The Pitfalls Of Being Worshipful Master

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

I recently ran across some photos of being installed Worshipful Master of Ogden Lodge back in 2010.  I recall that day clearly.  I remember going home after being installed, all wound up about all the things I was going to accomplish during my year in the East.  I told my wife, Valerie, that it wasn't necessary for her to call me Worshipful at home--she could just call me MASTER.  

I was only joking, but it made her so angry, I didn't see her for two solid weeks!  Well, actually after a week, I could see her a little bit out of my left eye.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog.  You can contact him with complaints about this piece at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

A Witness to History

How big ideas come from small conversations

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Michael Arce

Sometimes it’s the things we say to each other outside of lodge that have the greatest impact within the craft.

History by its very nature is abundant in Freemasonry. Photographs of our distinguished Brothers hang in our lodges. Pictures of our esoteric ideas and symbolism decorate our halls. The legacy of George Washington is so strong, I would bet that there is not one member today who would fail to identify the “Washington as a Freemason” portrait with him wearing his Worshipful Master apron while standing at his station. Close your eyes, you can see it too.

History’s mark is evident on every event in Freemasonry. In our first degree we as the candidate, who after months or years of preparation, have finally come to the moment we have longed for; to become a Brother and learn the secrets of the craft. Think back to your EA degree. Do you remember the feeling you had when something was demanded of you? That brief moment creates an impressive lesson in our masonic career that spurs our desire to be a part of something great.

Some of us continue on the path of contributing a worthy accomplishment for the benefit of the craft. 

This summer I was fortunate to witness history in New York Masonry. “We haven’t had a Lodge dedication in Monroe County since 1927,” proclaimed Deputy Grand Master of New York Masons, RW Richard J. (RJ) Kessler. “That was around the same time as ‘The Great Gatsby,’ must have been some year!” On Saturday, June 9, 2018 Ecclesia Lodge No. 1189 was officially presented its charter by the Grand Master of New York Masons, MW William M. Sardone and Past Grand Master, MW Jeffrey M. Williamson, along with members of the New York State Grand Line. Our Grand Master, in his address, spoke to the significance of the day’s event. How too often we hear of lodges consolidating or worse, surrendering their charter and closing their door forever.

What made this lodge dedication special was more than the fact that it was the first new lodge chartered in Rochester in 91 years -- it was that the beginning of this lodge started as a conversation in the backseat of the car ride to a masonic event in Buffalo between three Brothers. As Bro. Sam Friedman, the newly installed Junior Warden of Ecclesia Lodge and author of “Millennial Apprentices: The Next Revolution in Freemasonry”, described that moment as, “we were just talking about what we wanted from a lodge.” The ‘we’ here is Bro. Ryan Ramplin, now Secretary of Ecclesia Lodge. “I wanted created a lodge that I was excited to attend,” exclaimed Friedman.

The dedication of a lodge is a grand ceremony, if you have the chance to attend one, I highly recommend it. The experience will leave you with energy from the excitement of joy and pride on the faces of the new lodge members who accomplished years of planning and preparation that led to the day. “We began researching the process of chartering a new lodge,” said Friedman. “The steps are outlined in our constitution but as you know, it has been sometime since the last lodge was dedicated.” For example a lodge under dispensation in New York State must show proficiency in the Standard Work and Lectures. “We had to prove ritual proficiency. Did that mean we needed to display opening and closing of a lodge? Did we have to provide proof of degree work? We were unsure. There were many times we contacted Grand Lodge for answers and direction.”

What made this challenge unique to Ecclesia was that their idea for this new lodge was not typical by any means.

As Sam shared with me, “Our goal was to create a lodge that hearkened back to the experiences that the Brethren in the 18th century experienced, a Lodge that not only fulfilled the spiritual needs of its members, but also actively assisted them as they sought wisdom and enlightenment.”

