Whither Are You Traveling?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Robert E. Jackson

We've all seen the image in movies and television…volunteers are requested, and a line of people step back, leaving the ignorant in a forward position to do the work. I remember laughing at this scene numerous times, but now that I see the behavior so prevalent in society, it's not so funny anymore. I'm not sure if it is society mimicking Hollywood, or vice versa, and I don’t necessarily care at this point. But if any service organization wants to survive, the attitude must change.

Finding people to step forward is becoming increasingly difficult these days, and it isn't just us. Within Scouting organizations, we see similar behavior. Many adults seem to prefer to drop off their kids and walk away, rather than be involved. In some instances, I've even seen some Scout leaders who remain to be heavily involved, even after their kids have aged out. Not because they necessarily want to, but because parents of the active youth simply won't step forward.

Has it always been like this? We hear the stories of the World Wars, when people stepped forward in droves in order to serve their country in any way possible. People would lie about their age, simply to step forward. Was it just the culture of the time, or something that their parents instilled in them? Is the plethora of 'squirrels' such as video games, social media, and 1000 channels on television ruining the trait of volunteerism, or is it the belief that somebody else will do it, so why should I? Yet more questions I wish I could ask my Father.

I can't help but wonder if we as a Fraternity brought this on ourselves. Yes, we aren't supposed to 'ask' people to join, but we do hand them petitions and drop hints. I've done it. This is behavior that my father never would have done. He didn't even talk about the Fraternity. Now, I believe there is some middle ground on which to meet…between the complete mystery of a century ago, and asking people to join today. We do need to be involved in the community, I believe, and show them what we believe and the lessons we teach. But this can't be done without stepping forward. Stepping forward for fundraisers. Stepping forward for service. Stepping forward to do presentations for other groups. Simply stepping forward.

So here is my plea, my Brothers. Don’t wait to be asked, step forward. Your Lodge isn't guaranteed to be here forever. Our history is not a promise of our future, I know that from my father's Lodge, the one that my great grandfather founded. It's gone. It can happen. If you care about your Lodge. If you truly care about the Fraternity. Step forward and volunteer, don't wait to be asked.

~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

At The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier

by 
Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

&
Midnight Freemasons Senior Contributor
WB Gregory J. Knott

Originally published 3/10/17, we thought this would make a good Memorial Day piece.  Too often we forget the real reason we celebrate Memorial Day--to honor our fallen heroes.  We hope you'll spend at least a small part of your day today remembering those that gave everything to protect and preserve the way of life we enjoy as Americans.  TEC/GJK

The first time I saw the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, I was five years old.  We were in Washington, D.C. on a family vacation.  I remember it very clearly.  That solemn ceremony left a very deep impression on me.  I've watched on television as Presidents on Memorial Day have laid the Memorial Day wreath many times, and every time, I'm struck with that same sense--a mixture of American pride, patriotism, honor, and deep respect for the sacrifices that have been made in the name of freedom. 

Two years ago, I saw the changing of the guard again--more than forty years later.  Fellow Midnight Freemason Greg Knott and I flew to Washington D.C. for a Masonic event, and less than an hour after the plane landed at Ronald Reagan International Airport, we were standing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The Boy Scouts were there that day, and during the changing of the guard, they presented a wreath--the same exact ceremony the President takes part in on Memorial Day.  We both knew what we wanted to do on our next trip out--to place a wreath on behalf of Freemasons everywhere to honor our fallen heroes.  In February, we were able to do just that.  Greg and I on behalf of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and with the blessing of Our Grand Master of Illinois, Anthony Cracco.  We also asked the President and Past President of The Masonic Society to join us--Kenneth Davis and James Dillman were only too happy to do so.

 

The reality didn't really set in until I was standing at the top of the steps looking out over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the cemetery beyond as the Relief Commander slowly ascended the steps before us.  The wreath we provided was already in place waiting for us as we descended together in step. 

It was about thirty-five degrees with a thirty mile-per-hour wind, but the four of us barely felt the bracing cold.  We were there to represent Freemasonry, so we left our winter jackets behind in favor of our suits, jewels, aprons, and gloves.  We were about to honor our fallen veterans on behalf of Freemasons everywhere by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. 

Once the wreath was placed, a soldier played Taps.  It was an indescribably moving experience listening to Taps as I fixated on words on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.  It was an experience I don't think any of us will ever forget.  I certainly won't. 

