Survey Says? Part One

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Robert H. Johnson 

So it's no secret that Masonry has it's secrets--A bad joke. A while back I became interested in something which I thought was a real problem within Masonry, not the Symbolic Lodge (Blue Lodge) but within the confines of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. As a District Education Officer, I take education of the brothers pretty seriously.

To be sure, our official duty as education professionals is to see that the Grand Lodge's goals are met as well as the Area Deputies (Inspectors). But, many of us look into all facets and look for patterns of things that worked and things that didn't. Some of us, myself included are obsessed with data or analytics. 


About a year ago I became interested in the differences between the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, specifically the conveyance of the "Royal Secret" to the class of candidates. In the NMJ the 32nd degree is titled "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret" and in the SJ it is titled "Master of the Royal Secret". There are actually two different "Royal Secrets" and I was finding that there was much confusion among the brothers as to what their respective jurisdictions secret was. So I did the only thing I could do, I ran an anonymous survey. Here, compiled for your convenience are the results of that survey I ran just a short while ago. We had over one-hundred responses to the question "What is the Royal Secret?", prefaced with the question "What jurisdiction do you belong to?" As you can see from the results, the SJ did a little better than the NMJ, but one thing is for sure, it looks like we have some confusion. Feel free to discuss. My one observation that I will offer up here is that you would be hard pressed to find a Freemason who doesn't remember the password of the Master Mason Degree, and to that end, if the AASR was as proficient as a blue lodge, these graphs would show the only acceptable number, 100%.

I plan on running more short surveys in the future to gain insight into this great fraternity and you can expect more posts like this from me in the future. I hope you find the results as interesting as I do. 

~RHJ

Bro. Robert Johnson, 32° is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the First North-East District of Illinois. He is the Master of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 and Education officer for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies Royal Arch, Cryptic Council, Knights Templar, AMD, The Illinois Lodge of Research and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago as well as a charter member of the Society of King Solomon, a charity organization run by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. In addition, he produces video shorts focusing on driving interest in the Fraternity and writes original Masonic papers from time to time. He is also a cohost of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of three. He works full time in the safety industry and is also a photographer on the side as well as an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays.

Is Homosexuality Unmasonic?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro:. Jason Richards

&

Guest Contributor

WB:. Jon Ruark

On Friday, 26 June, 2015, the United States Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in support of homosexual marriage equality. This nationwide declaration of equality and the changing societal norms it represents necessitates taking a hard look at Freemasonry--long having been recognized as an organization that celebrates all men as equals--and its attitude toward homosexuality in order to ask the question: “If all men are equal, and now have equal rights to marriage across the United States, is the practice of homosexuality in and of itself ‘unmasonic’?” 

Before delving into such a discussion, it is necessary to define the term “unmasonic” for the purposes of our discussion here. Unmasonic conduct is often referenced--even by Albert Mackey on numerous occasions--but has seldom been defined. Most often, it is utilized either as a synonym for “immorality” or described as “conduct unbecoming of a Mason.” However, both of these uses are deeply subjective, and interpretation could vary widely depending on a given culture or circumstance as moral laws differ greatly from culture to culture. For the purposes of our discussion here, we would posit a more objective and measurable definition of unmasonic conduct: “an action that causes serious harm within the fraternity or its public image outside of the fraternity.” As a society of good men who strive to make eachother into better men, it is important to retain harmony within the organization so it doesn’t crumble from within, but also just as important to retain a positive public image so that the organization can persist and attract membership. 

(Left to Right) Bros. Robert Johnson,
Jason Richards &
Jon Ruark broadcasting TMR from
Jason's house in VA

Masonic laws concerning homosexuality vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Many jurisdictions have no stated policy on the matter, but some Grand Jurisdictions (who will remain nameless) list transvestitism, homosexual behavior, or even the sheer promotion of homosexuality as Masonic offenses punishable by suspension or expulsion. Many of Masonry’s rules and Landmarks originated in time immemorial; however, the laws, rules, and edicts of each sovereign Grand Lodge comprise a governing framework established by men in authority at a given period of time, based on personal--and therefore subjective--worldviews influenced by societal norms. We would posit that as societal norms change and evolve, regulations at the Grand Lodge level should be revalidated and updated to reflect the greater society within which Masonry operates. As such, the Supreme Court decision on Friday gives leaders of the Masonic fraternity a distinct opportunity to reevaluate existing policies on homosexuality. 