By design business meetings were replaced with discussions as the Lodge meets quarterly on a Saturday afternoon with a fifth meeting exclusively, “For elections, reading petitions to affiliate, balloting, and paying bills,” Friedman commented. Ecclesia offers a “Builders Library” as part of its membership. Included in their dues are the books and reading materials, the subjects of lodge discussions (so far they have provided 6 books to members) as well as the cost of meals.

In December of 2017 I was invited to attend an Ecclesia meeting by a formal invitation sent from Worshipful Master Bill Edwards. I quickly extended the invite to two of my Brothers from the Old 17th District to make the three hour road trip to Rochester. Included in the invite was a letter outlining the assigned reading material as well as “The Rules of Engagement.” Each Brother was expected to contribute to the discussion. When you wanted to request the opportunity to speak, we were instructed to turn on the light of our small candle placed in front of our name card on the table. The subject for discussion was “What Is the Interplay between Punishment and Redemption,” which comes from the lessons in the numerous references in our ritual for breaking masonic obligations. The assigned book title along with a summary of the reading became the main talking point during our car ride to Western New York!

Ecclesia has a unique manner in how their meetings are conducted. Before lodge you enter the Chamber of Reflection to collect your thoughts, meditate, and focus. You can smell the scents from the oils fueling the lights, combined with the aroma from incense and candles burning in the lodge room. The mood is calm and sober. When you enter the lodge room you see three tables set up like a table lodge or festive board, in a U formation. These tables and seats are positioned just south of the altar. The officers sit in their respective stations to start each meeting. After the Opening of Lodge, the Worshipful Master instructs the Brothers attending to take their place at one of the three tables assembled in the center of the room. Once seated the primary officers began the discussion by sharing their thoughts; it wasn’t long until every candle was lit.

When the discussion was ended by the Master, the officers and Brethren returned to their stations and places for Closing of Lodge. Afterwards I looked down at my watch with surprise to see that it had been THREE hours since the meeting began. It felt like 30 minutes! I can’t tell you how many times it has felt the other way around after a typical “business meeting.” Ecclesia then hosts a post-meeting dinner at a restaurant where the conversation continues during the reception along with the usual fellowship we all enjoy at masonic meals. As visitors we felt just as welcome and included as the regular attendees. Our three hour drive back to the Capital Region was filled with highlights from the meeting and a desire to bring this discussion format to our lodges back home.

I realize, this concept, an open dialogue in lodge, is hard to fathom. The idea that every Brother contributes to a discussion may seem impossible. But Ecclesia Lodge has found a way to encourage the conversation flow. After attending their meeting in December, seeing every candle glowing and hearing every Brothers’ voice, an invitation was sent to Sam Friedman to present this format to my mother lodge, St. George’s #6, in Schenectady, New York. His talk was one of the highlights of our year with many members asking follow up questions, wanting to know how we could create a similar experience in a future meeting. He also spoke at our Masters and Officers (District) meeting that winter, again with the same response. Six months later while sitting in Grand Lodge, I smiled proudly when the Grand Master read that Ecclesia’s charter had been approved. At the Grand Master’s dinner that evening I congratulated Ecclesia’s Master, Bill Edwards, on the Lodge’s accomplishment. I was surprised to learn that two and half years had past since Sam and Ryan’s idea was put into action, they were now official!

Instead of accepting the norm, dare to change it.
The work for the members of Ecclesia Lodge #1189 is really just beginning. Now they must band together to sustain this idea, constantly working in harmony to ensure their lodge is relevant to future members and the craft. There is no denying that Masons today are all seeking the education and enlightenment promised to us when we are raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. Books and recorded history are resources that will continue to be at our disposal in seeking the additional light we are promised. Finding the light is rarely the problem. Finding a place to light our candle, share our knowledge with like-minded Brethren, and improving ourselves --- that is constant challenge that has persisted to exist throughout the detailed history of modern American Freemasonry.

