The 2022 North Carolina Middle Chamber education series: My Own Hero’s Journey in Masonic Education - Part Three

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

Part Three of Three: Master Mason

Planning for the Middle Chamber sessions began for me in January when I first began conversations on this topic with Brother Matt. I originally planned to drive each session as yes, twelve hours is a long drive but certainly doable, and I have a very comfortable truck that affords me the luxury of not being exhausted at the end of such a drive. However, my inability to fly this year to Esotericon left me with some unused flight credits on Southwest Airlines. Weighing the thunderstorms and the wrong way driver I encountered the previous trip, I opted to take my chances with flight delays and a lack of pilots instead.

I flew into Raleigh-Durham airport, and Brother Matt who lives in Raleigh graciously volunteered to pick me up and drive us to Greensboro. While St. Louis airport was busy but navigable, there was an eerie lack of people at RDU. I inquired of a local TSA agent about the use of Clear and Pre-Check, and he gave me an amused answer of there was no Clear at RDU as there wasn’t enough traffic. I caught up on some reading in the terminal until Brother Matt could get off work. The time spent with Brother Matt was well worth the entire trip, and to add the capstone Middle Chamber class on top? Pure magic. Brother Matt and I might have found JR Cigars giant outlet warehouse (giant walk-in humidor, multiple display stands of closeout deals…) on the way to Greensboro.


We arrived at the hotel again this trip well ahead of the gathering, and the Brothers already onsite proactively grabbed a table at the sports bar. The Brothers were just as excited as we were to begin the evening’s festivities. We were early to the bar and late to the party it seemed. After dinner, we retired to the bar’s outdoor patio instead of the April trip’s poolside tables and chairs. This was nice in that we continued to get good service, but the bar converts to a karaoke and DJ setup later in the evening.  There may have been a few cigars out on that patio along with the steady service from the bar until close to midnight when it was definitely time to no longer be around the karaoke.

The Master Mason class started again on time, and this presented a bit of a challenge as the side entrance to the temple that we normally used led into a dining hall being used to proctor their certified lecturer testing. We kept as quiet as possible to avoid disturbing the test takers and made our way up into the lodge room. The capstone class was memorable and somewhat eye-opening. I took notes just as I had previously, this time taking 14 pages of notes throughout the day. Some of these were observational, some were items I thought were interesting in how they were presented, and some were insights I remembered from the books but brought to new life by the instructors.

Brother Matt and I exchanged very deep philosophical conversations and concepts on the way back to Raleigh, and Brother Matt introduced me to a local barbecue from a nearly 75-year-old restaurant. Even though my tastes run more Kansas City or Texas barbecue, I have deep respect for all three Carolina styles, Memphis’s dry rub, and so many more. This was an excellent barbecue and a fitting ending to the evening.

I spent early Sunday morning at the airport Hyatt reviewing some papers and catching up on other reading, and Brother Matt picked me up a bit later for brunch before my mid-afternoon flight. We found a great little Irish pub and enjoyed yet another deep philosophical conversation on topics ranging from our own martial arts experiences to variations of the symbolical teachings of the Middle Chamber course overall. I cannot put into words my gratitude and appreciation for Brother Matt’s kind hospitality and friendship.

The Middle Chamber course from the Grand Lodge of North Carolina is legit. My own Hero’s Journey began when I heard mentions of this really cool education going on in North Carolina, and the more I learned about it the more I just knew I had to attend as if being guided there. It became a want, then a need, to get out of my jurisdiction and travel for this course. As with any good story, there were obstacles to overcome, regrets in missing out on events at home as I traveled, and the feeling of accomplishment in completing the three journeys logging almost 5000 miles. I met friends who guided me, I met mentors who taught me, and I definitely passed an initiatic experience of leaving the old
toward the new self.

The fourth part of this circle of education? The missing song from the Trilogy of Four Parts? That’s the initial free class from January, the hook as it were, that begins the journey again. I am humbled and honored to bring this series of Masonic education to Missouri, and I am deeply indebted to all those around me who helped me on my own Hero’s Journey of self-discovery to make this possible. I created and presented to the Grand Lodge of Missouri’s Education Committee the proposal to train the trainers next year and launch the Missouri version of the Middle Chamber in 2024. This decision now rests in the hands of the Grand Lodge of Missouri. What did we learn during The Middle Chamber series of
classes? Sign up for the Missouri classes to find out, or better yet, sign up for the North Carolina sessions as I found them to be truly excellent.

