of the ritual was from what I have researched, not a re-write of any published work of Pike's, but a re-write or updating of Pike's unofficial ritual, Magnus Opus and that Charles T. McClenachan used parts of the never published "Secret Directory" which was a handwritten explanation of degrees in a five-volume set that the NMJ had acquired.

Another often cited reason for the differences is yet another objective opinion, which harkens to the idea of the "Northerner's need for progressive and liberal changes.". In this notion, it is supposed that the "old degrees" hold no truth for today's Freemason and that the degrees need to be updated continually to be properly understood. This was accomplished by updating the degrees and rewriting them to showcase more familiar and relatable concepts while trying to maintain the original "take-away" or lesson of the degree. Essentially a modernization in an extreme form. What I find interesting is that if this is indeed true—that the degrees need updating to be understood by today's Mason, why then have the blue lodge craft degrees not done this? I would say personally that no degree needs updating, but that is my humble opinion.

To revisit the idea posed earlier, that there is no contention and that today both jurisdictions work in unity together, is an accurate statement as it relates to visitation, recognition, and cordiality, but is what I would describe as a partial facade when it comes to the attitudes of individual members and their beliefs about the "other guys." In my travels, I have found that members believe in the superiority of their system, although they respect and recognize each other. Of course, there are jokes about the respective "camps" on both sides. In fact, while in the Valley of St. Louis, I was told, "We don't have any fancy submarine degrees.", as he chuckled, and then made a jab about the NMJ having video degrees but it was all in jest. Yes, I did say that degrees are on video. This still comes as a surprise to Masons residing within the NMJ and SJ members as well. It's not something many of us are happy about. But this paper is not for critiquing, rather to advise and educate. As for the SJ, I have heard in my own valley, some rather interesting comments made about the "clinging to old ways" and monologues that "droll on and on…", referring again to the SJ rituals. There definitely seems to be some underlying animosity.

In the end, the AASR, whether you're talking about NMJ or SJ, have excellent systems of moral instruction and degrees. Whichever you join, whether you like it or not, is recognized by the other, which means you can visit either one you like. There is, of course, the problem of degrees themselves being recognized, which they are not. So just keep track of the degrees you see and take notes. I think there is an interesting conclusion to be made, which is that perhaps the AASR is not 32 degrees, but rather 64 degrees with honorary 33rd degrees in both, which again, are different from each other.

I hope this aids in your search for light my Brothers. Here is to all 64 errr 66 degrees of the AASR!

Below is a video that just came out. It is made by the NMJ I believe in prep for the Scottish Rite Day on November 12th. It has some good history and is only 3 minutes long. Enjoy. 

RHJ

References: Scottish Rite Ritual and Monitor, Committed to the Flames, Bridge to Light, Mackey's Masonic Encyclopedia.

Bro. Robert Johnson, PM 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 Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 and Education officer for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois as well as a past member on the Grand Lodge Education Committee. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies, 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 co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four. He works full time in the executive medical 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.

It's Masonic Con Season!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RWB:. R.H. Johnson

It's June! This time of year is marked by Lodges getting back to work. And in so doing, we're seeing a major influx of presentations at the local and jurisdictional levels. If you're an active Brother, you're undoubtedly busy as all heck trying to make it to all the Masonic Education you can. It's like open season!

The year really kicked off with the Midwest Conference on Masonic Education (MCME1949.org). Read about the experience in this month's The Lyceum (The Grand Lodge of Illinois Education Publication). After that, the Masonic Restoration Foundation held its first in-person meeting in quite some time.

Just this last weekend, I was at the 4th annual Esotericon--in-person after a two-year stint of being entirely virtual. It was epic. Great speakers all around. The weekend before that was the Original Masonic-Con Event, kicked off several years ago by Ezekial Bates Masonic Lodge. This time around, it moved to Manchester, New Hampshire.

You might be curious about what's next...I'm glad you asked. The next Masonic Con event will be South Pasadena Masonic Lodge (SPML) Masonic Con - www.MasonicCon.com. There will be many speakers you all know and love, a major pop-culture festive board, and more. Then in August, both Masonic Con Texas and Masonic Con Kansas! That's right! For the first time since Masonic Con Chicago--a Masonic Education conference descends on the Midwest. You can catch all the details at MasoncicConKansas.com

If that isn't enough, how about the first-ever Allied Masonic Degrees Illinois Ingathering? This event will be on September 17th, 2022, in Bloomington Normal, Illinois. A full schedule is forthcoming.