But back to the original question of this article. If we look at unmasonic conduct from the objective lens postulated earlier, we find it difficult to reconcile calling homosexuality “unmasonic.” Homosexuality causes no inherent harm within the lodge. Regardless of race, age, or sexual orientation, brethren are expected to treat each other with the utmost respect. Furthermore, as societal norms have changed and homosexuality is no longer the social taboo it happened to be several decades ago, the presence of homosexuals in the lodge does not harm the fraternity’s public image. Quite to the contrary--as we have seen in recent times with organizations accused of anti-gay sentiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A_same-sex_marriage_controversy), even a perceived lack of toleration can do harm to an organization’s public image. If we care about public perception--and we should given the past 50 years’ worth of membership trends--then a reexamination of our rules and perceptions toward homosexuality is prudent. 

If homosexuality is now accepted as a societal norm (much like minorities were increasingly accepted as equal members of society after the Civil Rights movement of the 1970’s), and causes no inherent harm within the fraternity or to the fraternity’s public image, then where are these regulations rooted? Arguably, much of the resistance to homosexuality in Masonry has roots in Christianity, the principles and dogma of which have long been interpreted as condemning the practice of homosexuality. But whether or not a given brother or grand officer subscribes to those interpretations is irrelevant where Masonry is concerned as religion has no place inside the walls of the lodge. The fraternity’s most recent addition to the landmarks of Freemasonry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic_Landmarks) is that religion and politics (and sometimes nationalities/borders) are not to be discussed in lodge as those topics only serve to divide, rather than unite, brethren. For the sake of the fraternity, brethren are exhorted to celebrate the common belief of a Supreme Being within lodge while, at the same time, respecting each brother’s right to subscribe to his own religious dogma. 

As a result, a brother’s religious-inspired belief that homosexuality is immoral (and therefore “unmasonic”) has no place within the confines of the lodge room. Likewise, a man’s sexual orientation should have no bearing on his being accepted or rejected as a candidate to receive the degrees in Freemasonry. After all, candidates are balloted upon within the lodge room during a tiled meeting. As such, religious and political biases should have no bearing on a candidate’s internal qualifications for Masonic membership. 

Friday’s Supreme Court decision has presented our brotherhood with a distinct opportunity to move forward in line with the ideals upon which our great fraternity was founded: tolerance, harmony, and unity. By embracing toleration for all men under the fatherhood of God regardless of race or sexual orientation, we can set ourselves above today’s polarized society. That toleration, in turn, will promote harmony and build unity within our lodges. By celebrating our diversity rather than condemning it, our fraternity will grow stronger and attract innovative, exceptional young men to join our ranks as men and Masons for years to come. 

~JR & JR

(Left to Right) Bro. Jon Ruark,
Bro. Jason Richards

Bro. Jason Richards is the Junior Warden of Acacia Lodge No. 16 in Clifton, Virginia, and a member of both The Patriot Lodge No. 1957 and Fauquier Royal Arch Chapter No. 25 in Fairfax, Virginia. He is also Chaplain of Perfect Ashlar Council No. 349, Allied Masonic Degrees. He is the sole author of the Masonic weblog The 2-Foot Ruler: Masonry in Plain Language, and is a co-host on the weekly YouTube show and podcast The Masonic Roundtable. He lives in Virginia with his wife, cats, and ever-expanding collection of bow ties.

WB. Jon Ruark is a Past Master of The Patriot Lodge No. 1957 in Fairfax, VA. His love of technology and gadgets led him to start The Masonic Roundtable as a Hangout on Air. His Masonic interests lean toward the esoteric and philosophical aspect. He lives in Virginia with his wife, 2.5 children, a dog named Copernicus, and a cat named Tesla who’s a jerk.