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a bachelor's Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30-plus years of teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12-year span. Randy is a 32nd-degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, a full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

The 2022 North Carolina Middle Chamber education series: My Own Hero’s Journey in Masonic Education - Part Two

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

Part Two of Three: Fellow Craft

Amusingly, my 1,600-mile round trip in June for the Middle Chamber’s Fellow Craft session tested me just as EA’s should be tested before the second degree. I opted to leave again very early Friday morning, and I met serious resistance in driving through three separate severe thunderstorms and several other heavy storms along the route. The severe thunderstorms were definitely big ones as I saw trees bending as much as sixty degrees at mid-point and large limbs down in many places. Fortunately, my truck handled the storms with ease, and I was only delayed a couple of hours by traffic, not so much by the weather itself. I pulled into the Greensboro Wyndham Garden hotel at almost 7pm having left St. Louis at 3:30am, and I found amusement in the timing as we had unofficially adopted 7pm as our meeting time in the restaurant. Not a bad guess at timing the drive after all. 

Brother Matt and several of the instructors had some health issues pop up, so Brother Ben Wallace met us in the restaurant with a smaller crowd of about eight Brothers this time as fewer stayed at the hotel. Along with the eight or so Brothers at dinner, I had another nice long conversation with Brother Ben who assured me of the blessings and encouragement of all the instructors to expand the Middle Chamber education to Missouri. We enjoyed a long evening of fellowship and good times before retiring for the next morning.

Brother Ben kicked things off right on time, and he adapted on the fly to most of the instructors out from illness or previous commitments. In a testament to the depth of knowledge and teaching skills of the North Carolina instructors, Brothers Ben and Randy Browning alternated sections, guiding us seamlessly through the material. The only issue we encountered, maybe almost humorously, was the lunch break being early enough the downtown restaurants hadn’t yet opened. Several Brothers were late returning to the Temple and missed a bit of the afternoon lecture. This seems a bit trivial until I assure you every instructive word was memorable and worth considering.

For the Fellow Craft trip, I opted to drive home after the class ended rather than stay overnight Saturday. I stayed briefly for a personal guided tour of the temple by several very knowledgeable Brothers, I found a gas station, and I didn’t stop again for about 400 miles. Calling back to being tested on the road this trip, I was driving around 1:00am somewhere near Evansville, Indiana on Interstate 70. As I pulled into the left lane to pass a car, I noticed headlights in the distance, and it took me a moment to realize these headlights were actually pointed at me, not in the normal oncoming lanes. I pulled back over into the right lane and began slowing down, and sure enough, the wrong-way driver flew past me in my own passing lane easily exceeding highway speeds. Guessing they were DUI, I said a silent prayer for anyone behind me that they might meet. I also didn’t have any issue remaining awake for the last three hours of the journey home.

Next part: bringing it all together

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a bachelor's Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30-plus years of teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12-year span. Randy is a 32nd-degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, a full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

The 2022 North Carolina Middle Chamber education series: My Own Hero’s Journey in Masonic Education - Part One

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

Part One of Three: Entered Apprentice

Instead of My Own Hero’s Journey, I almost named this article An Education Trilogy in Four Parts, with a nod to my favorite percussionist and lyricist Neil Peart (RIP) of the rock band RUSH.  Neil wrote his Fear Trilogy in four parts.  Yes, that was purposeful.  He also wrote the series backward with the last song (Witch Hunt) on the Moving Pictures album, then progressing through Signals (The Enemy Within) and ending with Grace Under Pressure (The Weapon).  By design, there was no intended fourth part.  I associated my curriculum reading assignment with Neil’s trilogy.  I read the required reading material for the Middle Chamber out of order with Brother Chuck Dunning’s Contemplative Masonry well ahead of the other books, and I saw the second required movie Life of Pi many years prior to watching 12 Angry Men.  I am forever grateful to the course instructors for a couple of extremely rare favors granted in order for me to attend.

The North Carolina Middle Chamber education program is sponsored by and through the Grand Lodge of North Carolina.  Brothers Ben Wallace and Shaun Bradshaw wrote A Path to Providence: The Creation of the Middle Chamber Program about their creation of the class, and I recommend it.  The overall structure of the Middle Chamber is broken into three major courses each consisting of an all-day Saturday class.  The course requirements include reading five prescribed books by well-known Masonic authors and critically watching two films.  I went with the full intention of working hard to learn the material and earn the blessing of the creators: Brothers Ben and Shaun.  I intend to bring Middle Chamber to Missouri and teach it myself.

I began this Winter engaging my good friend and Brother Matt Parker who is the administrator-facilitator for the Middle Chamber program.  He is their backbone who gets the media setup prepared, sign-up sheets put out, hotel negotiations completed for discounts, and more work behind the scenes than you can imagine.  Brother Matt assisted in my own out-of-state registration and kept me informed as to the hotel and schedule.  In early spring I made the decision to drive the 800 miles from St. Louis to Greensboro.

It was a 12-hour drive in perfect conditions, and the Entered Apprentice session on a crisp, cool April weekend turned out to be a perfect drive.  I left St. Louis Friday at about 4am, and after a couple of stops for food and fuel arrived at the Wyndham Garden in Greensboro not much after 5pm.  Remember there’s an hour time difference.  My drive was unknowingly well-timed both coming and going as I witnessed nature’s splendor through Kentucky horse country about mid-morning and majestic West Virginia mountains in the afternoon before driving out of the mountains into the rolling forested hills of North Carolina.  I checked into the hotel, got about a 15-minute nap, then joined a dozen brothers at the hotel-attached sports bar for dinner.  There may or may not have been a round of cigars and excellent Scotch a bit later in the seating area by the hotel swimming pool.  The cool temperatures precluded us from anything more than a good 90 minutes.  The North Carolina Brothers exceeded their amazing reputation for hospitality as I immediately felt as if I were at home with all of them.