The lesson that we can learn from the Brothers of Ecclesia Lodge #1189 is that history is present to those who dare to make it. If you want to improve your lodge discussions; do it. Become a part of the solution: get involved! Share your ideas with the Brothers of your lodge or district. Tell your Master that you would like to present a program in an upcoming meeting. Be that single source of light that begins small and grows into a chorus of burning passion. As John F. Kennedy once said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”

To contact Bro. Sam Friedman to learn more about engaging lodge discussions, visit his website at http://millennialapprentices.com

~MA

Michael Arce is JW of St. George’s #6, Schenectady and a member of Mt. Zion #311, Troy New York. When not in Lodge, Bro. Arce is the Marketing Manager for Capital Cardiology Associates in Albany, New York. He enjoys meeting new Brothers and hearing how the Craft has enriched their lives. He can be reached at michael.arce@me.com

NASA - Giordano Bruno and Other Worlds

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Travis Simpkins 

The best parts of being a freelancer are the frequent surprises that come along with it. When you open yourself up and are willing to work with anyone, you never know who will reach out to you next.

One morning a couple months back, I woke up and checked my email like I always do. Mixed in with the usual communications was a rather peculiar one. The message was from NASA, and the writer was looking for permission to use my artwork depicting the 16th Century Hermetic philosopher/astronomer Giordano Bruno in an upcoming presentation in Sorrento, Italy. The artwork was to be projected on screen during a lecture by Colonel Roger Hunter, program manager of the Kepler Mission, and this particular section of the presentation would focus on Bruno's theories regarding “other worlds.” After restraining my excitement and quickly verifying the information, I very happily agreed to the request.

It was obvious why NASA is interested in Giordano Bruno (1548-1600). He was an ex-friar turned natural philosopher, whose Hermetic teachings put him at odds with the dominant ideological visions of the Church. Condemned by the Inquisition as a heretic, Bruno was burned at the stake in Rome's Campo di'Fiori on February 17, 1600. Among the many theories introduced by Bruno, one of his most profound was the idea that the universe is infinite and the stars we see in the night sky are actually suns being orbited by other planets that have life on them.

It was also obvious how Colonel Roger Hunter and the Kepler Mission are inspired by Giordano Bruno's work. According to the official statement on NASA's website: “The Kepler Mission, NASA Discovery Mission #10, is specifically designed to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone and determine the fraction of the hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy that might have such planets.”

Less obvious, to me anyway, was just how strong the Masonic connection was to all of this. I knew of astronomical references in the lectures and of Bruno's influence on memorization, relevant to our ritual studies, through his well known work on “The Art of Memory” which utilized the many mnemonic devices we all use (whether we credit Bruno for it or not). However, I didn't fully see another much deeper and direct Masonic connection until I shared the news of this project on my Facebook page. Soon after posting the update, Shawn Eyer commented asking if I had seen the old Fellow Craft lectures that related to Bruno's theory. I replied in the negative and he sent me a fantastic article he had written titled “Numberless Worlds, Infinite Beings” that had originally been published in Philalethes (Vol. 65, No. 3) back in 2012. Among the mosaic of valuable insights contained within the essay was an eloquent quote, once included in the Fellow Craft Degree, that directly corresponded to the subject. I found myself reflecting on it's meaning and implications for much of that day. The words were taken from William Preston's 1780 Lecture of the Second Degree: “Here we perceive thousands and thousands of suns, multiplied without end, all arranged around us, at immense distances from each other, attended by ten thousand times ten thousand worlds, all in rapid motion; yet calm, regular, and harmonious; invariably keeping their prescribed paths, and all peopled with a myriad of intelligent beings, formed for endless progress, in perfection and happiness.”

Ask a number of supposedly learned people about Giordano Bruno and at least half of them will reply, “Who?” Never elevated to his proper status among the historical luminaries that comprise the world's greatest thinkers, Bruno is under-appreciated and yet his enduring influence is still ever-present in the shadows. On the landing of the main staircase in the House of the Temple, chiseled into the wall, is a quote attributed to Albert Pike that reads, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” While meaningful in their own right, Pike's words echo a sentiment written 300 years prior by Giordano Bruno: “What you receive from others is a testimony to their virtue; but all that you do for others is the sign and clear indication of your own.” (On the Infinite Universe and Worlds, 1584)

~TS

Travis Simpkins is a freelance artist with clients throughout the United States and Europe. He currently works on projects for the Supreme Council, 33°, NMJ in Lexington, Massachusetts. He also serves as a portrait artist for the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, Grand Lodge of New Jersey and other jurisdictions across North America. His artwork is in many esteemed collections, including the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, Missouri.

