The Midnight Freemason

Hiking Through History: Carle Park (Urbana, IL)

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-06:00

So I took another long history walk over my lunch hour to Carle Park in Urbana. It's located in a quiet residential area of Urbana, across from Urbana High School. I'd never been there before, and I found quite an unexpected surprise in this beautiful eight-acre park that was established in 1909--a famous bronze of Abraham Lincoln sculpted by famed artist Lorado Taft.

Lincoln the Lawyer
by Lorado Taft

Lincoln the Lawyer is a remarkable statue--Lincoln seems relaxed wearing a bow tie and long coat. He's leaning against the ends of a large slab, and one knee is bent as he gazes over to his right. It's a stunning statue, and recently underwent restoration.

The artist, Lorado Taft became interested in art at the University of Illinois. His father was a professor of Geology, and as a fourteen year old boy, he help unpack, repair, and arrange the first sculpture collection at the University. He earned his bachelor's degree and his master's degree at the University of Illinois before going to study in Paris. He later became an instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago. He became very famous in his lifetime, and when the World's Fair came to Chicago in 1893, he became the superintendent of all the the sculpture for the exposition.

Sculptor Lorado Taft

Taft's Lincoln the Lawyer bronze has an interesting history as well. It was originally displayed near the Urbana Lincoln Hotel, which was the original location of Kerr's Tavern (very near the courthouse where Lincoln practiced)--the tavern was place Lincoln was known to frequent while he was riding the circuit. The statue was dedicated in 1927, but later, there were some squabbles over the ownership of the land the statue was on, and it was moved to Carle Park. At the statue's original dedication, Lincoln scholar William E. Barton described it best. He said, "Abraham Lincoln comes to Urbana again, where for years he was not a stranger, where lawyers and tavern keepers knew him. Back he comes to permanently abide in the community. Here where his fame increased and his reputation grew with each visit, he comes again and comes to remain."

Now I'd tell you more about Lorado Taft, the sculptor, but Lincoln the Lawyer isn't the only mark that Lorado Taft made here . . . in fact, there were several more. Great places for a fat guy to walk and describe to you in future installments of the series.

~TEC

The Day A Freemason Saved The President's Life

2012-01-30T05:00:00.001-06:00

Blair House
Washington, D.C.

In 1950, two armed men, Puerto Rican nationalists, walked up the street to Blair House from opposite directions, intent on killing the four guards, and then assassinating the President of the United States—the man they felt was preventing Puerto Rican independence.

The first gunman went up to the guard shack where Officer Lesley Coffelt was on duty. Officer Coffelt was used to people coming up to the booth to ask for directions, and was caught completely off-guard when the gunman suddenly pulled his revolver and shot him four times in the chest, abdomen and leg, mortally wounding him.

The second gunman as this was going on, came up behind a plains clothes guard, and attempted to shoot him in the head, but his gun jammed, and the guard was able to spin around and engage him in a struggle for the gun. The gun went off hitting the guard in the knee, but alerting the other two officers. There was a brief but intense gun fight between the two gunmen, and the last two guards—during the gunfight, one of the guards was badly wounded, and one of the two gunmen was also badly wounded, leaving one guard, and one gunman.

Harry S. Truman

But the worst possible thing suddenly happened. The sound of gunfire roused the President from his nap, and he walked to the window of the townhouse and looked at to see what was going on. The bad guy that shot Officer Lesley Coffelt in the guard shack was less than thirty feet away, but his weapon was empty. Possibly seeing his main target, President Harry S. Truman, in plain view in the window, he quickly reloaded. The remaining guard didn’t have a clear shot, and yelled for the President to get down just as the gunman prepared to fire. Suddenly, Officer Coffelt stumbled out of the guard shack, wounded in the chest, abdomen and legs, raised his revolver and fired, killing the gunman instantly. It was the last thing Coffelt did. He collapsed, and died in the hospital a few hours later.

Bro. Lesley Coffelt
Died protecting the President

Officer Coffelt was a Mason from Potomac Lodge No. 5, Washington, D.C. and the first Secret Service officer to die protecting a United States President. And of course, the President, Harry S. Truman was also a Mason, and Past Grand Master of Mason in Missouri.

Three days after the assassination attempt, Harry Truman attended the funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, where Officer Coffelt received full military honors, and Masonic Rites. The seven pall bearers were fellow secret service officers, and all seven were Master Masons.

The remaining gunman, Oscar Callazo, recovered from his wounds and was tried and sentenced to death. President Harry S. Truman, not wanting to create a martyr or further complicate the problems with Puerto Rico, commuted that sentence to life imprisonment.

~TEC

Ron Paul: Freemason Or Not? UPDATE

2012-01-28T05:00:00.003-06:00

"I am not & never have been a Freemason."

~Ron Paul

To say I was inundated with responses to my post earlier this week Ron Paul: Freemason Or Not? would be putting it mildly. I thought I'd offer this as further evidence--a note in his own hand.

Ron Paul is not a Freemason.

~TEC

Famous Freemason: Charles "Chic" Sale

2012-01-27T05:00:00.009-06:00

Earlier in the week I posted an entry called Hiking Through History: Urbana Lodge No. 157, and in it, I mentioned a famous Freemason from Urbana Lodge No. 157 (IL)--Charles "Chic" Sale. I thought I'd expand on that a bit, in fact, there's a very good chance I'll tell the rest of Chic Sale's story in Famous American Freemasons: Volume III.

Bro. Charles "Chic" Sale (1885 - 1936)
Urbana Lodge, No 157 (IL)

Charles "Chic" Sale was a vaudeville comedian, and beginning in the 1920s a film actor--he made more than twenty films. He also appeared occasionally in the Ziegfield Follies and the Shubert Winter Garden shows. He was best known for his comedic "folksy" backwater characters, which often included heavy makeup, and he took that talent onto the silver screen when he began working in films. In his best known picture His Nibs, Chic Sale played several different characters in the film--kind of a one man show.

But it wasn't until 1929 that he became well-known. Inspired by a carpenter named "Lem Putt" from his hometown of Urbana, Illinois, he wrote The Specialist, a play about an outhouse builder. He knew he had something unique in that play, and knowing that Vaudeville performers were notorious for stealing each others work, he hired a couple newspapermen to adapt the play into a book. The book became a big hit, but was considered very risque at the time--in fact, if it weren't for Chic's careful wording, it would most likely have been banned. The book sold 200,000 copies the first three months after release, and sold over a million copies in total--no small accomplishment at the time. The book made him famous.

Chic Sale as Abraham Lincoln

Although Chic Sale did mostly comic work both as a Vaudeville performer and in film, he did do one serious piece. He portrayed Abraham Lincoln in a short film The Perfect Tribute. The film tells a story about how Lincoln was disappointed by the lackluster response to his address at Gettysburg, and shortly afterward, is walking in Washington, D. C. when a young man meets up with him--his brother, a Southern soldier is dying in a local hospital and needs an attorney to take down his will. Lincoln accompanies the young man to the hospital to act as the attorney for the dying soldier, who has been blinded at Gettysburg. Not realizing he's talking to President Lincoln, he tells the President about the speech, and the reason why everyone was so quiet afterwards . . . they were too awed by the President's words to react.

Soupy Sales

Chic Sale was very well known by the 1930s--often his book was the subject of jokes by the likes of Groucho Marx. In fact, he was so revered in his time, that a young comedian by the name of Milton Supman changed his stage name from Soupy Hines, to Soupy Sales in his honor.

