A Lesson In Humility

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

"Humility is not thinking  less of yourself, 

it is thinking of yourself less."

~C. S. Lewis

Every once in awhile I "refresh" the pins on my jacket lapels--I have the blue one, the black one, the red one, and a tan one.  I've come a long way since I joined when I didn't even own a jacket.  Anyway, I had been wearing the same pins on those lapels for a long time, so it was time for a change.  I have no shortage of pins.  My wife suggested once that if I changed them every week, I'd have to live to be a hundred to wear them all just once, and I keep bringing them home. 

I have a bulletin board where I keep them--Masons tend to collect a lot of pins in their travels and that's the best way I've found to keep them handy where you can see them all.  I ran across this one.  I'm not sure where I got, or how long I've had it, or if I've ever worn it before.  It's from Indiana I noted later, so I probably got it during one my adventures across the state line.  It looked nice on my black suit jacket, so I picked it.

Then I noticed the back of the pin.  And it really took me back.

Some Masons get so wrapped up in the trappings of Freemasonry, that they forget the important part of Freemasonry--the teachings.  It becomes all about titles, and rings, and aprons for them (a friend of mine calls Freemason like this "medal collectors").  Their goal of these Freemasons becomes the continual pursuit of the bling and the glory and honor that comes with it (you're thinking of a name right now, aren't you?)  

This is a Grand Master pin.  I have a lot of those from many different states.  I think it's pretty rare when a Grand Master designs his pin and doesn't have his name as part of the design on the front.  I don't blame them one bit--a Grand Master in particular serves many, many dedicated years to serve in that role, and I don't fault them at all for enjoying some credit for their hard work.

What really struck me about that Grand Master's pin is that he didn't take that credit.  What you see when you wear his pin is his great pride in his Fraternity--that's it!  I have only one other example of this in my collection--a Grand Master from Illinois from just a few years ago (and a friend of mine).  He did the same thing--he designed a pin that he hoped Illinois Masons would like to wear long after he was out of office to show their pride in the Fraternity.  He made a beautiful pin that celebrated the Fraternity, and put his name on the back.

These two Grand Masters put their Fraternity before their place within it.  They didn't make that pin about themselves, they made it about Freemasonry.  Perhaps they see themselves as just a single link in a long chain, their service as a privilege, and their role as the continuation of a proud tradition.

It's not our position and role in the Fraternity that matters, it's the role of Freemasonry in our lives, our conduct, and our attitudes that matter.  When you wear your Freemasonry on the inside, you don't need to wear anything at all on the outside for people to recognize it.

It's a great lesson to remember as we travel.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog, and an award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. Todd started the Midnight Freemason blog in 2006, and in 2012 he opened it up as a contributor blog The Midnight Freemasons (plural). Todd has written more than 1,000 pieces for the blog since it began. He is a Past Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary. He is a 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 the a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 and currently serves as EHP. You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

Nobody Wants Your Parents Masonic Stuff

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

WB Scott S. Dueball

Authors note: the original idea for this piece came from this article posted earlier this year. I encourage the reader to take a look at that as well.

If you are responsible for your lodge in any capacity, you have likely received requests to take “donations” from the families of deceased Brethren. Often these requests come years after the passing of the Brother when the wife or children have begun to clean out nightstands and crawlspaces. A request to take back some of these items is likely tied to the giver’s naivetè regarding their value. They are afraid to discard something that may be valuable. Given this uncertainty regarding value, the donation becomes akin to those family heirloom china, crystal, or furniture.

I have received or been promised a few special items which I will cherish dearly. As these things hold sentimental value to me personally and lack any functional value to the rest of the world, I cannot expect them to be appreciated by my children. In the same way, many of the items I have cleaned out of our lodge storage lack sentimental or functional value. In truth, many (not all) of these donations are a transference of the burden from the family to the passed Brother’s Lodge. I don’t mean to insinuate a nefarious act on the part of the donor. It’s mere ignorance of the stuff they have or unwillingness to be the one to pitch something that may be meaningful.

I understand the compassion that strikes us when contacted by a widow. While helping our widows and orphans is laudable, cluttering up storage with items for a future Brother to deal with is not. Our lodges simply don't have the space or the need to house multiple copies of the same printing of Mackey’s Encyclopedia, old fezzes, or 47 years of lapel pins. Things that don’t serve a purpose 
(historical significance, novelty, monetary) are valueless and it should be alright to let them go. But I too struggle with letting go of someone else’s effects.

It is probably best to offer the books to a library or research lodge. Do your best to put them in the position to provide use to future generations. As for the pins, certificates, fezzes, etc, you don’t need to hold on to them. Offering these things to anyone else is only going to add pressure to take them. And I will tell you that, sooner or later, we have to let the meaningless stuff go. 

~SSD

WB Scott S. 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 as the State Education Officer. Scott is also a member of the Palatine York Rite bodies 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 SEO@ilmason.org