After a quick hotel breakfast, we met at the Greensboro Masonic Temple, and I cannot do this temple justice in this short paper.  It is a magnificent building, well maintained, and worthy of your time should you be in the area.  The class began promptly, and with minor adjustments, we stuck to the schedule provided.  The instructors are both crisp in knowledge and smooth in delivery, and they cycled through different sections with different instructors taking lead in different areas they obviously enjoyed teaching.  Immediately the class bonded and the energy was just electric as we all knew why we were there, and together we focused on that goal of learning.  

The Entered Apprentice class let out at 4pm with an hour of open Q&A following, and I went to dinner with another good friend and Brother Mark Bagley who traveled a couple of hours to meet me for the class.  We had a great dinner at a small local restaurant, and we went our separate ways, Mark leaving for his two-hour trip home and me back to the hotel.  Many of you know I’m a note-taker, and I shared my notes with Brother Matt and Brother Ben Wallace as a courtesy.  I was surprised by a phone call from Brother Ben that evening telling me how happy he was to receive such candid feedback.  We stayed on the phone for over two hours talking through the class and many other topics.  The feedback was all positive with a few observations that I thought might be something I needed to keep in mind for my own classes, so I was surprised by the call.  I decided to leave at about 4am Sunday morning and had a beautiful drive home through snow-capped mountains and a different perspective of the views I experienced Friday.  The twelve hours of driving seemed to fly by as I spent much of the windshield time mentally reviewing the class content and wondering if I could do this material justice.

Next part: being tested

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a bachelor's Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30-plus years of teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12-year span. Randy is a 32nd-degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, a full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

A Momentous Occasion – Consecrating a New Temple

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

Historic events might be defined as a point in time whereby we can point to what was, and then we can point to what followed.  Some are rather sudden and unexpected, while others are planned.  In this case, on Saturday, April 2, 2022 years of planning and hard work were realized by Masons throughout the region.  Plans ensued, visions communicated, some not as well as others, suggestions, arguments, agreements, occasional hurt feelings all vented over the years, but as with all great endeavors compromise and unity won the day.  The St. Louis region consecrated the first new building in decades: a new Masonic Temple in Ellisville, Missouri.  For those not familiar with the area, the new location is in the West County area, or put another way call it roughly 20 miles southwest of downtown.  The outside edifice changed little, but the interior was worth the wait. 

The new temple was a gutted and refurbished church and school property in a great, high traffic location bringing together the Naphtali #25 lodge and a couple of York bodies that originally partnered on the “New Temple” built in St. Louis city almost 100 years ago.  That building had been sold, and the lodge/bodies were displaced until this new location could be purchased and renovated. 

The invitations went out last summer.  Then canceled.  Plans for finishing had been tied up with pending inspections, lack of available labor, and with delays, more frustration ensued.  Ironic that patience can be difficult with a multi-year project when our Fraternity hasn’t been in the operative building mode in so very long.  The invitations went out again, this time for the first Saturday in April, and the call was answered. 

We were beyond capacity and standing room only.  A call went out for additional chairs, and a second call and third.  Grand Lodge officers barely had space to circumnavigate, much less ceremonially circumambulate, the Lodge room.  The crowd well exceeded 100, 125 were counted at lunch, and more continued to show up for the actual ceremony.  Worshipful Brother Joe Stewart led a kitchen crew that rivaled any professionals anywhere and turned a modest initial estimate into the excess that fed the unexpected crowd.  The brass band sounded terrific, but the crowd was such they had to play from an open hallway.  Still, the sweet sounds of a live brass band cannot be duplicated.  The Templars, all 6 of them, did close order drill in full dress uniform with a wonderful flag presentation, and the crowded lodge room allowed for them to squeeze into and out of it single-file.  I was both fortunate and honored to grab a chair beside Illustrious Bob Cockerham, 33^rd degree, and SGIG for the Orient of Missouri.  We chatted about the coming reunion and a speech he recently gave at the last local 4 Bodies meetings.  I fully agree with his remarks, and I look forward to how the Valley responds later in the year. 

The ceremony began with the Worshipful Master of the home lodge making opening remarks and calling for the consecration of the building.  Most Worshipful Grand Master Dr. Ty Treutelaar (no, nobody pronounces it correctly the first dozen times) had the crowd in the palm of his hand.  We clapped, we cheered, we roared with laughter, and then the consecration began in earnest.  The full Grand Lodge officers were in their stations.  How often do you see that except at the stated Grand communication?  The Grand Lodge had previously opened in a separate area meeting in a different room in the building, and the consecration ceremony then began immediately. 