Charles "Chic" Sale was a member of Urbana Lodge No. 147 (IL)

~TEC

Sherlock Holmes' True Nemesis Was A Freemason

2012-01-26T05:00:00.006-06:00

Sherlock Holmes

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"

Sherlock Holmes

The Sign of Four (1890)

Fans of Sherlock Holmes know that Sherlock Holmes' greatest enemy was the criminal genius Professor Moriarty. They battled to the death at the top of Reichenbach Falls in The Final Problem, which lead many to believe both men had perished over the side--however, Sherlock Holmes came back.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Phoenix Lodge 257
Southsea Hampshire

What few may know, is that there was actually a Freemason behind Professor Moriarty's plan to kill Sherlock Holmes. This man had come to hate Sherlock Holmes even more than all the criminals in London combined--his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!

Sherlock Holmes first appeared in two novels A Study in Scarlet, and The Sign of Four. They attracted some attention, but were hardly huge successes. It wasn't until Doyle decided to serialize the character of Sherlock Holmes in short stories that he began to see success. Unlike serialized novels, which turned many readers off because it was so easy to miss an installment, all of Doyle's stories were self-contained. If you missed one, it didn't matter. It wasn't long before readers were standing in line at newsstands to buy the most recent installment.

Holmes and Moriarty battle at
Reichenbach Falls

Doyle enjoyed tremendous success as a writer, and for two years published what is considered to be the best of the Sherlock Holmes stories. But Doyle began to have a love-hate relationship with the character he created. He felt Holmes' success was eclipsing his own, and that the stories were low-brow and were keeping him from producing better work. In 1893, Doyle had decided to kill off the character once and for all--and he did.

The newspapers wrote obituaries for the fictional character. Fans in London wore black armbands. Doyle received hate mail, and ever increasing offers from publishers for new Sherlock Holmes stories. But Doyle was determined, and for nine years, the famous detective remained dead. But his writing after he killed Doyle never rose the heights Doyle had believed it would. In 1902, Doyle brought the famous detective back when he wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles, but he made it clear that the story pre-dated Holmes' death. A year later, however, Doyle relented, and brought the detective back to life in The Adventure of the Empty House--seems that Holmes had faked his own death at Reichenbach Falls. Doyle wrote many more Sherlock Holmes stories until shortly before he died in 1930.

To the end, Doyle remained ambivalent towards his creation. "If I had never touched Holmes, who has tended to obscure my higher work, my position in literature would at the present moment be a more commanding one," he once said.

~TEC

Ron Paul: Freemason Or Not?

2012-01-25T05:00:00.012-06:00

"Our country's founders cherished liberty, not democracy."

~Ron Paul

Ron Paul has worn many hats in his lifetime. He's a medical doctor, a U. S. Representative for Texas' 14th District since 1997 (and between 1979-1985 for the 22nd District), an author, and is currently making his third run in the 2012 Presidential election. Of all the candidates, few can claim to have the kind of enthusiastic support as Ron Paul has enjoyed.

The shocking evidence Ron Paul \
is a Mason!

It has often been reported that Ron Paul is a Freemason. The evidence seems (again) to be blurry photos of awkward handshakes, and like with George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, photographs of him making a hand gesture that most of us know as the "Rock On" sign. It seems silly to point out, but Ron Paul is from Texas (like the Bush family)--that would be Longhorn country, and that hand gesture the Masonic conspiracy theorist keep pointing to as evidence is actually a hand gesture used by Longhorn fans . . . you get it now? And I'll point out again, the hand gesture has no Masonic meaning what-so-ever.

It's spreading! Would you look at all those Freemasons!
Poised to take over the world, one human pyramid at a time...

Ron Paul's father was a Freemason, and Ron Paul himself has spoken out favorably about Freemasonry on several occassions--he's even given speeches in Masonic Halls (which also seems to be used as evidence he's a Freemason). But Ron Paul is not a Freemason, as he himself has said numerous times.

So there you have it. Ron Paul is not a Freemason.

~TEC

Hiking Through History: Urbana Lodge No. 157

2012-01-24T05:00:00.004-06:00

Tiernan Building (Urbana, IL)

As I mentioned in my post Hiking Through History (Or Fat Man Walking) I've decided to spend my lunch hours getting a little more exercise, and learning a few things I don't know about the community where I live and work.

Detail of Square and Compass
over Tiernan Building entrance

One of the first destinations I chose for my daily lunch hour walk was one of the old homes of Urbana Lodge No. 157 in the Tiernan Building in downtown Urbana (IL). And I learned a few things about this beautiful old building, and the history of Urbana Lodge.

Urbana Lodge is the oldest lodge in Champaign County, chartered in 1854, and the Tiernan Building was actually their fourth home. Urbana Lodge's first home was on the second floor of the Champaign County Courthouse (in Urbana, IL). In 1859, the Masons moved to a permanent home a block away, but in 1871, their lodge was destroyed by fire, along with most of the downtown Urbana area--a fire so severe it has often been compared to the Chicago fire. They took up lodgings in the Odd Fellows Hall at 201 E. Main, Urbana (where Busey Bank is now) until they found a permanent home in the Tiernan Building where they met between 1889 - 1979.

Champaign County Courthouse
Urbana Lodge's first home

The Tiernan Building was originally a brick building, but in 1914, the Masonic Lodge had the building extensively remodeled, which included the white-glazed terra cotta front designed by Joseph Royer that makes the building to stunning even to this day. In 2001, the building was given the distinction of being recognized as a local landmark.

Bro. Chic Sale
Urbana Lodge No. 157

Another interesting fact about Urbana Lodge, was it was home to a famous Freemason. Charles"Chic" Sale was an actor and humorist in vaudeville as well as a character actor in movies. He never achieved a great amount of fame until he authored a risque book on the subject of outhouses entitled "The Specialist." The book sold 200,000 copies in three months and went on to be a million-seller. The book was very nearly banned, but Bro. Sale chose his words very carefully to prevent it from being censored.

And, by the way, there is no need to talk about Urbana Lodge in the past tense--the lodge is thriving to this day. These days, Urbana Lodge No. 157 meets at the Champaign Masonic Center at 14 Bel Air Court, Champaign, on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30.

~TEC

James A. Garfield: Freemason Wisdom

2012-01-23T08:14:00.000-06:00

James A. Garfield
20th President of the United States

Reposted from 4/11/11

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable."

~James A. Garfield

Columbus Lodge No. 246, Ohio

Truth has never been an easy thing, but it's at the core of nearly every faith. Yet, this simple concept revered over millenia challenges us every day. How many times are we asked an opinion by a boss at work, and struggle with the decision of speaking our mind, or saying what we know our boss wants to hear. How many times are we asked if we like the terrible cookies a co-worker brought in, and we simple nod and smile as we choke the rest of it down? How many times do we witness an injustice being done and decide not to involve ourselves? Even the best of us, upon reflection, may learn to our dismay that we're at least somewhat dishonest just about every day.

Sometimes it's easier for us to deflect the truth, or sugar-coat our opinions instead of speaking what we know is true. Sometimes we do it out of consideration for somebody's feelings, and sometimes we do it out of simple cowardice. But there is only one truth. It's up to us, each day, to decide what that truth is, and if we have the strength and fortitude of character to speak it, and live it, or if we're to ignore it and go along and get along in a society that doesn't hold the truth is as high regard as as it once did.