Left to right: Todd E. Creason, Gregory J. Knott, James Dillman, Kenneth Davis

Afterwards, we stood and watched the guard for some time.  It occurred to me that there had been a guard watching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, uninterrupted, since I'd been there as a five year old child.  It was that important.  And the honor of being able to serve in that capacity is considered one of the highest honors in military service. 

As we left the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a funeral procession was in progress--something that happens on average twenty-four times a day at Arlington National Cemetery.  Greg Knott and I walked to a large tree in the center of one of the plots to get a better view.  As the horse drawn cassion passed with the flag draped coffin on top, and I looked out across the cemetery at the thousands and thousands of identical stones, I was struck by the high price Americans have paid for freedom.  And yet it's a price that generation after generation of Americans have continued to pay, because in the end, there is nothing more important to who we are as the American people than those freedoms provided us under the United States Constitution.

~TEC/GJK

Todd E. Creason, 33°, FMLR is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and is a regular contributor.  He is the award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is the author of the From Labor to Refreshment blog.  He is the Worshipful Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754, where is currently serves as Secretary.  He is the Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees.  He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research. (FMLR) and a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

WB Gregory J. Knott is one of the founding contributors of the Midnight Freemasons blog.  He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL), and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754, Homer Lodge No. 199, and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, D.C.  He's a member of the Scotttish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star, and is the Charter Secretary of the Illinois 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 Philalethes Society. He is a charter member of the a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 (IL) and serves as its Secretary.  Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts--an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters.  you can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com

Rededication of the 1778 Trinity Lodge Charter

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Travis Simpkins

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts dates back to 1733 and Masons in the Bay State are rightfully proud of their nearly-300-year history. Historical interests played a large part in me submitting a petition to Morning Star Lodge in 2015, and it was evident from the beginning that history was very important to others there as well. Just after being initiated, I was proudly told by a Brother that our Lodge, chartered in 1793, was the oldest of the seven Lodges in the 23rdDistrict. I had heard that statement before and I had noted that some of the other local Lodges had been chartered in the 19thCentury, so I just accepted the fact at face value.

That same week, I acquired a very old book pertaining to the history of Morning Star Lodge. I was surprised to see within the first few pages that Morning Star Lodge had actually been formed out of another pre-existing one, Trinity Lodge, which is still operating in the district today. The book listed Trinity Lodge as dating to 1778, yet their website displayed the year 1858. I casually mentioned the discrepancy to the District Deputy Grand Master at the time (and Past Master of Trinity Lodge), R.W. Gregory Stahl. He was well aware of the earlier 1778 date and it was something he had long been battling to restore.

Like most other stories of a Lodge with two charters, the crux of the Trinity Lodge saga was the period of darkness in the wake of the Anti-Masonic sentiments in the 1820's. Trinity Lodge had indeed been formed on January 30, 1778 under the authority of M.W. Joseph Webb and their original charter even bore the signature of Paul Revere, who was Junior Grand Warden at the time. The Lodge flourished for over four decades. Then, like so many others, they went dark in 1826 following the fervor of the Morgan Affair. 32 years later, Trinity Lodge re-formed and was granted a new charter on September 8, 1858. Morning Star Lodge, which had resumed in 1842, could produce their original 18th Century charter and was later re-granted their original 1793 date. The Trinity Lodge charter however, could not be located and the 1858 date stuck.

Fast forward 150 years... In 2008, the Grand Master visited Trinity Lodge for the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the 1858 charter. R.W. Gregory Stahl pointed out a Master's Carpet dating to 1784, evidencing the true age of the Lodge. The Grand Master stated that if the original charter could be located, then Grand Lodge would be supportive of restoring the 1778 date. The hopeful search for the document continued. In 2016, with the diligent help of the Grand Historian, R.W. Walter Hunt, the original 18th Century Trinity Lodge charter (damaged, but still very legible) was located in the Grand Secretary's vault in Boston.

Of all the Masonic events I have attended, the Trinity Lodge rededication ceremony held on January 30, 2018 was one of the most unique and memorable. It's something that doesn't happen often, and I'm not likely to witness anything quite like it ever again. The direct connection with history was palpable. The highly anticipated event was scheduled on the 240th Anniversary of the 1778 charter. The original fragile document, still clearly showing the signature of Paul Revere, was placed on display for all to see. A crowd of a hundred or so came out to the event, organized by Wor. Micheal Leonard, Past Master of Trinity Lodge, and the local news media took note. I personally enjoy attending the “public” events because I can bring my wife along, and she took the photo of the ceremony shown above, which was widely shared all over social media the following day. 