Bro. Simpkins is a member of Morning Star Lodge A.F. & A.M. in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is a 32° Mason in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite- Valleys of Worcester and Boston. He is also a member of Eureka Royal Arch Chapter, Hiram Council of Royal & Select Master Masons and Worcester County Commandery No. 5, Knights Templar.

A Brother’s Love

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Robert E. Jackson

Seven score and 17 years ago, the United States of America was ripped apart and thrust into war with each other. The 85 year-old debate between State independence and centralized Federal control, was coming to a head. The descendants of those who worked and lived side by side in a fight for independence from the British Crown, had turned their guns and aggression onto each other. Families were split, and the friends and Brothers found themselves in opposition on the battlefields. The entire world was watching, not only to see if this experiment in democracy could survive, but as 75% of the worlds cotton originated in the southern states, the topic of slavery and 'free' labor had global economic implications.

Roughly two years into the war, 155 years ago this week, the soldiers and civilians of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, would witness a battle more horrific and bloody than anything imaginable at the time. During a 3 day period, the lives roughly 50,000 people were eliminated, with more deaths following due to complications of the countless injured. To give this some perspective, the entire population of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1860, was about 50,000 people. An entire city's worth of people, gone. The estimated 2400 civilians who lived in Gettysburg, PA, no longer had to imagine what hell was like, they could see it with their own eyes.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee thought his army was invincible, and on the 3rd of July, 1863, directed his soldiers to charge up the open fields of Gettysburg and attack the defenses of Union General George Meade. These men were supported by several commanding officers, and thousands of soldiers. Two sides, fighting to the death, and yet amidst the fighting, a symbol of true unconditional love, emerged.

Confederate Brigadier General Lewis Armistead, in an unwavering display of courage, charged through the bodies and bullets, and crossed the Union Lines. As he prepared to turn the Union cannons around and fire onto their owners, he was struck down. As Armistead fell, Union Captain Henry Bingham, noticed a familiar sign. Bingham was an aide to Union Major General Winfield Hancock, a man who knew, and was friends with, Armistead, since the 1850s. Again, friends battling friends. But these men were more than friends, they were Brothers. Bingham stepped into the fire, to the aid of General Armistead, his direct opponent. These men were ready to kill each other in battle, but when one fell, the fear and anger immediately turned to love and compassion. Armistead reportedly told Bingham “Tell General Hancock for me that I have done him and you all an injury which I shall regret the longest day I live.”

Yes, the Fourth of July is the day we celebrate the time when the founding fathers of the United States of America, stepped forward and pushed back upon an oppression. A task that seemed insurmountable. These men, many of which were Brothers, sacrificed everything for a better future for their children. But when Brothers disagreed on the future of our Country, they divided, and fought to the death. Throughout the cookouts and fireworks, it would behoove us as Masons to remember the value of Charity displayed by Brother Henry Bingham. We will never all agree on everything, but those differences are what strengthens us. When we feel divided from our Brothers, and from our Lodge, have the fortitude to reach across the battle lines, and spread the cement of Brotherly Love and Affection.

~REJ

Robert Edward Jackson is a Past and presiding Master of Montgomery Lodge located in Milford, MA. His Masonic lineage includes his Father (Robert Maitland), Grandfather (Maitland Garrecht), and Great Grandfather (Edward Henry Jackson), a founding member of Scarsdale Lodge #1094 in Scarsdale, NY. When not studying ritual, he's busy being a father to his three kids, a husband, Boy Scout Leader, and a network engineer to pay for it all. He can be reached at info@montgomerylodge.org