~TEC

Famous American Freemason: Tom Mix

2012-01-22T05:00:00.007-06:00

Tom Mix
Utopia Lodge No. 537, California

I don't usually do posts over the weekend, but I particularly enjoyed Bro. Steve Harris' post Brother Tom Mix on his One Minute Mason blog today. You should read it--it's an interesting list of facts about the iconic western actor Tom Mix. It's a very entertaining list, and I didn't know most of them, and Tom Mix was one of the Masons I'd considered for the first volume of Famous American Freemasons.

Tom Mix was in 336 movies, only 7 were talkies. The only two actors close to that number were both Freemasons. Bro. John Wayne was in 170, and the only other actor that's close is the Illustrious Bro. Ernest Borgnine, 33rd Degree . . . who in 2009 was getting ready to appear in his 200th movie--and he's still plugging away at it (when he's not voicing the character Mermaid Man on SpongeBob Squarepants).

John Wayne circa 1930
Marion McDaniel No. 56
Tuscon, Arizona

Tom Mix and John Wayne were bitter rivals early in John Wayne's career, but it was because of Tom Mix, that John Wayne got started in films to begin with. When John Wayne (then Marion Morrison) was studying at the University of Southern California, Tom Mix got him his first job at at studio--as a prop boy. In exchange, young John Wayne got football ticket for Tom Mix. It wasn't long before John Wayne was acting in bit parts, and soon after he began to forge a life-long friendship with legendary director John Ford. His first starring role was in 1930 in The Big Trail. He's almost too young to even recognize in the picture as the legendary star he later became. As Tom Mix's star faded, John Wayne's took off.

It seems ironic now, but when I put together my list of famous Freemasons for the first book, Tom Mix and John Wayne were both on the list. I only needed one Hollywood actor for the first book, and John Wayne easily won. My dad is a big John Wayne fan, and as a result, I'm a big John Wayne fan--in fact, the chapter on John Wayne was the very first chapter I wrote for the Famous American Freemasons series. However, when I get to that third volume in the series, I think Bro. Tom Mix will easily make the cut.

~TEC

Another Masonic Recipe!

2012-01-20T05:00:00.011-06:00

Earlier in the week, I posted a recipe for King Arthur's Masonic Chili provided by WB Ray Gordon from the Valley of Peoria (IL), which is one of many recipes that will be featured in a collection Taste of the Rite Recipes he's working on--it was a recipe that belonged to Bro. Arthur Williams. It's delicious. Perfect recipe to put in the crock pot in the morning and have hot and ready to eat when you get home from work--especially during this awful, cold weather.

Seems to me we started something--there was a lot of response to that post, and another Brother (who will remain nameless at this point) provided another recipe to share! He indicated this is a perfect quick meal after you return home from a lodge meeting (especially if your lodge has a terrible cook).

Junior Deacon's Mac & Cheese

Boil six cups of water. Open blue box. Pour in contents (except for little foil packet--you'll need that later). Boil six to seven minutes until tender. Drain, but don't rinse. Add four tablespoons of margarine, a quarter cup of milk, and the contents of super secret Masonic powder contained in foil packet. Stir thoroughly.

Perfectly acceptable to eat right out of the pan while watching reruns of Gunsmoke.

Now I would never accuse a brother Master Mason of being deceptive, but there is something about this recipe that seems very familiar to me . . .

Enjoy your weekend!

~TEC

Hiking Through History (Or Fat Man Walking)

2012-01-19T08:36:00.001-06:00

University of Illinois Campus Quad

As I've traveled around over the last few years talking about my books, I've often told people that history is everywhere--if you only take the time to look for it. I'm particularly lucky, because I work at the University of Illinois, and I'm within walking distance of a lot of history both on the campus, and in Urbana/Champaign. It's given me an idea for a series of upcoming posts.

You see, over the holidays I came to accept a certain reality--I've put on a few pounds over the last few years. The bad thing about writing, is that it just about doubles the amount of time I spend behind a computer each day, and over time, it's caught up with me.

Carle Park, Urbana (IL)

So I've decided, that I'm going to lose this weight once and for all, and part of this plan is that each day, rain or shine, I'm going to walk over my lunch hour--and not down to Dairy Queen for a Peanut Buster Parfait like I used to either.

I started last week, and each day, armed with my camera, I found another destination to hike to, and I learned a little something about the place where I live and work. So I thought, at the end of each week, I'd tell you a little something about some of the places I've visited, and some of the things I've learned about them.

~TEC

Joseph Stalin: Freemason Or Not?

2012-01-18T05:00:00.002-06:00

All Freemasons???

I ran across this photo with the caption "Churchill, Roosevelt, & Stalin: Freemasons." It is well known and accepted that both Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt were Freemasons. Churchill was a member of Studholme Lodge No. 1591, England and Roosevelt was a member of Holland Lodge No. 8, New York. So the question is whether Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the Soviet Union who allied with the United States and Great Britain during World War II was also a member of the fraternity.

Since the 1950s, Stalin has frequently been cited as a Freemason. However, there is no record that Stalin was a Mason. It would not have been possible for Stalin to join a regular lodge even if he had desired admission. As a condition for membership, Masons must profess a belief in a Supreme Being, and Joseph Stalin was an avowed athiest.

~TEC

What Kind Of Mason Are You?

2012-01-17T05:00:00.003-06:00

Are you an active member

The kind that would be missed

Or are you just content

That your name is on the list?

Do you attend the meetings

And mingle with the flock.

Or do you stay at home

To criticize and knock?

Do you take an active part

To help the work along

Or are you satisfied to be

The kind that just belongs?

Do you ever go to visit

A member who is sick,

Or leave the work to just a few

And talk about the "clique"?

Think this over

You know right from wrong,

Are you an active member

Or do you just belong?

-anonymous

Special thanks to W.B. Greg Knott, Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970, AF&AM Illinois for forwarding this to me. I hope it makes you think . . .
~TEC

What's For Dinner? How About King Arthur's Masonic Chili!

2012-01-16T09:56:00.001-06:00

Here's a first for the Midnight Freemason blog--a Masonic recipe! My friend WB Ray Gordon is putting together a collection of recipes for the Valley of Peoria (IL) called A Taste of the Rite Recipes. He's giving us a first peek, by sharing this chili recipe of Bro. Arthur Williams. I'll make sure and let you know when Ray's book is complete, and how you might get your hands on a copy. In the meantime . . . how about chili tonight?

KING ARTHUR'S MASONIC CHILI

Recipe of Bro. Arthur Williams

1 1/2 lb ground chuck

10 oz can cream of onion soup
1 Tbsp chili powder

1 can kidney beans

6 oz tomato paste

8 oz tomato sauce

2 cups tomato juice

1 can Coke

2 Tbsp cocoa mix

First brown the ground chuck, then combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours while you go and Practice your ritual work.

Bon Appetite!

~TEC

More Masonic Ink!

2012-01-15T05:00:00.017-06:00

WB Cory Sigler's Ink
Hawthorne Fortitude Lodge No. 200, NJ

A few days ago, I posted a blog Masonic Ink. Apparently this is a topic many of you are interested in--the hit count went right through the ceiling. I got a lot of emails about it as well, and another photo to share.

I'd like to thank WB Cory Sigler for sharing this photo of his tattoo. He's a Past Master of Hawthorne Fortitude Lodge No. 200, NJ and he's also the editor of The Working Tools Masonic Magazine which is how we got to know each other (Working Tools just published one of my pieces). So go check that out if you haven't yet.