Worshipful Brother Mike Hartnett approached me after the ceremony remarking that (paraphrased) Wentzville #46 and Naphtali #25 were well represented.  Naphtali being onsite and the home lodge of the new temple, and Wentzville #46 led and closed the Grand officers.  Puzzled, I asked Mike how he came to that observation.  It turns out this year’s Grand officers include Wentzville Past Masters in the positions of Grand Sword Bearer and Grand Tyler.  In all processions, one leads, and one follows closing the procession.  

Right Worshipful Brothers Jake Thompson and Terry Coppotelli met with me briefly and discussed additional consecration activities in the parking lot as they both scooted off to another Grand Line event, and I headed back home after enjoying the day of momentous ceremony and excellent fellowship.  If elected, I will most likely be installed as Worshipful Master of Naphtali #25 in this building in the summer of 2023, and I look forward to seeing many familiar faces.  Please hold off on throwing the tomatoes until AFTER I’ve been obligated to, and sworn into office…

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

The Other Elvis

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

His epitaph reads, "A very interesting fella."

His first name is not even on his tombstone. Born in 1934, Elvis Otha Wingo was a young man when another Elvis took the country by storm. I never asked Otha if that was why he preferred to use his middle name but it might have been. After all, back then there was only one Elvis and, make no mistake, there was also only one Otha.

Shortly after being appointed editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine I learned I had an assistant editor who had held the position for years, never wanting to move into the editor's chair. It was, the Grand Secretary told me, a Brother named Dr. E. Otha Wingo. A couple weeks later I went to our Grand Lodge communication and found him in the cavernous hall where we hold the plenary session. We introduced ourselves and had a lengthy conversation about the magazine, Freemasonry, and a few other things. I learned he had earned his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and for many years had been a professor of ancient Greek, Latin, and Mythology at Southeast Missouri State University. As the hall began to fill for our meeting, Otha excused himself from our conversation to attend to another duty. Already impressed by this obviously brilliant Brother, I was stunned when he walked over to a piano, sat down, and began playing. He had neglected to tell me he was an accomplished pianist and served as the musician for our Grand Sessions.

"This man," I thought, "is my assistant editor. I should be his assistant instead."

As assistant editor, RWB Wingo only had one job. For years, even before I became a member, he wrote a column, "To Improve Myself in Freemasonry," which always appeared on the back cover of the magazine. The "back page column," as it was known, and Otha himself were both icons to our Grand Lodge members.

In all the years I knew him, I came to realize our first conversation didn't tell half the story.

Otha grew up in Boonville, Mississippi, The son of Elijah and Edna Goodin Wingo. His parents were sharecroppers, who could barely scratch out a living during the depression years of his youth.  He developed an early interest in playing the piano. His family could not afford such an expensive instrument, so he took a long strip of cardboard and drew the keys on it, using that to learn to play.

At the age of 12, he taught an adult Bible class at Booneville Baptist Church and, four years later at just 16, the child genius was admitted to college, where he studied classical languages. In 1963, his 198-page doctoral thesis. "Latin Punctuation in the Classical Age," proved for the first time that the Romans used punctuation in the written Latin language.

Otha was initiated September 12, 1966 and spent the bulk of his Masonic life as a member of Harold O. Grauel Lodge 672, where he served as Master in 1973. On the Charter Night of that Lodge, Dr. Wingo not only gave a dissertation on the history of the Lodge's formation but also, as the official Lodge prognosticator, told its fortune.

His extensive Masonic resume includes serving on many Grand Lodge committees and a variety of positions. He was District Deputy Grand Lecturer from 1998-2010. In 2007, he was honored by being elected just the 12th Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research, and in 2011 received the coveted Truman Medal from the Grand Lodge of Missouri.

The introspective Brother Wingo was president of Huna Research, a society promoting, in its words, a practical way of life containing elements of philosophy, science, and religion. He succeeded the group's founder Max Freedom and served in that position for 40 years.

Working as a missionary in the 1950s, Otha hitchhiked across Jamaica. He was a personal friend of Mahalia Jackson and, as if his life wasn't busy enough, he was a certified private investigator.

The articles RWB Wingo wrote for the magazine were thoughtful, deep, serious, and even sometimes humorous. They all reflected his thorough knowledge of Freemasonry, its principles, and history. As DDGL he liked to include articles on memory aids to assist Brothers in learning the ritual. He never hesitated to drop in information stemming from his deep knowledge of classical languages and mythology. He also confused us from time to time with titles like "The Anacreontic Ode," and "Simillimum."

I once had the temerity to reject one of Otha's articles. Well… sort of. In 2012, he submitted a column entitled "Traditional Observance." TO Lodges, as they are sometimes called, are much more formal than many of our own Lodges. They follow traditional Masonic practices and the original goals of Freemasonry. They usually include Masonic education and discussion in their gatherings. Members almost always dress in tuxedos, focus on the quality of performing the ritual, and usually observe a festive board at each meeting. Sometimes members' attendance, within reason, is required. Otha's article objectively described the origins and practices of TO Lodges.