The Chaplain of Trinity Lodge conveyed a heartfelt history to the audience, which was further emphasized by R.W. Walter Hunt, who had played the integral role of finding the actual document. R.W. Gregory Stahl, who had since moved to Ohio, returned for the special event and current DDGM R.W. John F. Sullivan presented him with the Robert W. Johnson Service Award for all of his dedicated efforts in making that day possible. It was an inspirational experience all around, and I was happy to see Trinity Lodge given it's proper and long overdue recognition as the Mother Lodge of the 23rd District in Massachusetts. The Grand Master, M.W. Paul F. Gleason, presided over the well-composed ceremony. He made it official and concluded by saying, “To the Brethren of Trinity Lodge, congratulations on finally getting your birthday back.”

-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.

The Blue & The Orange: Freemasonry & The Orange Order

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

WB Martin O’Brien

The day was overcast and a light drizzle was falling as I made my way through the West Gate of the town of Clonmel, one of the few remaining portions of the old town walls. These walls had held Oliver Cromwell at bay as he laid siege to the town with eight thousand men. For several bloody weeks in 1650 two thousand defenders held the foe at bay inflicting heavy casualties. Cromwell, a name which will forever live in infamy in Ireland, eventually negotiated a surrender with the Mayor John White, agreeing that neither the citizens nor their property would be harmed.

The terms of the surrender were upheld which was in stark contrast to the bloody mayhem typical of Cromwell’s military campaign in Ireland. Forty years later, William of Orange passed these walls unimpeded on his march to Limerick as he put down the Jacobite rebellion after seizing the crown from Catholic King James II. The town of Clonmel was founded in 1209 and it was here that I grew up. I had not been back to my hometown since I had become a Mason and on this overcast day I was making my way through the town to visit a Masonic Lodge I had not even known was there. I had emailed the Grand Lodge of Ireland to learn if there was a lodge close to Clonmel that I might visit during my trip.
   
To my great surprise they had told me there was one right there, in my town and they gave me the name and contact information of the Lodge Secretary. We had emailed back and forth over the preceding months and finally the appointed day had arrived. I turned right onto Nelson street and made my way past the handsome Georgian town homes that marked the character of this area of the town. I had the address and thought I knew where I was going but when I arrived all confidence fled me. There was no sign of a Masonic Lodge to be found. No square and compass anywhere to be seen. No sign indicating that a lodge of Craftsman could be found here. I walked a little further down the street in search of some sign but none being found returned to the address I had written down. I headed up the steps to the bright red door and rang the bell. The small brass plaque to the left of the door told me that it belonged to an accounting firm and as it opened I began running through the apology I would make in my mind.

The door opened and to my great relief there stood Bro. Secretary. He ushered me inside and closed the door directing me to a set of stairs to the left. We took those stairs down to the basement and he explained to me that his Lodge, Donoughmore Lodge # 44, had been constituted in 1845 and had originally owned the old three-story Georgian building we were in. Over time, membership had declined and along with it the financial condition of the Lodge and they had to sell it. It had been purchased by the accounting firm, the name I saw on the brass plaque outside. The accounting firm treated the Lodge well and had allowed them to move their lodge room to the basement of the building.

The Lodge room itself was a small space, the walls covered with the history of these Brothers. One row of wooden benches ran along each of the walls from the West to the East. The room would have been bursting at the seams with twenty Brothers in attendance. We chatted in the Lodge room for well over an hour comparing my experience of Freemasonry in the US to his in Ireland. I asked him why there was no sign outside indicating that a Lodge met at this place. He told me that this was typical of Lodges especially in the south of Ireland. The reason, he went on to say, was that it wasn’t always safe to be a Freemason in the mostly Catholic Republic. This is because of a perception by the general public, not only in Ireland but in the UK as well that Freemasonry is connected with Orangeism.

 In fact, he attributed this, in part, to the change in circumstances for his Lodge. There was a time when the Lodge was able to publicize their good works and announce their charitable activities through the local newspaper. That was until fifteen years or so ago when several of the key papermen had retired and been replaced by staunch Catholics, with the new editor being a Knight of Columbanus. The Knights of Columbanus was founded in Belfast in 1915 and are not to be confused with the Knights of Columbus which was founded in New Haven CT in 1882. Both orders are similar in that they are male only fraternal orders that require members to be Catholics and share a stated aim of propagating the Catholic faith.