Anybody else want to share a photo of their Masonic ink? Scottish Rite? York Rite? Shriners? Send your photos to me via email webmaster@toddcreason.org and be sure an tell me where you're from, and which lodge you belong to, etc.

~TEC

Article Published: Working Tools Masonic Magazine

2012-01-14T05:00:00.002-06:00

January 2012 Issue

I've mentioned the Working Tools Masonic Magazine before, and have given it glowing reviews--I like it because it's well produced, and offers a little something for everyone. The magazine has been around since 2006, and has published 48 issues to date. Cory Sigler, the editor of Working Tools Magazine contacted me a couple months ago, and asked if I'd be interested in providing a piece for the magazine. I was, and I did--they published my piece Rocket Man in their first issue (January) of 2012.

Cory called me last week to tell me that the January edition of Working Tools Magazine had broken all previous records for hit count in the first week after it was released. So check out the magazine--you'll enjoy it. Working Tools Magazine also has a Facebook page here.

~TEC

Famous Freemason: Bro. Lew Wallace

2012-01-13T05:00:00.002-06:00

"One is never more on trial than in the moment of excessive good fortune."

~Lew Wallace

Fountain Head Lodge No. 60

Covington, Indiana

After I'd published Famous American Freemasons: Volume I, and started working on Volume II, a friend of mine (from Covington, Indiana oddly enough) came up to me and said he couldn't believe I'd written about famous Freemasons without writing a chapter about one of our local famous Freemasons--Lew Wallace. I included Lew Wallace in the second volume along with another local famous Freemason I'd missed the first time around--"Uncle Joe" Cannon.

I read a really good book about Bro. Lew Wallace over the holidays. Shadow of Shiloh: Major General Lew Wallace in the Civil War by Gail Stephens. Lew Wallace did a lot in life, including authoring Ben Hur, but there was one event in his life that he never seem to escape from--the Battle of Shiloh. It provides an interesting perspective on the Battle of Shiloh. It's well worth the read.

From the Publisher:

Thirty-two years after the battle of Shiloh Lew Wallace returned to the battlefield, mapping the route of his April 1862 march. Ulysses S. Grant, Wallace s commander at Shiloh, expected Wallace and his Third Division to arrive early in the afternoon of April 6. Wallace and his men, however, did not arrive until nightfall, and in the aftermath of the bloodbath of Shiloh Grant attributed Wallace s late arrival to a failure to obey orders. By mapping the route of his march and proving how and where he had actually been that day, the sixty-seven-year-old Wallace hoped to remove the stigma of Shiloh and its slanders. That did not happen. Shiloh still defines Wallace s military reputation, overshadowing the rest of his stellar military career and making it easy to forget that in April 1862 he was a rising military star, the youngest major general in the Union army. Wallace was devoted to the Union, but he was also pursuing glory, fame, and honor when he volunteered to serve in April 1861. In Shadow of Shiloh: Major General Lew Wallace in the Civil War, author Gail Stephens specifically addresses Wallace s military career and its place in the larger context of Civil War military history. A central issue in the book is the tension between citizen-soldiers and West Pointers that occurred in the officer ranks. The general assumption in current Civil War histories is that the West Pointers were more competent at war than the citizen-soldiers. That was not true in Wallace s case. He had a talent for battle, which he demonstrated at Fort Donelson, Monocacy, and even Shiloh. But Wallace s disdain for military rules and protocol and his arrogance, fueled by early promotion, alienated his West Point superiors such as Grant and, especially, Henry Halleck, the general in chief of the Union armies. At Shiloh Wallace was merely one amateur in an army of amateurs. Grant and his staff made errors and Wallace s late arrival was only one mistake of many, but Grant focused on it to shift the blame for the enormous casualties at Shiloh from himself. After Shiloh Wallace left Grant s army and returned to Indiana, giving Halleck an opportunity to keep Wallace out of the field for almost two years. In 1864 President Abraham Lincoln gave Wallace a second chance, and he validated Lincoln s trust at Monocacy. Wallace was an extraordinary man lawyer, politician, general, author, inventor, and adventurer. It is hoped that this book sheds new light on the long-standing issues surrounding Wallace s Civil War career and puts his great service to the nation in perspective.

~TEC

A Poem: The Knife and Fork Degree

2012-01-12T05:00:00.009-06:00

The Knife and Fork Degree

by A. J. Disbrow

I don't attend the meetings,

for I've not the time to spare.

But every time they have a feast,

you'll surely find me there.

I cannot help with the degrees,

for I do not know the work.

But I can applaud the speaker,

and handle a knife and fork.

I'm so rusty in the ritual,

that it seems like Greek to me,

But practice has made me perfect,

in the Knife and Fork degree.

A Masonic Table Lodge
Benjamin Franklin Lodge No. 83, MN

A Brother sent this to me, and I'm not sure of its origin--all I had was the name of the author. I hope Bro. A. J. Disbow doesn't mind my sharing it. I thought it was pretty funny. It's long been known that Masons like to eat, in fact, we have something called a "table lodge" that allows us on special occasions to eat while we have our meeting. Well, in truth, table lodge or not, we eat about every time we meet, almost without exception. Even if we're getting together on a Saturday to shampoo a carpet in the lodge, I guarantee somebody is going to ask about donuts.

There is even an organization called High Twelve International that is basically a lunch club for Freemasons and their wives. A group of us in Urbana-Champaign (home of the University of Illinois) are working on chartering a brand new chapter of this organization called Illini High Twelve. We're very excited about how it's taken off in just a few months. So I'm posting this as an ode to the (hopefully) charter members of the Illini High Twelve in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

~TEC

Housekeeping Change: I Made It Easier To Comment

2012-01-11T08:17:00.000-06:00

Some have complained that I've made it difficult for people to comment on my blog--I did that for a reason. I had a situation a couple months ago where my blog (and my email) was inundated by rude comments from people that obviously were not well informed on the topic of Freemasonry, and do not hold the fraternity in high regard.

We'll try this again. I've made it so that everyone can comment, so please feel free to chime in. Do behave yourself and be polite--and don't forget to sign your posts. If you don't sign your posts, I reserve the right to remove them. I like to know who I'm talking to.

Any comments so far?

~TEC

Freemasonry: How Far Does It Go Back? 1510 A.D.?

2012-01-11T05:00:00.005-06:00

I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about an ancient lodge room found in Pompeii that received a lot of favorable comment. I thought I'd explore that question of how long Freemasonry has been around a little further.

I'm sure there are a lot of Freemasons out there that will recognize this painting by Hieronymous Bosch (circa 1510) called The Wayfarer. It was featured on the cover of a very popular book amongst Freemasons--A Pilgrim's Path by John Robinson.

The painting is interesting because it goes back to the sixteenth century, and it seems to incorporate Masonic themes--many are very obvious. John Robinson pointed many of these out in his book, like the brace on the fence that looks a lot like a square. The Wayfarer's attire also suggests Masonic influence. He's wearing a slipper on one foot, and his pants leg is rolled up. He has a plumb-bob in his hat instead of a feather (which is believed to have been a Masonic working tool in the past). Even the way the straps of his backpack come across his shoulders is suggestive to Masons. John Robinson wrote more about his painting and the Masonic symbolism it contained here.

But I think it's pretty obvious by this painting that Freemasonry was alive and well in 1510.