Like all of Brother Wingo's articles, "Traditional Observance" was interesting, perceptive, and educational. It was certainly worthy of publication. However, the Grand Lodge of Missouri bylaws prohibits TO Lodges. Not just that, some influential members in Missouri are adamantly opposed to them claiming, among other issues, they are elitist. I called Otha and after discussing the issue, we decided it would be better not to publish it. Within a couple of days, the prolific RWB Wingo sent me a replacement article.

In 2015, after a decade as editor of the Missouri Freemason, and a decade of working with Otha, I moved on to other projects. When the first edition of the magazine came out under a new editor, I picked it up out of the mail and immediately turned to the back cover to read Otha's column. Something struck me as strange. The format was different. The title of the article was "The Back Page Legend." Beneath that were the words, "RWB Dr. E. Otha Wingo, PDDGL, FMLR, 1934-2015." Stunned, I gradually realized I was reading Otha's obituary. I had had no reason to communicate with him since our work on the previous issue, and so the back page of the magazine, the space Otha had owned for years, is where I learned of his passing. Somewhat ironically, it turned out my last edition of the magazine was also his. In losing Brother Wingo, Freemasonry had lost a great talent. 

A decorated Freemason, known to be a loving family man, an author, an accomplished musician, a scholar, a missionary, Sunday school teacher, and even a private investigator – Dr. Elvis Otha Wingo was, indeed, an interesting "fella."

Note: The never before published "Traditional Observance," by RWB E. Otha Wingo, will appear in the next edition of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He will be featured in the next episode of the Whence Came You Podcast.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°  is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

How We Use the "Tools" of Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

WB Joe Stewart

Growing up my grandfather owned a construction company. I always saw him as a jack-of-all-trades and he owned the tools to go with (I spent summers going to jobs with him to be the gopher and help clean up).

My Dad too was always a fixer and builder. In his workshop, there were all types of tools, a lathe, a band saw, a table saw, and multiple toolboxes.  Now I have been handed down tools from both of these men, but even though I now have the tools, I cannot build a house!

We are told that everyone should reference their sacred book and be given the tools of the craft with the speculative function of each tool throughout the degrees.

Ritual and the working tools are to be the answers to all the mysteries. It is up to each brother to research how to use them to make himself better and to grow.

The problem with tools is they can be used in more than one way.  While the gavel can be used to knock off the edges and make the stones fit together, it can also be used to destroy or demolish. The trowel is not only used to smooth or spread, but also has a pointed tip to pick out the old mortar in tuckpointing. These are not improper uses for these tools.

How many times in life have you heard “measure twice cut once”? What if the gauge is in centimeters, not inches?

What if you spend all day using the plumb and never take time to check if things are square? (Have you seen some of the smaller lodge buildings, did they use a square??)

Tools in the wrong hands or not used as intended can do damage.

We give the apprentices, fellowcrafts, and master masons tools and then expect the result to be a temple. We tend to overlook the fact that if we work alone, we will end up with something more like a shed than a temple.

We should give every mason the tools but WE need to also help them learn how to use them.

We are charged to become a perfect ashlar, though it is only perfection based on how it joins the next stone. If we solely focus inward, are we becoming the best possible version of ourselves?

Let us be mindful of our Masonic responsibilities that can be summed up in one word, "practice." This can be only accomplished by practicing solo, then coming together.

Buildings are not made of one stone but rather many put together.

We are living stones needing to work as a group to build the future together.

**one solo stone in a field is not a monument; it is a tripping hazard.

WBro Joseph Stewart 32° is Past Master of Napthali Lodge #25 and Wentzville Lodge #46, AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Missouri.  Joe is very active in Masonic Rainbow and DeMolay youth organizations, leading the revitalization of the Daniel Boone DeMolay Chapter and a long-time member of the Wentzville Rainbow Advisory Board.  Joe is active in the Valley of St. Louis AASR as an officer in both the Knights of St. Andrew and the Kadosh line and works with the candidate and library committees. Joe lives in the greater St. Louis area.  When not working as a senior IT and infrastructure analyst, Joe, his wife, and four children enjoy the reenactment of Scottish life of the 1500s.

Coincidences

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

I'm not one of those people who says, "I don't believe in coincidences." Coincidences happen all the time and believing that they don't, in my opinion, can lead us down the garden path that winds up in the cesspool of conspiracy theory. And, if any group knows about the frustration of conspiracies, it's the Freemasons.

On the other hand, we've all had experiences where things seem to be coincidental but aren't. Instead, they're a series of events where correlation and causation converge in some mysterious but meaningful way.

A few years ago I had one of those moments that was, for me personally, so intense I have to believe the chain of events is more than just some random cosmic episode.