I hope you all travel, fellowship, and learn together!

~RHJ

RWB Johnson is a Co-Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four and 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.

This Is Not An Education Piece

by Midnight Freemason Emeritus

Adam Thayer, PM

My favorite piece of art… is that weird? Do normal people have favorite pieces of art? I hear about my friends talking about favorite movies, favorite songs, and even occasionally someone will mention a favorite book, but nobody seems to talk about art.

My favorite piece of art is an oil on canvas painted by the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte. After working as a commercial artist for a number of years, he painted a picture of a large wooden pipe, and underneath wrote “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, or literally “This is not a pipe”. To tie it all together, he titled the painting The Treachery Of Images, to remind us of the dangers that images can pose.

Years later, when he was questioned about the image, he replied firmly that what he wrote was correct; it was not a pipe, it was a representation of a pipe. You couldn’t put tobacco into it, you couldn’t light it, because it was only an image of a pipe. In fact, he went on to say “if I had written on my picture ‘This is a pipe’ I’d have been lying!”

As a writer, it reminds me of Alfred Korzybski stating “The map is not the territory - the word is not the thing”. It’s a constant reminder that words, no matter how beautifully written, are still just representations of the actual thing. I could spend paragraphs detailing Magritte’s beautiful pipe – which is, I remind you, not a pipe – the fantastic shine of the bowl and stem, the glow of it against the golden background, the thin, almost fragile lettering underneath, and yet that description is still a pale comparison to seeing the actual picture in person.

I imagine many of us feel that way about our degrees; I can tell you about the nerves I experienced leading up to it, the scent of the room, the feeling when I was first brought to light… but none of this can live up to having been there, in that room, in my skin. Yet, in the act of describing it, I remember that night ten years ago, as if I was still there.

Neither can I put the sound of a brother’s voice in your head the way I hear it, clear as day, whenever I get up to give what I still consider to be “his” lecture. The best I can give is a representation of it, kind, loving, yet firm in his demand that I never let that lecture be read from the book or be performed without feeling.

Our symbols are like that too; while you may have some of the symbols as physical representations (doesn’t every lodge have a square and compass?), they are still just that – representations. The compass in our lodges, for instance, is generally not a compass one could actually use to circumscribe a true circle. What’s more, I’ve yet to find a lodge with an actual beehive, although I do think selling Masonic Honey sounds much more interesting than flipping pancakes.

The Treachery Of Images is a fantastic reminder of the place our symbols belong in Masonry – as mental placeholders for complex teachings and morality instruction. The symbols themselves only contain the meanings we put into them, and as such should not be deified in and of themselves.

Of course, the phrase “The word is not the thing” should bring a special meaning to the Master Mason, which I will point out for those who are inclined to ponder without expounding the substitution principle to the uninitiated.

So Adam, I hear you thinking, what’s your point? Has all of this been a rambling opportunity for you to have an excuse to write about your favorite piece of art? Yes, obviously. Perhaps I should have titled this “The Treachery Of Education” and include the disclaimer “Ce n’est pas une conference educative”.

Perhaps I could trick you into reading paragraph upon paragraph, expecting to find some hidden nugget of wisdom that I subtly snuck in but that you are starting to doubt is in there. Perhaps I already have.

Perhaps the point of all Masonic Education really shouldn’t be to teach necessarily, but to encourage you to think and discover meaning for yourself. Then again, to paraphrase Magritte, this is not a Masonic Education piece. Unless, of course, it was.

~Adam Thayer

In Which All Men Agree

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

I had a lot of questions before I was willing to petition a Lodge. For me, it was never about wearing a grandfather’s ring or a specific charity project. I wanted to know how my association with the Craft would affect my moral reputation, and more importantly, how it would impact my conscience. The selling point for me was that I could be around people who were diverse in belief but shared my values.

Think about that.