~TEC

Masonic Ink

2012-01-10T08:02:00.001-06:00

Like I've said before, when it comes to merchandise featuring Masonic symbols, there's a wide variety to choose from--there's coffee mugs, cuff links, rings, briefcases, boxer shorts, t-shirts, jackets, hats, neckties . . . you name it. Those Masonic marketplaces at Grand Lodge meetings and Scottish Rite functions are very popular places for Masons.

However, there are a lot of Freemasons (especially those younger members we often refer to as Millenial Masons) that are showing their dedication to the craft by getting inked. In fact, there are entire sites out there dedicated to Masonic tattoos--like Masonic Ink. I got surfing over the weekend and ran across this photo--of all the tattoos I saw, this was the one that I found the most remarkable. If you click on it, and look at the larger image, you'll see there are a lot of small details included.

So, if a nice polo shirt or belt buckle from the Masonic marketplace just won't do it for you, there is a more permanent way to show your dedication to the fraternity--I probably won't be seeing you there, however.

~TEC

Freemasonry Video Contest Winner: From Darkness To Light

2012-01-03T05:00:00.002-06:00

I thought this was a terrific video. It's the winner of the second annual video contest hosted by the Grand Lodge of California F & A M. Participants in the contest were asked to answer the question: What does Masonry mean to you?

The winner, Culver City Foshay Lodge No. 467, produced this marvelous video. Congratulations!

~TEC

Freemason Trivia: Constitutional Union Party of 1860

2012-01-02T09:46:00.002-06:00

Campaign Poster (1860)
Constitutional Union Party

Bro. John Bell
King Solomon Lodge No. 6, TN

During the hotly contested election of 1860, a third party was formed to go up against Abraham Lincoln--The United States Constitution Union Party. The party was formed by former Whigs and Know-Nothings by former United States Senator (TN) and Speaker of the House, John Bell.

Bro. Samuel Houston
Holland Lodge No. 36, LA

John Bell sought the nomination, and in the end finally received it after a second ballot. He had a little more competition for the nomination from within the new party than he had anticipated--namely from the larger-than-life governor (and former President) of Texas, Samuel Houston.

Of course, in the end, the fractured Democatic Party and the Constitutional Union Party had little chance of succeeding against Abraham Lincoln and the mostly united Republican party that dominated the North.

But the interesting thing to note, is that both John Bell, and Samuel Houston were Freemasons.

~TEC

Freemason Wisdom: Quotes For The New Year

2011-12-31T20:06:00.006-06:00

Bro. Benjamin Franklin
St. Johns LodgePA

This being my last post in 2011, I thought I'd leave you with a few inspirational "Famous Freemason" quotes as you ponder your New Years Resolutions. As for me, I just keep that same list every year, and write "ditto" at the bottom. I hope you all have a safe and happy New Years Eve.

"Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning.

~Benjamin Franklin

St. Johns Lodge, Philadelphia, PA

"It isn't sufficient just to want--you've got to ask yourself what you're going to do to get the things you want."

~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Holland Lodge No. 8, New York, NY

Bro. Douglas MacArthur
Manila Lodge No. 1, Philappines

"Character, not circumstances, makes the man."

~Douglas MacArthur

Manila Lodge No. 1, Philippines

"Stand upright, speak thy thoughts, declare the truth thou hast, that all may share; Be bold, proclaim it everywhere: They only live who dare."

~Voltaire

Lodge of Nine Sisters, France

Happy New Year!

~TEC

And of course, if you like these quotes, these and many more can be found in my collection A Freemason Said That? Great Quotes of Famous Freemasons.

My Year In Review . . .

2011-12-21T21:20:00.001-06:00

I've begun a very long and much needed vacation. I don't know how often I'll be posting during this vacation, but there is a good chance it won't be with the same regularity I usually do. So I thought I'd wrap up the year by looking back on what has been a very remarkable year for me . . . don't worry, I'll just hit the highlights.

Published My First Novel

I've wanted to write a novel for years--and I've tried a few times. It isn't as easy as you might think. Most of those earlier attempts are still gathering dust in my file cabinet. But that was about to change. I got an idea for a novel on a long drive home from a meeting in 2009. It was an idea that was brand new for me, and by the time I arrived home, I knew I had something. I worked on it all night, and by morning when my wife got up, I was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a rough outline of a novel called One Last Shot. About a year-and-a-half later (Spring 2011) I published it. It became so popular so quickly, that I immediately began a second novel--a follow-up to the first. I'd actually gotten the idea for the second novel while I was editing the first. The second novel, A Shot After Midnight, will be released in Spring of 2012.

I Got Fired, And Then Sentenced To Life The Same Day

I finished my term as Worshipful Master at my lodge. I had mixed feelings about it. I enjoyed my time in the East a great deal. Many are relieved when their term as Master is over, but I would have gladly done another year. We did a lot of interesting things the year I was in the East, perhaps my favorite of these events was sponsoring the play "December's Rose" at our lodge, and using the proceeds to help a local family.

But, the members of my lodge had a plan for me after all--they elected me Secretary. So now I have a job for life (unless I really mess up.)

The 33rd Degree

The cap ceremony at the Valley of Danville (IL)

It goes without saying that receiving the 33rd Degree is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's not likely I'll ever forget that trip to Chicago in August. Receiving the 33rd Degree is without question one of the greatest honors I've ever received. We had so much fun, we ate some great meals, and made many new friends. It's also the first time Valerie and I had a few days alone since our four-year-old was born (she stayed with her grandparents that week). There are all kinds of pictures of that weekend posted here. You just never know where life is going to take you, but I can honestly say, I certainly never thought I'd be considered for such a great honor. I certainly never dreamed where my writing would lead when I started writing the Famous American Freemasons books back in 2006, but the idea it might one day lead to a white cap certainly never crossed my mind.

The first weekend of November, I received the last part of that honor--the white cap from the Valley of Danville. As is the tradition in my Valley, Valerie had the priveledge of putting the cap on me (as Katie watched). That guy in the purple hat standing off to the right is the Illustrious James L. Tungate, 33, our valley Active member of the Supreme Council. Jim has become a very good friend of mine, so I asked him to write the introduction of Famous American Freemasons: Volume II, which he did. It was a terrific introduction, and Valerie claims it added a much needed "touch of class" to my books (I don't know what that was supposed to mean).

I should also mention that Bro. Tungate received a big honor recently, too--he was elected Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (NJ). It's a big honor, and much deserved--congrats Bro. Tungate!

Two Day Booksigning At Illinois Grand Lodge

Brian "Rooster Cox & Todd E. Creason signing books

Our outgoing Grand Master, Richard L. Swaney, gave me and another Masonic writer Brian "Rooster" Cox a unique opportunity at our Grand Lodge's Annual Meeting in Springfield (IL). Grand Master Swaney gave us a table, and for two days, Rooster and I talked to Masons all over the state about our books, about writing, and about publishing. We had a lot of fun doing it, and on the second day, our wives and our kids came and joined us. And we might have been having a bit too much fun--our corner was said to be the noisiest one there. It wasn't all us--we had plenty of help turning that corner of the lobby into a circus. Brian and I went back and worth all weekend, and he even remarked that I shouldn't be surpirsed if he didn't make me a villian in his next book. But be careful, Brian, two can play that game. But it was certainly a fun weekend, and a nice family trip for us.