My wife, Carolyn, and I were leaving a cemetery when she spied a name on a tombstone that might have been a family member. We stopped to investigate.

Mission accomplished, we headed back toward the car when I spied a family name on the back of a tombstone: "LOWER."

My thoughts turned to Louis Gordon Lower (pronounced 'louher'), a man I have written about so much I've felt like I knew him.

In 1918, sixteen-year-old Louis Lower lost his father Elmer when he was killed in an accidental fall. Frank Land was Elmer's Masonic Brother. He stepped in to help young Louis. The following year, Land formed the Order of DeMolay. He asked Louis and eight other young men to join him as the charter members of the organization. Since that time, Lower has been known as "the first DeMolay."

Lower went on to a successful career in civic leadership in Kansas City. He was revered in his position as the first DeMolay and some even thought in years to come, he would be Frank Land's heir-apparent. He was one of the leaders in the effort to clean up the corrupt Kansas City political machine. After accomplishing this, the mayor of KC appointed Lower as manager of the Municipal Auditorium. On his way home from a long day of work in the early morning hours on July 18, 1943, a drunken security guard attempting to direct traffic confronted Lower for driving in the area. Fully within his rights, Lower challenged the guard for directing traffic while under the influence. The guard responded by pulling out his revolver and shooting Lower in the chest at point-blank range, killing him instantly.

That guard never showed remorse for his actions. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison but was paroled after only three.

More than 800 people attended Lower's funeral. Devastated, Frank Land eulogized his friend and protégé saying, "Louis Lower was not only the first DeMolay in the world, but he was also the first member of the Legion of Honor. He was a symbol to millions of young men of the ideals and teaching of our order... Louis Lower today becomes a legend. He will forever be leading the mystical vanguard of youth. Death came with the morning sun shining upon his brow."

I continued to reflect on the life of Louis Lower, who meant so much to DeMolay, which has had a significant and positive influence on my life.

"That's not so common a name," I thought, "I'll bet Louis was related to that family."

As I kept walking to the car I turned back to look at the headstones beneath the large granite marker; There, in the center was one that hit me like a bolt of lightning. It read:

LOUIS G. LOWER
1902 - 1943

I was standing at the grave of the first DeMolay.

Was this a random accident, a lucky stab that brought me to a place where I could pay my respects to a man I so admired or was it much more meaningful?

In this particular case, I don't believe in coincidences.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°  is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

Gaining Perspective

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

As I’m preparing to leave for the 2021 Missouri Grand Lodge Communication, I feel anxious, blessed, and reflective. I feel anxious as the COVID pandemic took so much from us and in reality, continues to do so. I feel blessed as I get to gather in the mystic ties of brotherhood with so many good Masons over the next few days. I feel reflective in that what came before me built the perspective from which I see today.

As we embark on today’s journey to the Grand Lodge Communication, I joyously followed Brother Matt Parker’s postings from North Carolina’s Grand Lodge Communication and Brother Mohamad Yatim’s and others’ postings of a new AMD Council in Chicago. The excitement expressed through these brothers’ reporting their activities becomes, dare I say contagious? I was ready to leave early for Grand Lodge hitting the road yesterday, even though I knew the big festivities begin today.

Brother Cameron Adamson flew into St. Louis yesterday, and as I picked him up from the airport, that feeling of excitement over gathering to meet continued to remind me of the many blessings we Masons enjoy through our work. Brother Cameron’s sheer joy at traveling to another jurisdiction to share in the fraternal aspects, meet and greet brothers from another country, discuss all things Masonic with new and old acquaintances? Again, contagious. Brothers Joshua Herbig and Parth Patel are making their morning preparations, and the plans include meeting up with them to speak to a new candidate and drop off a petition. A new petition? On the way to Grand Lodge? Absolutely electric.

As Brother Masons spread out all over the globe, we aren’t alone in doing charity, but we are blessed in being together to do charitable work. We aren’t the only organization founded in brotherhood, but we are blessed to have such a rich and solid tapestry of history to which we can proudly point. We focus on the daily work, the next project, the lodge repair, or the next piece of equipment we need to purchase, yet at the end of the day, we made a difference. We reflect upon our work yesterday and beyond, and we see the future by building our trestle board taking our past into account.

In the Robin Williams movie, Dead Poets Society, Williams’ character reminds us to: “Carpe Diem”, or "Seize The Day". He goes on to push his students to make their lives extraordinary. Another quote from the movie is "Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try." Spoiler if you haven’t seen it: This is where he memorably stands on his desk, explaining it is all about gaining perspective. We as Masons are given different perspectives. We learn through the degrees to look at so many different things and ideas via these different perspectives. Every working tool, every symbol, lecture, and charge reinforces the means to gain a new perspective.

Are you seizing today? Are you gaining perspective? How are you going to use that new perspective to be a better Mason today?

~RS

Bro. Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors's Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12-year span. Randy's Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two Symbolic Lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, a full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

The Original Mr. T.