As an interfaith minister and citizen of the world, I appreciate (rather than just tolerate) other beliefs. As someone educated in the Humanities, I accept that there is more than one way of looking at things, be it economics or politics or human nature. But I expect certain truths to be universally understood, even if the application of them may take forms that may pit us against one another. Masonry teaches us to Love one another in spite of our spirited debates and disparate votes.

The more I become aware of Masonic experiences across my jurisdiction and the world, the more I see a diversity of expressions of Masonic principles. However, I am also seeing a diversity of values, some of which are incompatible with what I would suggest are taught in our lessons. Contemplating the inconsistent amity regarding Prince Hall Masons, for example, exposes two centuries of fundamental duplicity. By continued support or silent complicity of segregated recognition, we clearly do not practice what we preach. But it’s more than institutionally systemic. It’s personal.

In the last year, it has become painfully obvious that political divisions have crept into the Craft. Or that’s what we think is happening. I suggest it’s much, much worse: basic values, rather than just specific beliefs, have become politicized. It is not that we are bringing politics into the Craft, but that people are bringing politics into the very discussion of our VALUES. Partisan lines have been drawn, even if only in stereotype, as to which human beings are worthy of our help and which deserve our fear. Justice has become a charged buzzword, Liberty a hollow platitude, Equality a battleground. These words have taken on political meanings that have nothing to do with the Morality on which all reasonable, good and decent people can agree.

There was even one Brother on Facebook who expressed how angered he became upon seeing a “Be Kind” bumper sticker. How bad have things gotten to where we use terms like “virtue signaling” to dismiss or even ridicule today’s version of “Love thy neighbor”? People don’t like being told that what they are doing (or not doing) is inconsiderate or selfish. We may be reminded of our obligations by some stranger and it infuriates us. (Mind you, such things may be worth civilly debating if there is an ethical rebuttal to be had. But such conversations are almost immediately framed by the actions or opinions of politicians, who, frankly, were not invited to the conversation.)

We may be wrestling over things like “political correctness” and “identity politics”, but the underlying values they deal with (however poorly or disingenuously) should not be held in question. Many of us use a dislike of certain people demanding civic duty and respect as an excuse to not be a good person. Instead, we defiantly base our patriotism on personal sovereignty without obligations. We put party identities over the country we claim to love. With so much ritual touching upon the subject of good citizenship, we must wonder if Brothers with this attitude have taken the same Degrees as the rest of us.

But don’t get me wrong. Masons aren’t perfect. So what makes us Masons? It’s not that we aren’t ever prejudiced or selfish, but that we try not to be. It’s not that we don’t sometimes ignore the needs of our fellow Man, or lack tolerance toward them, but that we aspire to do so as we are able. Seeking to be better ought to be considered an unwritten, yet non-negotiable Landmark of Masonry.

If we can at least agree on that, how many of us live up to it? Brother Franklin had his detailed plan to focus on a different virtue each week, yet after years of rotations had not become a Perfect Ashlar. But he made an honest, conscious effort to live a truly virtuous life nonetheless. How many Workmen actually do this most important of Masonic Work in some way, big or small? And if we are failing to do even this, do we accept whispered wise counsel and be awakened from our moral slumber? I would never ask more of a fellow Brother.

But there are those who are petulantly stubborn in their righteousness or simply do not care. Those latter stones may not ever be of suitable material, and yet some Lodge did a disservice to us all by admitting them to our quarries. At least from my experience, we are getting better at guarding the West Gate. Gone are the days when petitions were handed out like brochures to a carnival.

But we still find ourselves with a necessary purging of our Lodges. By that, I don’t mean merely to forbid prejudices, incivilities, or other Unmasonic conduct when and where we find it. I mean the Lodge within ourselves. What Masonic values have we rebelled against in the name of politics? Can we find a way to live up to our obligations without becoming untrue to our particular beliefs, political or otherwise? And if one has to go – a political belief or a principled value – we must decide which to divest ourselves of. Such choices will prove our true worth as good Men and Masons.

~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”.

Brother Richard Dreyfuss Speaking This Friday

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

In 2011 The Grand Lodge of Washington D.C. took Mr Richard Dreyfuss and made him a Freemason. He then went on to become a 32˚ degree Brother as well. Ten years before this, a film was produced called, Mr. Dreyfuss goes to Washington. The film is a an exploration of the US Capital and its monuments. The film teaches us about our nation and our founders--our values. Among these values is civics.