Compassion and The Craft

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

WB Adam Thayer

Our world is an ever shrinking place. The distance between me and brothers on the other side of the globe is now only a few mouse clicks. For good or evil, our communications network has expanded to the point that information can go through the news cycle and be forgotten within a single day. In the words of our great Brother Mark Twain, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes”. This has never been more true than today!

In the face of instantaneous communication, it becomes too easy to dehumanize the people we interact with electronically. Seeing others as a collection of characters on a screen, with the occasional icon to represent them, we can quickly forget that there is an actual person, with unique thoughts and feelings behind that representation. As that action becomes habit, it quickly can extend into our interactions with people in the real world as well.

Freemasonry offers us an alternative path through teaching empathy and compassion, although they are not easy lessons to learn. We meet on the level, and most of us assume we show this by treating the janitor the same as the bank president, but there is another, more subtle meaning behind it: we raise others up to the same level we put ourselves on, and treat them the way we expect to be treated. Viewed this way, Freemasonry is another reflection of the underlying golden rule of the universe.

We could spend pages discussing the role of altruism in Freemasonry, but those who understand already know, and those who don’t, never will, so I’ll conclude with a saying from His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama, which has been my ongoing guide for over ten years: “A mind committed to compassion is like an overflowing reservoir - a constant source of energy, determination and kindness. This is like a seed; when cultivated, gives rise to many other good qualities, such as forgiveness, tolerance, inner strength and the confidence to overcome fear and insecurity. The compassionate mind is like an elixir; it is capable of transforming bad situation into beneficial ones. Therefore, we should not limit our expressions of love and compassion to our family and friends. Nor is the compassion only the responsibility of clergy, health care and social workers. It is the necessary business of every part of the human community.”

~AT

Bro. Adam Thayer is the Junior Warden of Lancaster Lodge No 54 in Lincoln (NE) and the Worshipful Master of Oliver Lodge No. 38 in Seward (NE). He’s an active member of the Scottish Rite, and Knight Master of the Lincoln Valley Knights of Saint Andrew. Adam serves on the Education Committee of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. You can contact him at adam.thayer@gmail.com

The Dreaded Announcements

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

It was a wonderful degree, with the work being near perfect. The candidate was very impressed and was processing mentally the experience he had just came through. The Master of the lodge thanks the brethren for coming and assisting to bring the brother to light. Then it happens….

The Master now says, “its’ time for the dreaded announcements.” For the next ten to fifteen minutes, brethren stand up and announce dates for the next degree, pancake breakfasts, blood drives, about a door that is squeaking, etc.

After a recent degree, I wondered what impression this left on the newly raised brother. After all, this night was supposed to be about him. Is this his first indication of things to come in Freemasonry; reading of the minutes and paying of the bills?

Let me be transparent and admit, I freely chime in and announce when the next High Twelve meeting is or when the Scouts are having a fish fry.

But maybe it is time to put our focus back on why we assembled to begin with; the newly initiated, passed, or raised brother.

But how are people supposed to know what is going if you don’t have the announcements? Here are some suggestions:

•  Printed list - this might seem like an old fashioned way of conducting business, but having a list of upcoming events that could be handed out at the degree would be very useful.

• Develop an email list - this is a quick way to distribute information to brethren who wish to receive it. But keep it simple, don’t use an attachment such as .pdf file for a flyer. Just put the message in the email itself. Most people are reading email on their smart phones and viewing an attachment on a phone is a hassle.

• Facebook – many lodges have FB pages now as do some masonic districts, Grand Lodges, etc.

•  Area calendar – I have developed a Google calendar that shares when lodges in my area are having stated meetings, degrees, events, etc.

•  Call-em-all – the Grand Lodge of Illinois has set up a means whereby lodges can use this very efficient system to send messages to their members either via phone or text.

•  Come to the monthly stated meetings – what better way to know what is going on, than to actually come and participate at a lodge meeting.

Let’s return our focus at degree work on why we assembled to begin with, our new brother.

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. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters.