Reclaiming the Rejected Stone

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

In my contemplations, I often think about the Lodge as a representation of my inner being. The physical world is outside, and the only thing that can enter are materials to build my Temple, be it thoughts, commitments, or experiences. The metal tools of the profane can only be applied to such things BEFORE they become part of us. Of course, we don't vet such "visitors" most of the time. We allow socialization, propaganda, and attacks against us of all sorts to seep in. They become a part of us whether we want them to or not. It's too late to work on what might have, should have, or could have been.

After a while, we must establish a refuse pile. Some might say this is our subconscious -- those things we don't want to think about or deal with -- but what if it's more of a storehouse? After all, I have a basement of tools, some of which I may never use, but surprisingly there are times I am glad I didn't throw something away. It could be a scrap of wood, a bent screwdriver that still can pry things, or that odd piece of hardware that just happens to fit a project my wife wants me to do unexpectedly.

And then there's trauma. There's hurt. There are the judgments of when we "weren't good enough", or embarrassed, or just didn't win at a game we invested a lot of emotion and energy into. There are regrets.

What if at least one of those "stones" was crafted by the Great Architect for a purpose we as yet do not know? What if no matter how un-square or unfitting (by our human judgment) a stone is, there's some important place for it anyway? Before raising an arch, you might not comprehend what a Keystone is for. You don't know where it came from or why. Was it a mistake, or part of some Greater plan by someone Greater than ourselves?

What if that time we messed up or were betrayed, or burned with unrequited love, wasn't part of our plan, but part of a plan made for us? What if surviving some terrible thing imbued us with the strength to overcome a hardship later in life? What if our painful times of need made us more charitable to other people's hurt or needs? What if those stones are already holding up arches, making our character better throughout a life that may not be as well-lived without them?

Maybe it's time to go through my rubbish pile, looking for that one stone that is ugly, imperfect, and just plain doesn't make sense. Maybe it's the key to something or someone I need more than I realize. Maybe the pegboard of the soul is G-d's Trestle Board, and it's my job to learn to put everything in its proper place, to figure out what each item is for, or have faith there's a reason for everything. Then when the task comes, I will know where to find the right tools, and the material I planned to reject -- maybe even my very self -- will become a thing of Strength, Wisdom, and Beauty.

~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”.

Transition of Leadership

by Midnight Freemason Senior Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

Admiration Chapter No. 282 of Royal Arch Masons received its charter in September 2017. Leading up to this momentous occasion was a series of requirements that had to be met as outlined by the Grand Chapter of Illinois. Having met all those requirements, the Chapter was then granted a charter.

Early in the process, the key founders of Admiration Chapter knew there were some in the Grand Chapter leadership who were skeptical of our efforts. I don’t blame them as I am sure they have seen other groups of well-intentioned companions who wanted to start a new chapter, but just never could get it off the ground.

At Admiration Chapter we did things differently. We deliberately took our time and assembled a group of Companions who were dedicated to a unified goal of completing the work necessary to obtain our charter. But none of this would have happened without leadership within these aspiring Companions.

In 2015, MEPGHP of the Grand Chapter of Illinois, Sean P. McBride granted the group a dispensation to become Admiration Chapter U.D. (under dispensation). When this dispensation was granted, one of the requirements was that a Companion who had previously served as Excellent High Priest (EHP) of another Royal Arch Chapter, serve as the initial EHP of Admiration. Michael J. Dooley, who was a past EHP of Champaign Chapter No. 50 (Champaign, Illinois), stepped forward and agreed to serve in this capacity.

Over the next three years, Companion Dooley did an outstanding job of leading the efforts towards the chartering. First off, Mike lives nearly 50 miles away from where Admiration Chapter meets and thus has a 100 mile round trip just to make the meetings. Mike has never missed any of our degree work, chapter convocations, special meetings etc.

Mike’s leadership style is one of encouragement to others, always putting in a good word for someone, and a willingness to perform any role. He is not one who worries about titles or medals, but rather looking for the growth of both freemasonry and the individual brothers. He is always the first to say “yes I can do that” and is very quick to acknowledge the contributions and service of others. He exemplifies servant leadership.

Let me extend my sincere thanks to Mike for both his leadership and example to others. This fraternity is better because of men like Mike and I have no doubt that his leadership will continue in not only Admiration Chapter but in numerous other places in Freemasonry.