Brother Dreyfuss has always believed in the idea of Civics and what it means to be an American. In 2008, the Richard Dreyfus Civics Initiative was created. His unique perspectives tend to inspire. You can catch a ted talk about bringing civic education back to the classroom here.

Civics and Freemasonry go hand in hand. Civics is not politics, but rather, for Freemasons, it might relate  those things you agree to when becoming a Freemason. It is your (civic) duty to conform and to stand up for those things that we're called to do--to be an informed citizen. Not much is taught in the way of civics in today's learning environments. This makes it doubly important that Freemasonry make an impact on our communities and our spheres of influence.

The only reason I have for this post today, is to let you know that Brother Dreyfuss is going to be joining a webinar where he is interviewed by several well known Freemasons that you all know. And this will be happening this Friday at 6:00 P.M. Central. We've got space for 500 and the overflow will go to the Valley of Washington D.C. Scottish Rite's Facebook feed.

The event is free and I hope you can join us.

Register by visiting www.tinyurl.com/aasrdreyfuss

~RHJ

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

Pythagoras and Taxes

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

There's a common meme going around saying, "I'm glad school taught me the Pythagorean theorem instead of how to do my taxes. It's come in really handy this Pythagorean theorem season." It's the ultimate extension of many a child's (and adult's) lamentation for being forced to learn anything other than survival or trade skills. Putting aside the fact that the physical structures of civilization are based on such formulae, it is a fair question to ask what personal value a thing can have if we do not believe we will personally use it.

Plato suggests that the only way to properly learn philosophy (the art of life) is to first become proficient in Mathematics, or as it was meant in the true sense of that time and place, Geometry. But who aspires to be a philosopher? Let's look at it another way: you can exist and survive without much knowledge or understanding, but how well can you really live without some level of contemplation and understanding of that existence?

We all start out with a square placed under our hands — a tool that anyone can use to measure the physical world right in front of us. It reveals nothing about the object's nature or place in the world. Someone else will have us prepare the stone according to a greater plan we don't need to know anything about. In fact, the tool used to draft such plans is hidden from your view. Imagination and intellect are waiting to be revealed only upon seeking more Light.

As we wind our way up the staircase of our Masonic progression, we are expected to at least touch upon the broad range of arts and sciences known to man. And if we deny the literal expectation of such learning in our Speculative state, we must at least admit that a Fellow of the Craft in Operative times was no longer a mere beast of burden – an Apprentice – by his learning more than just how to use his hands. He could not even rightfully ask for his wages unless he first advanced through such knowledge. He may be a material point or two shy of Mastery, but the guarded doors to a higher life have been opened unto him. He is no longer on the ground floor, working on stones. He is building his Temple with conscious effort — a deliberate design that can only be done using both Strength and Beauty moderated by Wisdom.

But is Plato right? Is the learning of the language of Creation required to truly have an educated opinion on the things of Creation, including the realm of Man and the World? Does plying the art of Geometry train one's mind to do more than add or subtract his hours and paychecks for the purpose of not getting audited by the IRS? Never mind being "good", if one can even know what that means. Can one become "better" by having a mind opened to the abstract world of pure shapes and forms? Can the ability to form and use models and modes of thinking translate to everyday tasks?

How many have never passed to a place where they can conceive Divine purpose instead of repetitiously take on the labor of a slave? Do we let the lessons of Masonry inspire us to see the bigger picture? And do we expect to receive the wages of that without expanding our life to include the skills of Mind and Spirit? Experience will provide an answer. Such a promise has been made to us. Ask, seek, knock ...

~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.

Opportunity Is Calling. Will You Answer?

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. T.J. Williams

COVID-19 is the pandemic that stopped the world in 2020. Operations and organizations worldwide were faced with the realization there was no working preparedness plan to keep us at work and business flowing. We've been forced to make plans in reaction to events as they come, but are plans being made for the long-term address of challenges?

A quote came across my Facebook feed that made me think very differently in this time of unknowns.

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." -Albert Einstein

As a fraternity, I believe the Grand Architect of the Universe has given us the opportunity to reflect, to plan, to make changes, and to forge a path forward.