The consequence of these new appointments was that Donoughmore #44 now found themselves struggling to get their activities and significant charitable endeavors in print. What struck me most about our conversation however was that Freemasonry was somehow conflated with the Orange Order. I had grown up in Ireland and was very aware of the Orange Order and the sectarian violence that often surrounded their activities in the North of the country. I had never considered them the same as Freemasonry but if such a connection existed in the minds of the Irish then it was no surprise that it wasn’t always safe to be a Freemason in the heavily Republican south. To understand why this is so it is necessary to explain the history of the Orange Order.

The Loyal Orange Institution, or Orange Order as it is more commonly known was founded in County Armagh in 1795. At this time the population of Armagh was evenly split between Catholics and Protestants and sectarian violence was commonplace and carried out by gangs organized to promote the interests of both communities. Most of the contention revolved around the leasing of limited farm land, the competition over which was fierce. These gangs eventually coalesced into The Defenders on the Catholic side and The Peep-o-Day Boys on the protestant side. In September of 1795, at a place called Loughgall, these two gangs met at the Diamond crossroads and commenced battle. This skirmish was to become known as The Battle of the Diamond and after fierce fighting the Peep-o-Day boys proved victorious.

Following the fight, the Peep-o-Day boys marched into Loughgall and there founded the Orange Order. Named for the previously mentioned William of Orange, the Dutchman who had wrested the English throne from the Catholic King James, the Orange Order had set itself the aims of defending the Protestant ascendancy, supporting the crown so long as it assured the Protestant ascendancy and more immediately in 1795, driving Catholics out of Armagh. Emboldened by their victory over the defenders they set about this task in earnest and two months later approximately seven thousand Catholics had been violently driven from their homes and their property and lands illegally seized. With a history like this it is no wonder that the Orange Order is viewed with disdain in by the Catholic population in Ireland. But this doesn’t explain how the Orange Order became associated with Freemasonry.

At the Diamond crossroads, the site of the Battle of the Diamond, there was an inn owned by a man named Dan Winters. Dan Winters was a Freemason and had appealed to his lodge for help when his Inn was threatened by the Defenders. The Lodge, adhering to the non-sectarian principles that are one of the crown jewels of the order did not assist and the Defenders attacked and burned the inn to the ground. Angry at the perceived failure of his Masonic Lodge, he withdrew his membership and along with several other men founded the Orange Order.

The Order was modeled, as so many others have been, on Masonic lines. The Orange Order boasts three degrees, the members wear regalia, although instead of the pure and spotless apron of a Mason, Orangemen wear an Orange Sash. The Order is organized into the local Lodges with the associated grips and words. In addition to these outward similarities, K.C. Jack in his article “The Masonic and Orange Orders” appearing in issue 39 of the Ashlar, tells us that the 19th Century in Ireland saw an upswing of anti-Catholic fervor that Masonic Lodges were not immune from. Citing the numerous Papal bulls that condemn Freemasonry and forbid Catholics to become members of the Craft, Jack tells us that these conditions resulted in the Masonic Fraternity taking on a decidedly protestant aspect in the minds of the public. Several mainly Protestant Lodges in the North went so far as to expel Catholic members and thereafter only allow affirmed Protestants to join. These actions were taken at the local lodge level and not endorsed at the Grand Lodge level.

The fact of the matter is that Freemasonry and the Orange Order are no more connected than Freemasonry and the Elks, or the Moose, or the Odd Fellows. These fraternities have followed after the Masonic model as the oldest and most successful paradigm of Fraternalism that exists. Just as men can be members of the Masonic Lodge and an Elk’s Lodge, so too can a man be a Freemason and an Orangeman. But beyond this and the cosmetic similarity discussed earlier, Freemasonry and Orangeism are chalk and cheese. One promotes the universal Brotherhood of man for the betterment of all mankind and advances a beautiful system of morality to achieve that end, while the other promotes militant Loyalism and maintains deep connections with Loyalist paramilitary groups with whom they promote sectarian violence. For proof of this, one need look no further than the Orange Marches which pass unnecessarily through Catholic areas of Northern Ireland. These marches more often than not lead to violence.

I left Donoughmore Lodge that day with a happy heart for there, I found my Brothers in the Craft just as I would here in the US. We shared a common bond, a common purpose. We met on the level and we parted on the square. One a Protestant, the other a Catholic. Both Brothers.

~MO

WB Martin O'Brien is a Past Master of Cuyahoga Falls Lodge #735 now Star Lodge #187 in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. He is a member of Cuyahoga Falls Chapter #225 Royal Arch Masons, Cuyahoga Falls Council #144 Royal & Select Masters and a 32° Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Akron NMJ.