by Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB. Robert H. Johnson
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| Clandestine "Masonic" orgs in IL. |
I had plans. Plans of grandeur when I was elected to the East. I
thought I would have speakers every week and pull tons of men back to lodge. I
wanted to engage the membership and have many education nights. Alas, I was given a different opportunity. A better opportunity. I was given a ton of degree work. A week
after being installed, I was conferring my first degree ever, a 2nd, as a matter
of fact.
Week after week, I was conferring degrees. It was awesome.
Recently I did four 1st degrees over four weeks. I thought about doing them as a class,
but we felt as a lodge it was more important for the candidate to have that
special experience of an individual night, just for them. Two of my candidates,
now Entered Apprentices were best friends.
These gents had known each other since their childhood years,
joined the military reserves together and now, became Masons together. Now that
we had four new Entered Apprentices and no immediate degree work pending, it
was time to do that other thing I wanted to do: engage the new members and help
them understand the degrees they had just received.
We organized an EA education night, The Entered Apprentice
Academy is what we called it. We walked them through the degree, explained to
them aspects of the symbology and gave them personal stories of our lives in
relation to how Masonry has changed us for the better. We laughed, we had fun
and we learned.
At one point the subject of Clandestine Masonry came up, and two
of my EAs looked at each other and then back at me and said at the same time and
laughing, "Oh we found out about that..." I looked at them puzzled. In
my experience, waiting to talk to the candidates until the 3rd degree about
Clandestine and Irregularity is just too late. I feel you need to tell them
[the candidate] about these organizations well before they go out into the
world as EAs, otherwise they risk being tainted by potential bad information or
in the case I was about to hear, outright slander, hazing and vindictive social
media harassment.
I have made it known that personally, I hold no ill feelings
toward Clandestine or Irregular Masons, as long as it isn't the kind that
gathers just to make money and has an "LLC" or an "Inc." after its name. I
digress.
My EAs proceeded to tell me that one of their co-workers found
out that one of them had just received his EA degree, an auspicious occasion,
no question. However instead of the typical congratulatory words, this
co-worker first, claimed to be a brother as well and then proceeded to
interrogate my EA in a completely condescending manner. And if this wasn't
enough, he did it in public, around other people, citing ritual and all the
rest.
My Brother EA sat there and took it all in, the odd exchange had
him on edge but he kept it together. Finally this co-worker called my Brother
EA a "Clandestine" Mason. As if this wasn't enough he ridiculed the
Brother on social media after finding his picture with me on our social media
page the night after receiving his EA degree. He made derogatory comments and
lambasted him. Again, repeatedly calling him "Clandestine" and
"not a real Mason."
Through all of this, all my Brother EA asked him was, "Let
me see YOUR dues card." This co-worker refused and just kept pushing the
hot buttons. I give credit to my EA for subduing his passions and an urge to
put this co-worker in his place. The co-worker, after being asked to show his
dues card repeatedly, finally did show my EA a card. And guess what? THE
CO-WORKER WAS THE CLANDESTINE MASON!
Apparently when my EA told him the lodge he was from (our lodge
Waukegan 78 AF&AM Grand Lodge of Illinois), the co-worker knew of the lodge and of me. Well, I guess if a clandestine lodge and its members know who you
are, maybe you're doing something right. I'm not one to get easily upset but
this, Brothers, got me a little mad.
So, guess what? I have blurred the names, but here you go, the
business card of the lodge which decided to be decidedly unMasonic, and
egregiously improper. And if this "lodge" or its members has an
issue with this, I suggest you go through the proper channels (contact my Grand
Lodge), or take the time and become a
legit lodge under the Grand Lodge of Illinois or the Most Worshipful Prince
Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois.
We all know what having "Inc." after your lodge name
really means. And for those of you who don't it means, "We take your money
and fool you into thinking we're legit."
In conclusion, let it be known that "The Most Worshipful New
Jerusalem Grand Lodge AF&AM. S.R. Inc." is CLANDESTINE and NOT
RECOGNIZED.
If you would like to read further about the issue of clandestine
lodges, I suggest reading "Freemasonry In Black and White" or "ASpurious State of Confusion" by Bro. Charles Harper.
Enjoy the parody video below about Clandestine Masons. It isn't
far from the truth.
~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.