I believe we need to redefine our purpose and how we reveal ourselves to the public. Many recent articles have alluded that we have an identity crisis in describing Masonry, and I sincerely agree. The way I describe our fraternity is going to be different than the next person. Each Lodge has its own identity, and while the teachings are the same, the approach to the work of the Lodge may vary from another. Does your Lodge have a unified approach and mission statement to share with the public? What is your Lodge known for? If your Lodge does have such a statement, does the work of your Lodge match it?

Next, I think we should take an inventory of our Lodge. I don't mean the assets of the Lodge; I mean assess what your Lodge is proficient in and what it's lacking. Is there a member mentoring program, officer training program, established means of sharing Masonic education regularly, meaningful community outreach? Is your Lodge known in the community, or is it just a building where men meet regularly? When you look at these different aspects of the Lodge, you can identify what needs work and plan your next steps.

Often, we only see a small percentage of our members coming to the Lodge's regular meetings and events. Why? Is there something missing? I believe we should be looking at and analyzing our membership regularly to learn and adapt operations to better the Craft. This information will help with making future plans for your Lodge and add value to the experience.

I've heard it many times, "we've always done it that way." Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a period where what we've always done isn't exactly working, and some of the smallest changes can create large differences. It's essential we evaluate and adjust. We must always be mindful of who we let pass through the West Gate, but we need to look at what we do after a person passes through. We don't have a membership problem; we have an active membership and retention problem. Without a solid plan, we'll keep getting what we've always gotten.

If these conversations don't start to happen, if we don't start planning for our future, where will we be in the next decade? The decade after? We can't just idly sit and talk about the challenges; we must find answers and take appropriate actions. With the future of Freemasonry at stake, from the local Lodge to Grand Lodges worldwide, opportunity is calling. Will you answer the call?

~TJW

Bro. Thomas “TJ” Williams, is a member of Triangle Lodge #1 in Portland, Maine, and King Hiram Lodge #57 in Mexico, Maine. Currently, he is serving as Wor. Grand Pursuivant to the Grand Lodge of Maine. Among his Blue Lodge membership, he is actively involved with the Valley of the Androscoggin, Scottish Rite NMJ, and started his journey through the York Rite bodies. Though he only joined the Craft in 2018, he is actively working to enrich the experience through his service on the Member Education and Lodge Services Committee. He is well known amongst Maine’s Grand Jurisdiction as a “The Traveling T”, a nickname given by the current Grand Master, as he finds himself in lodges several nights a week.

Redefining the Three Great Pillars

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Thomas J. Williams

As an Entered Apprentice, we learn that a Lodge's supports are the Three Great Pillars: Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. The lecture states:

"Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty are said to support a Lodge because it is necessary there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings."

While I agree these are the Lodge supports, what if we were to redefine and give the pillars further meaning?

A reflection of my time in the Craft, traveling experiences, and exploring more light on my own, I've attributed other things to these three pillars to support a Lodge: Education, Fellowship, and Ritual.

Education - We should always be in pursuit of more light in Masonry. Over and over again, I've seen lodges confer degrees and continue business without spending a bit of time sharing knowledge amongst the Brethren. If we're a fraternity that is taking good men and making them better, how is it happening? It doesn't need to be rigid like a college course; it should be fun and beneficial! Listening to a podcast episode, reading a paper related to a Masonic topic, or just gathering to have a free-flowing discussion about thoughts behind our symbols and ceremonies can invigorate a lodge. This is an opportunity to reach out to our Brothers we haven't seen in a while and keep the new Brothers who are eager to learn more. Education should NEVER be discounted.

Fellowship - We are the world's oldest Fraternity, connecting men of different backgrounds and cultures. Whether inside or outside of the Lodge, there should be an opportunity to build and expand these connections. I don't know about you, but I didn't join to only confer degrees, read minutes, and pay bills. I want to feel genuine relations built with the men around me and the community we live in. Fellowship can take different forms: going out to a pub with Brothers and their families, an intellectual evening exploring the esoteric concepts of the world, rehearsing for degrees, and participating in community events. There are plenty of ways to get the ball rolling. At the end of the day, one should feel comfortable enough to approach someone else without anxiety about how the conversation may go because there's little relationship there.