Helped Charter a New Chapter of High Twelve

Now this one hasn't happened yet, but we're well on our way. There was a group of local Freemasons that work at the University of Illinois that were getting together every so often for lunch. Sometimes we had five or six, and other times there were just three of us. But we got talking about doing something more with our little unofficial lunch club--maybe use it as a means of networking with other Freemasons in the area, or to use the club to introduce perspective Masons to other Freemasons in a more social setting. So we started meeting more regularly, and inviting more people to join us for these lunches. By our second meeting, we had enough we started thinking about chartering a High Twelve chapter. Well, the state representatives for Illinois High Twelve joined us at our last meeting, and we're well on our way to chartering the Illini High Twelve. And it was a great honor for me to be named the Illini High Twelve's first President!

A New Novel Is Coming!

I've been getting a lot of emails asking about when the sequel to One Last Shot will be released. One thing I do plan on finishing during my vacation is my second novel A Shot After Midnight. The first big round of editing is done. I'm working my way through the second edit now, and then there will be one more round, just to catch anything we missed, and to finish fine tuning. We are right on schedule for a Spring 2012 release. It's looking like possibly April at this point. And this story is a doozey--I think it's even better than the first novel.

What Next?

This is going to be tough year to beat without a doubt, but I plan to get to work on the last volume of the Famous American Freemasons series this year. I'm also planning on working on a few articles and pieces this year--in fact, the first of these will be published soon in The Working Tools Masonic Magazine. And there's another idea for a possible third novel too. We'll just see where this next year takes us.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

~TEC

Vacation Begins Now!

2011-12-20T08:10:00.000-06:00

Starting today, I'm on vacation until the 9th of January. I do plan on continuing to post blogs on The Midnight Freemason, but I may not be posting as frequently as usual. But don't worry, I'll be back to my usual shenanigans after the holidays. I plan on spending a good portion of that free time with my family, and working on the final edits of my new novel A Shot After Midnight due out in the Spring.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday.

Merry Christmas,

Todd E. Creason

What It Means To Be Worshipful Master

2011-12-19T08:05:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine sent me this from an old installation ritual--the book it came out of was about a hundred years. I thought it was pretty interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

The Office of Master is of great antiquity and respect, and is one of the highest dignities to which we may aspire. Its incumbent, to rule well, should possess and practice several important prerequisites.

As a MAN, he should be of proven integrity and irreproachable morals, freed from the dominion of hasty temper and ill-governed passions, of good repute in the world, and practicing, as an example to his Brethren, the cardinal virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice.

As a CITIZEN, he should be loyal to his government, obedient to its laws, prompt in the duties he owes to society; and, [should demonstrate] a pattern of fidelity in all social and domestic relations.

As a MASON, he should cling to the old landmarks and be sternly opposed to their infringement; be desirous to learn and apt to teach; be prompt to aid and relieve, and be ever mindful that, though elevated for a time above his fellows, he is elevated by them, and should therefore cultivate, everywhere and at all times, the golden tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.

As an OFFICER, he should remember, first of all, that he is an individual Mason, sharing in that respect a common lot with his Brethren, and therefore interested in the welfare of each and all; be devoid of undue ostentation and haughty overbearing; be accessible to all, cultivating the closest friendship and the most unlimited confidence with his associate Officers; be eager to take counsel with his Brethren and ready to give it; be ready to reward good; be devoid of favoritism; and, [be] wholly impartial.

Such are some of the most important qualifications the Master should possess and the errors he should avoid. It may be that most, if not all of us, have failed to reach this standard; but, it is attainable, and be it your purpose to reach it, and be a bright and shining example to those who shall come after you.

~TEC

Harry S Truman: To Dot, Or Not To Dot?

2011-12-16T05:00:00.014-06:00

Truman said he had two choices in life: politics or piano player
Any regrets, Harry?

Only in America could a controversy erupt over whether it is appropriate to use a period after Harry Truman's middle name. Harry didn't have a middle name--it's just S. It was apparently a compromise between his parents and it stood for the name of both his maternal grandfather Solomon Young, and his paternal grandfather Anderson Shipp Truman.

Seems Truman may have created the controvesy himself--possibly in jest. It's possible, because he was well known for his funny stories. He told a group of reporters in 1962 that the period should be omitted. Here we are 50 years later still discussing it. I guess you'd have to give him credit if it was a joke--good one, Mr. President!

However, more often than not (both before and after he told those reporters that in 1962), Harry used a period after the S in his signature, although there are a few examples of when he didn't. Maybe he did that just to mess with us.

~TEC

Sam The Snowman: Freemason Or Not?

2011-12-15T05:00:00.004-06:00

Ever since Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on NBC in 1964, it has been rumored by conspiracy theorists that "Sam the Snowman" was in fact a Freemason. I mean he did know an awful lot about the story considering he wasn't actually a part of it. As additional evidence, there are also a number of fuzzy photographs of Sam whispering in Rudolph's ear, and a very suspicious handshake between Sam on one of Santa's elves.

But it is true--"Sam the Snowman" a.k.a. The Illustrious Burle Ives, 33° was indeed a Freemason. And now, boys and girls, you know why nobody knows how Santa delivers all those packages in one night. It's a Masonic secret!

Merry Christmas!

~TEC

To My Masonic Brethren: A Christmas Challenge

2011-12-14T05:00:00.014-06:00

Many Americans feel that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost--I'm one of those. The mall parking lot is full, while the church parking lot is empty. We spend a lot of time this time of year trying to think up thoughtful gifts for our friends and family as we rush around at the last minute trying to buy gifts. We all love opening presents on Christmas morning, but more often than not, we get things we like, but don't really need. Isn't there a better way to spend that money?

Why not do something different this year? We're two weeks from Christmas. Most of those gifts aren't bought yet. Instead of asking for that sweater, or the socks, or a nice tie, or that fancy coffee maker or Nook I talked about a couple weeks ago, why don't you let your family know you'd rather they take that money they usually spend on you, and donate it to a worthy cause. If you have a favorite charity, let them know what it is, and tell them to write a check to that charity. There are a lot of people in need right now. I've listed a few suggestions below, but there are thousands of worthy causes in need of support--especially at this time of year. If you're one of those lucky individuals that has everything they need, why not give your gift to those who really need it. Isn't that what the spirit of Christmas is really about?

Luke's Wings is an organization dedicated to the support of service members who have been wounded in battle. Recognizing the immediate need for families to be with their loved ones at such a difficult time, Luke’s Wings provides families with the means to visit during the service member’s hospitalization and rehabilitation. By purchasing travel agency services and travel tickets for loved ones, Luke’s Wings provides an immediate and invaluable service to the families of our men and women at arms while also helping to encourage and motivate the service member’s recovery. I would add they are trying to raise $100K before Christmas that so that no wounded warrior spends Christmas alone. Check out the website for more information.

Shriner's Hospitals The generosity of donors is what enables Shriners Hospitals for Children® to deliver life-changing medical care without placing burden on the families of our patients. There are many ways to give, from participating in one of our many fundraising events throughout the year, to creating a plan for giving. No matter how large or small, every gift to Shriners Hospitals for Children makes a difference in the life of a child.

Wounded Warriors Project began when several veterans and friends, moved by stories of the first wounded service members returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, took action to help others in need. What started as a program to provide comfort items to wounded service members has grown into a complete rehabilitative effort to assist warriors as they recover and transition back to civilian life. Tens of thousands of Wounded Warriors and caregivers receive support each year through WWP programs designed to nurture the mind and body, and encourage economic empowerment and engagement.

