On the Road Again: Pekin Chapter #25

On Saturday July 10, 2010, Pekin Royal Arch Chapter #25 will present its 2nd Annual Dinner & Booksigning for Worshipful Brother Todd E. Creason.  Brother and Chef Charles Robertson will be serving another gourmet brunch, that you don't want to miss.  Todd will speak about his books, and American history . . . and he'll be accompanied by a very special guest!

The brunch will be served at 2 PM and is $15, and will be served at the Pekin Masonic Temple, 338 Elizabeth Street, Pekin, IL.  You MUST RSVP by July 2, 2010 to Ray Gordon (309) 353-4241 or email him:  gordon@grics.net

This is a fun event, you don't want to miss.  I'll also be introducing for the first time a new edition of my book that's not yet available yet--it's both Volume I & Volume II in one compact edition.  Hope to see you there.  TEC

Book Review: Famous American Freemasons: Volume II

July/August 2010 Issue

Creason, Todd E., Famous American Freemasons--Vol II, Lulu.com, 2009, softbound, 294 pages, ISBN 978-0-557-07088-6.  Cover price, $17.95, available on the Internet, new and used, from $11.99.

Brother Todd Creason, 32nd Degree, has done it again.  Volume I was a great deal of fun (cleverly disguising a great deal of information).  If anything, the second volume is even better. His narrative style remains the same: devoting short chapters to each person, but starting each chapter with drama, or comedy, or whatever is appropriate to the subject matter.  Just as a teaser, let me quote the opening of chapter 11. 

"A Vewwy Twicky Wascal!"

It was a horrific car accident.  He had broken nearly every bone in his body and lost nine pints of blood before he reached the hospital.  One of the firemen on the scene said, "We should have just have put him in a sack."  He was given a one-in-a-thousand chance of surviving . . . He was in a coma for three weeks, swathed in a full body cast with his head covered in a thick layer of bandages. . . .  The doctors feared that he might've suffered brain damage.  They tried everything to revive him to no avail.

On the 21st day of his coma, his neurosurgeon was in the room, checking his chart.  The television set was on.  A famous cartoon rabbit was being chased by a famous cartoon hunter.  Inspiration suddenly struck the doctor.  He leaned over the man and called through the bandages, "How are you feeling today, Bugs Bunny?"

Faintly, from within the mass of bandages, came the muffled reply.  In distinctive Brooklynese, he said, "Eh, Just fine, Doc.  How're you?"

The man, of course was Brother Mel Blanc.  As I've suggested before, these chapters make great Masonic education pieces; short enough to read aloud in Lodge and sure to keep the attention.  Highly recommended.

James T. Tressner II, 33rd Degree, Grand Cross
Book Review Editor
Scottish Rite Journal

Mac Swengel's Book "The Plainston Chronicles"

At age 93, Dr. Swengel has published his first book.  It's a fictional narrative, and it is addictive.  He certainly knows how to tell a story.  It must run in the family--Dr. Swengel is my grandpa.  He wrote it decades ago, and with the assistance of my Aunt Marcia (who was also a member of the editorial staff  for "Famous American Freemasons Vol. II) he's finally finished it. 

AMAZON DESCRIPTION:  A book about educational reform could indeed be very pedantic and perhaps boring, but Dr. Swengel's "Plainston Chronicles" reads like an epic novel as his characters tell their stories in either letters written to each other or journal entries or editor's notes. Thus is the reader propelled through the narratives, following the trails and tribulations of the very real characters. "This should be made into a movie!" exclaimed a reader (PhD in Psychology). The book makes one want to immediately start such a school as Dr. Swengel envisions, as such a school addresses the whole child, not just "book larnin'." When children, at an early age, learn to care about and for their fellow students, this caring attitude carries through their life. Such a school is interactive with its community and impacts it in a very positive way. The effects ripple out even beyond the immediate community and could ultimately affect governments and the way nations are run. Hope springs anew that the world could indeed become a better place!

http://www.amazon.com/Plainston-Chronicles-Dr-Edwin-Swengel/dp/1412038952/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272289363&sr=8-3

The Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral

The beautiful Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral

I’m lucky to live only about an hour from Indianapolis. Every year, about this time, I go over and visit the largest Masonic building in the United States—the Valley of Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral. There is nothing that can prepare you for the grandeur of this building.  It covers a city block with its massive tower rising 212 feet overhead and featuring a 54-bell clarion. It’s considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States.

It's just a stunning building, and it makes for an irresistible backdrop.  It's never hard to find somebody to take your picture during a reunion--you'll always find someebody outside doing the exact same thing.  Looking for somebody to take their picture on the front steps of the building.  Even Barrack Obama couldn't resist the impressive visual the cathedral provides.

As remarkable as the building is on the outside, the inside is all the more impressive. The dimensions are laid out on the Masonic number 33. You’ll find that number repeated everywhere in the building. The Tyler’s room at the entrance is 33 feet by 33 feet and 66 feet tall. The pillars in the ballroom are set 33 feet apart. The building itself is 330 feet wide.

The cathedral is filled with ornate carved wood, antiques, and incredible stained glass windows on a scale unmatched anywhere. I think the thing that I love most, is the amount of stained glass—it’s everywhere. You’ll find it over doorways, and decorating staircase landings, and in little reading nooks and alcoves—stunning examples of the art in its most exemplary form. I think that’s why there is such a unique feeling in the building. It's the lighting due to so much of the sunlight streaming in through those beautiful windows.

Just a few of the amenities inside is a theater that seats 1,200, and has a full-scale pipe organ. In the basement, a dining room big enough to feed all of them. There is also a beautiful ballroom with a dance floor that is cushioned by a system of springs. It’s very comfortable to dance on for hours on end—ask Taylor Swift, she filmed her video for her song “Changes” in the ballroom. There are libraries and meeting rooms, and lodge rooms. Everywhere you turn, you stumble on some small alcove, or interesting feature.

I’ve been there many times now, and each time, I discover something new, and I look forward to going every year. A few years ago, the Valley of Danville (my Valley) was invited over to present the 26th Degree during their reunion. Believe me, the theater may look like an antique on the public side, but is has been fully updated and modernized. It has incredible state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and projection systems.

So go check this place out. You don’t even have to be a Mason. They offer tours! It’s visited by more than 100,000 people every year. If you like it, you can even rent the ballroom out for your family reunion or your wedding reception.

And you be sure and watch Taylor Swift's Video for her song "Change" filmed in the ballroom.