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Most everyone has heard of Mr. T. He's an actor probably best known for his role as Sergeant Bosco Albert "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus on The A-Team, a TV series from the late 1980s. The Baracus character became his breakout personality as a gruff, intimidating, no-nonsense dude who was a gentle giant… until provoked. People quickly learned – don't mess with Mr. T.

Surprisingly, someone who might be called the original Mr. T had a lot in common with his contemporary counterpart. He was a man named John Smith, who was born in Essex County Virginia sometime around 1771, and whom Ray Denslow has called, "An Original Bad Man."

In an alphabetical roll of the members of the first Lodge west of the Mississippi River, Louisiana Lodge 109, nestled between the names of "Smith, Reuben" and "Terry, Robert," appears the curious entry:

T, John Smith (C as Fellowcraft)

The cryptic entry after his name indicates he was a charter member of the Lodge in 1807 and came in as a Fellowcraft. The Lodge of his initiation remains unknown.  In 1789, still in his teens, young John Smith moved to Tennessee and somehow scraped up enough money to buy land there. With that transaction, he launched a career as a land baron and entrepreneur. Subsequently, he made extensive land purchases in Tennessee and expanded his holdings to Alabama. He became increasingly aware his name was a common one, which not only led to confusion in social situations, but also opened him up to become a victim of fraud if that confusion oozed its way over into his land contracts. He figured he needed a more distinctive name and decided to call himself "John Smith T," adding the single letter to indicate he was the John Smith from Tennessee.

Smith was a mild-mannered man and what might be said to be a "smooth-talker." He had the ability to work his way through business deals, always coming out on top. By the late 18th century, he laid claim to more than a quarter-million acres in Tennessee and northern Alabama. He set his sights on Missouri's lucrative lead mining facilities and moved there in 1797.

Brother T was successful as an entrepreneur, not so much as a result of his gifted social abilities but much more due to the fact he was a ruthless businessman. He was as nasty as they came and had the ability to make our Mr. T of the A-Team look like one of God's chosen angels.

Attempting to control the lead mining industry in Missouri, Smith T had to go up against the most powerful resident in the area, Moses Austin, father of the founder of Texas, Brother Stephen Austin. He talked, cajoled, and battled his way into several powerful positions including becoming a judge, commissioner of weights and levies, and a lieutenant colonel in the militia. With those credentials and his domineering character, he broke Austin's monopoly.

Mr. T didn't stop there. He used the lead he mined to make ammunition and began manufacturing firearms. In order to build his business, he used slave labor to assemble his guns which quickly developed the reputation of being the finest arms in the region.  He used his own weapons to become an expert marksman and that, combined with his personality's short fuse led him in a new direction. Insult Mr. T, and you would find yourself challenged to a duel in a time where anyone turning down such a challenge would be branded a coward for life.

T had a chip on his shoulder the size of the Louisiana Territory, always wore two guns at his side, two in his coat pockets, had a Bowie knife and carried a rifle he called "Hark From the Tombs." Many considered him the most dangerous man in Missouri; yet, his deceptive outward demeanor led one man to call him, "As mild a mannered man as ever put a bullet into the human body."

In 1821, a man named Richard Rose tried to persuade some of John Smith T's slaves to leave him. Smith T, in retaliation, shot and killed Rose, and became the first person to be indicted for murder in Washington County, Missouri. The indictment never went any farther and this "Teflon Desperado" was never tried for the crime. Nine years later in St.Genevieve, he got into an argument with Samuel Ball, settling things by taking out his gun and shooting Ball, who died instantly. This time he was tried but acquitted and never punished.

In 1806, he made the mistake of teaming up with Aaron Burr in Burr's futile attempt to invade Mexico. Upon learning a presidential proclamation made Burr's scheme illegal, T returned to Missouri, blaming Burr for deceiving him. Still, the federal government issued a warrant against him for treason. When officers attempted to arrest him, Smith drew his pistol and told them to leave him alone. Knowing how mean he was, they did just that. The warrant was never executed, but for that act, he was removed from all public offices.

Years later, Lionel Browne, Burr's nephew, heard T insult Burr. Browne, either out of naivety or stupidity, challenged T to a duel. Early the next morning, Browne lay dead on a dew-covered meadow in Herculaneum, Missouri, with a bullet in his forehead. An expert marksman with the best artillery, T is known to have killed at least fifteen men on the so-called "field of honor."

An enigma of a man, the quiet, unassuming Mr. T, with an itchy trigger finger was known to donate land to churches and schools. He was generous with the poor and contributed to the construction of roads and canals which helped to open the country for western expansion. No record exists that the Grand Lodge of Missouri ever sanctioned Brother T. Dueling, however, was another matter. The practice became so prevalent in the untamed territories of the early US that some Grand Lodges banned the practice, sometimes with little effect.

This man who lived by the gun did not die by one. Rather, in 1836, at the age of about 65, he died a comparatively quiet death from a fever he contracted on a trip to Tennessee.