For animal lovers. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee was founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. The Sanctuary operates on 2,700 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee — 85 miles southwest of Nashville. The Elephant Sanctuary exists for two reasons: 1.) To provide a haven for old, sick or needy elephants in a setting of green pastures, dense forests, spring-fed ponds and heated barns for cold winter nights. 2.) To provide education about the crisis facing these social, sensitive, passionately intense, playful, complex, exceedingly intelligent and endangered creatures. A friend and brother Master Mason brought this worthy charity to my attention. They do good work--check out their website.

St. Judes Children's Research Hospital was founded by a Master Mason! When entertainer Danny Thomas opened the doors to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 1962, he was not just changing the lives of those children who would walk through its doors. He was changing lives across the world. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Ranked one of the best pediatric cancer hospitals in the country, St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children.

Ask yourself a question--what did you get for Christmas last year. Do you remember everything? I'd be willing to bet you don't. I hope you consider supporting one of these worthy causes, or one in your own community, and ask your friends and family to give to them rather than to you.

Merry Christmas!

~TEC

Freemasonry: How Far Does It Go Back?

2011-12-13T08:18:00.003-06:00

Pompeii mosaic altar top (circa A.D. 79)

I read a piece over the weekend on Bro. Steve Harris' blog The One Minute Mason I thought was interesting. It was a little historical footnote that I didn't know, and as Steve's blog entries so often do, it lead me to look into it a bit further.

According to what I've read, archaeologist found an ancient lodge room when they were excavating Pompeii in 1896. You have to remember that Pompeii was destroy when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, so we're talking about a long time ago.

What archaeologist found was a large mosaic altar top in the center of a rectangular room, much the same way that Masonic altars have always been set up. The mosaic was of a remarkable quality, and depicted a large square over a deaths head. There was a plumb line from the angle of the square to the middle point of the crown of the head. Robes were suspended from each of the arms of the square--one red, and one purple. Those are distinctive colors associated with the Royal Arch Degrees.

Masonic working tools found in Pompeii in 1896

Along with some other well-known Masonic symbology on the mosaic, some working tools were also found in the room. These included a setting maul, trowel, a spade, a small chest (thought to represent the Ark of the Covenant), and a pot of manna. As if all these objects weren't confirmation enough, the inscription over the door of the house read "DIOGENE SEN." That translates to "Diogenes the Mason."

So how long has Freemasonry been around? We may never know, but there is certainly evidence that it was alive and well in 79 A.D.

~TEC

I know I've mentioned Bro. Steve Harris' blog The One Minute Mason before. It's become one of my favorite blogs. His posts are short, and more often than not, so interesting and entertaining that I wind up looking further into the subject--as I did today. We all need some of that--something that sparks our curiousity.

Regarding Freemasonry

2011-12-12T08:45:00.001-06:00

This is a very long letter--a response to criticism of Freemasonry written by a new Master Mason (raised April 2010). It's long, but I think it's well worth the read. The original was posted at You Are the 1%. If you go to the original article, there are a number of links at the bottom that are well worth check out as well. It was well researched--in fact, as you're reading it, ask yourself how many Master Masons you know have learned as much about our fraternity as this new member has.

Tom,

I’m so glad you approached me about the Masons yesterday. I’d love to be a resource to clarify any questions you may have. While I’m relatively new to the fraternity (joined in April of 2010), I am continuously reading Masonic literature on the history, philosophy, and application of Masonic principles.

The following is a lengthy discourse I’ve spent several hours working on to give you a sense of what and who Freemasons are.

Masonry spans many different subjects, histories, and concentrations, so your first resource would best be Wikipedia. From there you can get a basic understanding of what Freemasonry is and branch out to the more interesting facets.

In a nutshell, Freemasonry is a system of morality (a code of ethics), veiled in allegory (expressed in a way that can be interpreted subjectively by the recipient), and illustrated through symbols (taught in a way that hearkens back to the time when most people were illiterate and learned from masters drawing in the dirt on the floor to teach an apprentice). It is the oldest and largest fraternity in the world and exists in every corner of the free world and underground in countries where such organizations are illegal (Iran, North Korea).

In it’s present state, the ritual of the Freemasons comes from northern England in the early 1700s where it was crafted by pious men of God (read: “Christians”) who applied the operative symbolism of the stone worker trade guilds to a speculative philosophical art. It went from medieval European cathedral builders to builders of “good men” on a foundation of service to God. Using the symbols of stone masons and the allegory of the building of King Solomon’s temple, we impart deep and virtuous teachings on our members.

Where most people are turned askew are the “secrets” of Freemasonry, which are the modes and manner of recognition (handshakes and passwords whereby two Masons may recognize each other in the darkness as well as in the light). Freemasonry is not a “secret society”, but more appropriately a “society with secrets”. As I explained, these secrets (the handshakes, passwords, and ritual) can all be found on Google in under 5 minutes and have been exposed in published writings back in the 1780s.

There is also no “Masonic conspiracy” as perpetuated through Dan Brown and films like National Treasure. The idea that Freemasons are power brokers of the world stems from the fact that in early Masonic history, the men that associated fraternally in the taverns were the mayors, doctors, lawyers, clergy and merchants. The image of the wealthy and powerful meeting together was intimidating. But what conspiracy theorists never tell you is that the farmers, carpenters, blacksmiths and bakers were also in the Lodge room and had equal standing regardless of position in life outside the Lodge room.

Masons meet on a plane of equality that disregards race, creed, color, sexual orientation, political views, material wealth and any other dividing bias. In fact, the reason why Masons dress in formalwear when we meet is to make a visual display of that equality, that regardless of whether you just got off the job from the bank or the bakery, we are all equal in the Lodge. I regularly meet with men through the fraternity who would be inaccessible to me if I didn’t have a Masonic introduction.

The idea of spiritually aware, good-natured, God-fearing men meeting under the precept of brotherhood still attracts new members to join a massive network of men who prescribe to the same moral values as another Brother. It truly is a brotherhood. There are men who I’ve met who would drive 100 miles to help if I broke down on the side of the highway. Men who would give with all their ability if I were in financial trouble. Masons who would visit me daily in the hospital. And still there are a handful who would lay down their life for me if the situation arose. And more importantly, I do and would do the same for them. When I find someone to be a Mason, I know that his moral compass far exceeds my expectations of the non-Mason and that he is bound by certain oaths to serve God and his fellow man in a manner of service and dedication found in no other organization. I can go just about anywhere in the world and know that if I need help, or a place to stay, or a warm meal, I can find it.

Masonry is also very independent. There is no national or international governing body. In the US, each Masonic lodge is chartered by the state’s Grand Lodge. It receives a warrant to meet as a regularly recognised body of Freemasons and enjoys parity and reciprocal recognition with lodges around the state, in other countries, throughout the world. The word “lodge” in Masonry means three or more Masons assembled in one place under the authority of God. It refers to the people as well as the place, just as “church” means two or more believers assembled in the name of God and also refers to the place in which they meet.

While there is a statewide governing body, each individual lodge is free to operate the business of the lodge; it’s agenda, it’s events and activities, it’s buildings and grounds, as it sees fit, as determined by a democratic majority of its members. Each Lodge owns and operates its own facilities. While there are national and international conferences of Masonic bodies, they neither have the objective or authority to legislate on the behalf or to affect the local lodge. There is no Masonic, new world order, conspiracy. We have hard enough of a time planning a picnic let alone plotting world domination. Is it really that hard to believe that our God who created the infinite universe could gather a few million Masons under the banner of brotherly love?