Ritual - The ceremonies to bring candidates into the Craft are beautiful. We should strive to provide the best to our new brothers. While word-for-word presentations of the ritual are great, it's not about reciting a novel to the new initiate. There should be meaning behind the presentation. Bringing it back to education, it's also essential to understand the ritual and not recite it.

While these are just my own musings on supports of a lodge, I think an honest reflection on these three areas within your Lodge may prompt a discussion on how to adjust how things have always been done to how things could be to make the Masonic experience better.

~TJW

Bro. Thomas “TJ” Williams, is a member of Triangle Lodge #1 in Portland, Maine, and King Hiram Lodge #57 in Mexico, Maine. Currently, he is serving as Wor. Grand Pursuivant to the Grand Lodge of Maine. Among his Blue Lodge membership, he is actively involved with the Valley of the Androscoggin, Scottish Rite NMJ, and started his journey through the York Rite bodies. Though he only joined the Craft in 2018, he is actively working to enrich the experience through his service on the Member Education and Lodge Services Committee. He is well known amongst Maine’s Grand Jurisdiction as a “The Traveling T”, a nickname given by the current Grand Master, as he finds himself in lodges several nights a week.

Banned Masonic Education

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

Not too long ago, let’s call it nine years. It was, at least in my Masonic experience, impossible to get Masonic Education within a Lodge. Granted, over the years, I was able to work diligently to change the direction of my Lodge so that we could get some Masonic Education at every meeting. The evolution of going from just a business meeting— a bad one, to a meeting rife with Education has a series of development stages. I’ll outline the stages in another post.

What I want to express in this piece is the recent frustration that I had experienced. One that had not reared its head in several years. Looking back on my Masonic involvement, there were several times where I would bring about a proposal for Masonic Education at a meeting and I would be met with disinterest. As I pushed on, because as we know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, I found myself pushing even harder out of necessity to be heard. This is because there were members who felt vehemently that Masonic Education was of no interest, and took too much time for a stated meeting.

I would assume that many of you reading this have seen this happen, or have experienced it firsthand. You might attempt to read a five minute MSA bulletin, and halfway through it, you’re already getting eye rolls, yawns, and people tapping the faces of their watch. As much as to say, “Hurry up, Bro.” You push on, planning perhaps a Festive Board night, blending the social aspect, with toasts and intellectual responses. In this, you think, “This should fire on all cylinders. It’s social for those non-intellectuals and intellectual for those who are looking for some discourse.” The Festive Board probably goes wonderfully. But it was not without its headaches and pushback. Over the years, the responses of the toasts are dropped, and now the Festive Board is just an annual Lodge spaghetti dinner. The lazy got their way.

But what about the Internet. What about the sharing of educational content in various groups within social networking sites? Something can be posted, and people can react to it or comment on it. It’s not a Lodge, and it’s passive. You can scroll past it if you’re not interested. Education is available to the masses at the click of a mouse. One would never think you would find opposition to the presentation of Masonic Education in an online forum. But that’s just what happened to me recently.

Whenever a particularly interesting Midnight Freemason article comes out, or a relevant episode of a Masonic podcast or an excellent Masonic Education presentation becomes available, I typically will share it. I bounce from Grand Lodge Facebook group to Grand Lodge Facebook group sharing all I can. Recently, however, I was banned from a Grand Lodge Facebook group because of what I posted, a link to a Masonic convention to see Brother Steven L Harrison 33°. I can only assume that this post interrupted the standard stream of generic Masonic postings. You know the kind. If there was a word that meant Meme and Platitude...Platimeme? Anyway, God forbid that Freemasonry be interesting.

If being banned wasn’t enough, the Brother who reported the content, had it deleted, and me banned from the page, decided to send me a message, and interrogate me over my motives for sharing the content. It was something else. 

So, my Brothers, there is no letting down your guard. If you’re going to fight for Masonic Education, never put away your sword. I plan to attempt to rejoin that Facebook group and post even more Masonic Education than ever before.

In an age where the movers and shakers in this Fraternity are also the ones who demand education, my toast tonight are three Latin words – Ut vox populi.

~RHJ

RWB Johnson is the 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" and is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.