At our convocation last night we had elections of officers for the upcoming year. Admiration Chapter is now in the very capable hands of Midnight Freemason Founder, Todd E. Creason. I foresee continued strong leadership ahead for Admiration.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754, Homer Lodge No. 199 and Naval Lodge No. in Washington DC.

Chartering the New Royal Arch Chapter

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

Admiration Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was established in 2015 with a dispensation by the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Illinois.

From the beginning, we have sought to be something different in an era when so many other Masonic organizations are struggling for membership, purpose and even their very existence. We have focused on masonic education, and a meaningful experience for our members. Let me share our mission and vision statements.

Our mission; “Admiration Chapter intends to positively impact its members, candidates and visitors and through them their lodges, chapter, families and communities by emphasizing the notion that the highest exaltation of man is to love and serve God and to love and serve his fellow man.”

Our vision; “Admiration Chapter will be a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons that practices, exemplifies and shares our Masonic tenets and values in everything we do thereby improving, not only ourselves, but the culture of Freemasonry and our communities.”

So how are we doing two years later? We now have more than 40 members in our Chapter. Almost half of these are new Companions that were exalted in the past couple of years. We have had some outstanding educational sessions on topics such as civility, honor and masonic poetry. We held a St. John’s dinner in December of 2016, the first that I had ever attended.

We have portrayed all four Royal Arch degrees, with several Companions learning parts that they had not done before. This degree work was done well and spurred other Chapters to bring their candidates to partake in the work.

These first two years will come to a culmination on September 30, 2017 with an official chartering ceremony by the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Illinois. A lot of hard work was put in by numerous Companions to get us this far. The leadership of the Grand Chapter has been unwavering in their encouragement and support along the way.

But the chartering is just a beginning, at our next Stated Convocation on November 30, we will be reviewing our mission, and our vision and goals to see if they still reflect where the membership want to go in the future.

When was the last time your lodge, chapter, council or other body sat down and chartered a course to where you want to go? Your organization doesn’t have to be brand new to begin a new path. You will be surprised how simple the process can really be once you embark on it. The rewards can be immense and the opportunity to experience success is very fulfilling.

I invite you to attend one of our chapter events if you are a member of the Royal Arch. If you are not a member, please consider joining your local chapter.

More information about Admiration Chapter can be found on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AdmirationRoyalArch/ or our webpage https://admirationchapter.blogspot.com/

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC.

The Royal Arch "Widow" Degree

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Judy Gordon

I have a confession. Something I haven’t spoken about. A little over a year ago, I was summoned; not to court, but summoned by King Solomon to appear at Pekin Masonic Temple for Degree work. Degree work?! But I’m not a Mason! As I read the summons, I had to chuckle. Pekin Chapter #25  Royal Arch Masons had summoned a group of Masonic Widows to appear for degree work called “The Royal Arch Widow Degree”. This degree is for women whose husband is out night after night at the Masonic Lodge.

 This degree had not been performed since the mid 60s so Pekin Chapter thought the current widows needed to go through this degree. So, this year they had the degree again and since I went through it last year, I was able to watch it from the sidelines.

 The "widows" are escorted into the lodge room by the royal executioners and are brought in front of grumpy King Solomon. Yes, King Solomon is a grumpy old soul. He asked these poor "widows" to remove their left shoe; this would be evidence of her sincerity and trust in the Order. The shoes are then sterilized in a “decontaminating fluid”. 

The women are escorted around the lodge room by the Grand Master of Ceremonies and are given the “secrets” of the degree. As you know, there are secrets in the lodge room and since I have been through this degree I am not allowed to reveal them. But, as a Royal Arch Widow, King Solomon did reveal a secret. He explained what the letters on the keystone meant. 

We were advised never to divulge them to anyone not entitled to receive them. But on a serious note, this degree has no connection with any Masonic degree, real or imaginary. It’s sole purpose is FUN and to provide entertainment for us women. After the degree work, the widows are presented a lovely wallet sized certificate and a pin.  Oh, I bet you are wondering about the shoes. Well, if you are a Royal Arch Widow, ask your local Royal Arch Chapter to present the degree and find out what happens to your shoes.

~JAG

Judy Gordon is very active in Job's Daughters. She's the Past Honored Queen, and Past Bethel Guardian of Bethel No. 55, Pekin (IL). She received the Cryptic Masons Masonic Youth Leadership Award along with her husband, Ray Gordon in July 2007. She's also Past Matron of the Morton Chapter No. 974 (IL) of the Order of the Eastern Star and Historian of the Emblem Club No. 424 of Pekin (IL). Judy is the recipient of the Degree of Royal Purple (2012) and elected to the Grand Line Illinois Job's Daughters (2015-16). Boaz joined the family in September 2013 and grandmother of 3 wonderful grandsons.