For all his faults – and they were many – the original Mr. T, like his twentieth-century counterpart, was a gentle giant… until provoked, and, just like today, people of the 19th century quickly learned – don't mess with Mr. T.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°  is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

We Forgive You

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

I stood curbside at Chicago's O'Hare Airport waiting for my ride. I was there to speak at a Masonic event and another one of the speakers walked up to me and introduced himself as a Brother from Tennessee. I told him I was from Missouri. As we shook hands he said, "Steve, we forgive you."

I knew exactly what he meant. The story, the Missouri side of it, anyway, had come to me in a sort of bull session I had with the Grand Secretary of Missouri at the time, RWB Ron Miller:

Back about 200 years ago… in fact, exactly 200 years ago, the territory that would soon become the state of Missouri had about 100 Brothers who were members of three Lodges spearheading an effort to form a Grand Lodge. The three Lodges were Missouri Lodge 12, Joachim Lodge 25, and St. Charles Lodge 28, all chartered through the Grand Lodge of Tennessee.

Today, the process of creating a new Grand Lodge might be a formal event accompanied by pomp and circumstance. Back then, however, when communication was a lot slower, things were different. The Brothers from those three Lodges got together, decided the time was right, and, presto chango, declared themselves to be a Grand Lodge. No pomp, no circumstance, no muss, no fuss.

When you stop to think about it, any group today could do the same thing; just get together and announce to the world, "Hey, guys, look at us… we're a new Grand Lodge!" There is one catch. The key to becoming a Grand Lodge is not declaration. It's recognition.

Missouri's uppity declaration did not sit well with the Grand Lodge of Tennessee. It responded to Missouri's claim with a resounding, "Oh, no, you're not a Grand Lodge." It seems the three Lodges combined owed their mother Grand Lodge a total of $17, and it refused to recognize them until the debt was paid. Missouri disputed the claim.

In the meantime, other Grand Lodges granted recognition to Missouri, which ultimately settled the issue and gave Missouri the backing to respond to Tennessee, "Oh, yes we are a Grand Lodge." Subsequent correspondence indicates Missouri did not follow its response with, "Nyah, nyah, na nyah, nyah," but the urge to do so may have been strong.

So at least between me and my new friend from Tennessee this two centuries old dispute now appears to have been settled and the Grand Lodge of Missouri and Grand Lodge of Tennessee can let bygones be bygones.

We're still not paying the $17, though.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

 

The Attic

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

In 1816, General William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) built what was one of only a few brick houses in St. Louis. Clark used the lower floor for business. Missouri Lodge 12, with its Tennessee charter, met in a room on the second story there from the time Clark completed the house until late 1817. Masons described the house as "poorly adapted for Masonic purposes and inconveniently located." They approached Brother Thompson Douglass, who was constructing a two-story building in the center of town, and persuaded him to add an attic, which the Masons could use. Were that building standing today where it stood in 1817, at its spot in the center of old St. Louis, it would be directly under the gleaming Gateway to the West monument, better known as the St. Louis Arch.

Upon its completion, the Masons moved into the thirty-eight square foot room to conduct their business. There they also founded Missouri Royal Arch Chapter No. 1, and, in 1821, organized the Grand Lodge of Missouri, chartering what today is St. Louis Missouri Lodge 1.

Frederick L. Billon was raised at the age of twenty-two in that very room. Born in 1801, Billon lived to be 94 years of age in a life that spanned virtually all of the 19th century. He served as Missouri's Grand Secretary for many years and thoroughly chronicled Missouri Masonry during that time. In his memoirs, he talks about one particular meeting in that third-story room which he attended on Friday April 29, 1825.

That evening, the young Brother, still a relatively new Mason, ascended the creaky wooden stairs and as he entered the Lodge room, he discovered two visitors. In Billon's words, "we were honored by a visit from our Nation's distinguished guest, our illustrious Brother General Lafayette, on the occasion of his visit to St. Louis, accompanied by his son George Washington Lafayette, on which occasion they were both duly elected Honorary members of our Grand Lodge." The United States had invited the 68-year-old French aristocrat, who had supported our country and commanded American troops in the Revolution, to tour the country.

Billon writes, "This room was used for Masonic purposes… until the close of the year 1833, when Missouri Lodge No. 1, under the pressure of circumstances, ceased her labors for a time, and the Grand Lodge was removed to Columbia Boone County." The so-called "pressure of circumstances" he mentions is a euphemism for the brutal aftermath of the Morgan affair.

For sixteen years that nondescript room provided an auspicious venue for the formation of the Grand Lodge of Missouri and served as its Grand Lodge offices. It also saw the formation of Missouri's first Lodge, the first Missouri Royal Arch Chapter, was a reception room for the great Lafayette, hosted the ceremony honoring him, and saw countless other Masonic ceremonies and events – all this in an attic that was conceived as an afterthought.

It's graphic proof that it doesn't matter where Brothers meet; rather it matters how they meet, act and part.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.