Rosicrucianism within the Royal Arch: Part Three: A Practical Philosophy

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro James E. Frey 32°

Continued from Part 1 and Part 2.

In 1676 the first printed pamphlet referencing ‘Accepted Masons’ also shows another connection between the Rosicrucian Order and Freemasonry. “To give notice, that the modern Green-Ribbon’d Caball, together with the Ancient Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross; the Hermetick Adepti and the company of Accepted Masons intend all to dine together on the 31 of November next...” 

So since 1638 we have seen a correlation of Rosicrucian and Masonic Myth being merged as the Speculative Craft incorporated Rosicrucian Teachings into its System.  At this point in time Operative Guilds operated under two degrees Apprentice and Fellowcraft. There were two types of Masters at that time, which would be either the presiding Officer of a Lodge or the Mason who was granted the contract for the construction job and was named the Master of a job site.  So Master was a temporary position of administration documented but there is evidence of early practice of the Master Mason , Mark Master and Royal Arch degree before actual documentation of such.  

As the Speculative Craft in England forms the Grand Lodge of England in 1717 there is still only two degrees, it is not until 1725 that the rumors of theSpeculative degree beyond the Fellowcraft is documented.1725: 1^st recorded High Degree “Our Beloved Brothers and Directors of this Right Worshipful Society… Brother Charles Cotton Esqe, Brother Papilln Ball, were regularly passed Masters.” –Philo Musicae et Architecture Societas, May 12, 1725” 

This Master Mason Degree is quickly absorbed into the Speculative United Grand Lodge of England and embraced as a part of the Masonic Ancient Craft Legend. The Master Masons degree is made public in “Masonry Dissected” in Oct 20, 1730 which gives clear evidence of the creation of the Third Degree. In 1743 in London is the first evidence of the Royal Order of Scotland. Bestowing the order of Knight of the Rosy-Cross and Knight of Heredom, who’s symbolism of a journey to a sacred tower is very similar in nature to symbolism of the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkrutz. But within this Rosy Cross degree the initiate received the “True Word” to replace the substitute word. “This would tend to prove that before the legend of Hiram Abiff was introduced  into the Master’s Degree the True Word was communicated in the Master’s degree and not a substitute Word.” (Past Grand High Priest William F Kuhn, The Necessity of the Royal Arch to the Master Mason) This means that the True Word was removed in the Master Mason’s Degree and the mythos of the Lost Word was adopted into the developing High degrees. This places the Royal Arch degree as equal importance to the Master Mason degree because it restores the True Word and Rosicrucian Teachings. 

“With Freemasonry the occult fraternity [Rosicrucians] has only this to do with it, i.e., that some of the Rosicrucians were also Freemasons; and this idea was strengthened by the fact that a portion of the curriculum of a Rosicrucian consisted in …that the building of Solomon’s Temple- they [Freemason] have merely moralized on life, death, resurrection… and the science, or morals, comprehends the application of these forms to intellectual purification, so the Rosicrucian doctrine” (Mackenzie, The Royal Masonic Cylopedia, pg. 615)

Also according to Mackenzie the Royal Arch degree was introduced by the schismatic body known as the Ancient Grand Lodge two years after their secession in 1738. The key symbolism is the Journey for the Lost word that was left incomplete in the Master Mason Degree which gave a substitute word. “Oliver thinks it certain that the royal arch was accepted by the moderns about 1776… this form of the Royal Arch being the invention of [Robert] Dunckerley. (Mackenzie, Royal Masonic Cyclopedia. Pg. 636)

Dunckerley was a member of the Royal Society and an avid student of Rosicrucianism and was also the assistant to the astrological and Alchemical work of Issac Newton, a fellow Mason and Royal Society member. So from the very inception of the Speculative Craft Royal Society Members placed Rosicrucian philosophy at the heart of Masonic allegory in the development of the High Degrees. Masonry sought to take the most basic tenants of Rosicrucian teaching and veiled it under a new allegory of symbols in order to make it more practical for the Reformed Europe. But the true understanding of Royal Arch Masonry lasts in the interpretation of its symbols through the lens of Rosicirucian teachings which has its roots in ancient Kabbalism and Hermeticism.

~JEF

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society.