In every Masonic lodge, there is an altar on which a Volume of Sacred Law is opened during meetings. It is symbolic of the Light of God that comes through His unerring word and that the Lodge is governed under His divine Truth. In most lodges, the Volume is the Holy Bible. But it may also be the Tanakh, the Koran, even the Book of Shadows for a Wiccan, in an extreme example. Whatever the belief of the congregant Masons, their holy book is represented as a source of Light (read:”knowledge”) on the altar. For example, at Acacia Lodge #20 in Dover, the Bible, Tanakh and Koran are always present on the altar because of its religiously diverse membership.

So in reality, there is nothing secretive about the Masons today. It’s actually less secretive than the Roman Catholic fraternity and civic organization, the Knights of Columbus. Where as the Knights must invite you to become a member, the Masons follow a “2B1Ask1” model where someone interested in joining must ask to petition the Lodge for membership. Not the other way around. We also are expressly forbidden from actively soliciting membership, which is why some think we’re so secretive.

To become a Mason, one must be a man (whatever your driver’s license says), over the age of 21, who doesn’t have a criminal record, is of sound mind, and believing in a Supreme Being. The Masons don’t mandate what that Supreme Being is called, and uses the umbrella term “Grand Architect of the Universe” and is referred to as ‘God’ or ‘Deity’ in our meetings and represented by the letter “G” in our square and compass symbol.

This is where Randy got caught up with me and I have heard the same argument from another, more conservative evangelical Christian on my mission trip to El Salvador. Masonry is not a religion, or a substitute for religion. We don’t teach a path and we don’t offer salvation. We don’t tell people what to believe or where to seek God. We encourage Masons to be active in their local church or synagogue, but the imperative concept is that seeking the face of God is a personal journey, and not one that the Masons will dictate or enforce under a certain sect or brand of faith. We do teach tolerance for all faiths, the right to the freedom of religious belief, or non-belief, regardless of whether we agree or not with those beliefs, and defend that right of freedom for all people. But no atheist can be a Mason.

I’m relatively new to the evangelical contemporary Christian movement, but in my upbringing as a Catholic, evangelizing; converting heathens and non-believers, is not natural or encouraged, per say, save Catholic Charities missions. Going out and being the hands and feet of ministry was something that was talked about as a concept, but never practiced, at least in my church. Masonically, it is improper to impose or convert people from their own belief or non-belief. We endorse seeking God through whatever path makes sense in the time and place for an individual. For example, Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God works for me, right here, right now, but it might not be the case if I lived in China or India 3000 years ago. Masons concede that our human minds are too limited to know all the ways in which God works and are open to the idea that He may work through other prophets and paths to Him.

A study of world religions reveals that for the most part, they all share many commonalities and even similar teachings and parables. Christianity remains to be the only one that teaches salvation through grace and the God who became flesh to become a blood sacrifice for our sins eternally. But simply because I believe that doesn’t negate or vilify the other belief systems in the world. I’m not going to use the idea of Jesus to place myself on a pedestal above Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, Deists, and Atheists. But if someone comes to me asking for a path to the Light I would share with them the message of love and forgiveness of the Gospel.

One facet of the Masonic lodge (the group of men meeting) is that any discussion of politics, religion, and personal gain are prohibited to keep the peace and harmony of the Lodge. Our meetings consist of a benediction, the Pledge of Allegiance (to the US flag), a review of sickness and distress amongst the members, paying the bills, new and old business, a closing prayer and God Bless America is sung.

Our other activities include initiating new members, which is like a college fraternity initiation, except there is nothing contained within it that will humiliate, harm or embarrass members. No alcohol, no paddles, no goats. Very benign. Very symbolic. Very powerful presentation. It’s nearly word-for-word unchanged for over 200 years. The same cornerstone laying ceremony we conduct publicly today is the same ritual George Washington used when laying the cornerstone of the Capitol Building or when Masons layed the cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty (which was a statue designed by a French Mason and donated by French Freemasons to the people of America. It was American Freemasons who funded the construction of the Statue when it arrived here. And ironically, the statue is not just Lady Liberty, but a torch bearer, the bringer of Light to a new world of darkness. A very Masonic theme.) Further, the flag of our country was made by Betsy Ross, whose husband was a member in the same Lodge as George Washington, who commissioned the work. There are many other similar Masonic connections with the history of our nation. Incidentally, the initiation ritual for many college fraternities are directly taken from Masonic ritual.

We also are very active in the civic affairs of our community. We do a ton of volunteer work. Worldwide, Freemasons donate over $2 million a day to various charities. My Lodge in Madison does 2 blood drives every month, has 3 scholarships for local high schoolers, and has an “Angel Fund” where we partner with local schools and social services to anonymously cover any requested donation. For example, a child in Madison elementary school needs eyeglasses but the parents can’t afford them. The nurse tells the principal, the principal contacts us, and our Angel Fund committee dispatches services free of charge. The child can go to a doctor or pharmacy and we will already have arranged ahead of time to pay in full. In Boston, their Angel Fund is so large that they literally have warehouses of shoes, coats and clothing for children in need that are distributed across the state. All requests are processed and fulfilled in about 3 days. The recipient never knows who provided the services. And we like it that way. We don’t like to take credit for God’s work.

A recent example of this at work was last year when a house fire destroyed a home in Madison, killing the single mother of two children. Our Lodge was contacted to help and we fully funded the cost of school lunch for the kids. They don’t know who took care of it or why, but they know that someone cares. That God cares.

You may have heard of the Shriner’s hospital for burned or crippled children. The Shriner’s are an appendant order of Masonry, meaning you must be a Master Mason to join. We provide free medical care at these hospitals. Another branch of Freemasonry that I belong to called the Scottish Rite (which actually has its origins in France) runs children’s dyslexia centers around the country which offer free tutoring in a method of reading for people with learning disabilities. These free services, hospital treatments, and scholarships are available to anyone who needs help, not just Masons, their family or friends.

In New Jersey, the Masons also donate time each Sunday at the VA hospitals to bring the veterans to Sunday services in the chapel. We believe it’s an important duty to so serve those who gave of themselves for the freedoms we so freely enjoy. Every year we also host a Wheelchair Track & Field Meet, which is like a Special Olympics for disabled children.

So, in addition to the esoteric philosophical teachings of the Masons, we live out a tangible expression of our service to God and our fellow man. Very much like how Liquid Church brings church to the people through its engaging outreach ministry. In the sense of a civic organization, the Masons are comparable to Kiwanis, Lions Club, or Rotary. And in matters of God, the Masons are like the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, which are devoted to God, but don’t say what God to which they are so devoted.

On that note, to answer the root question; no, we don’t teach that Jesus is the only way to God. In fact we don’t tell Masons at all how to come to know God. We do teach that by humbling yourself to others, studying the science, art and mystery of our created world, and realizing the ultimate fate of our physical body and the resurrection of the eternal soul to a oneness with God, a Mason can work toward perfection and unity with the Creator.

Sidebar: common phrases like “level with me”, “give me a square deal”, “rap of the gavel” or “he gave me the third degree” are Masonic in origin.
I reached out to my friends on Facebook for some good articles and scholarly papers on the subject of Freemasonry and religion, specifically Christianity, and it was actually another member of the Morristown Campus Staff that pointed me to a website called MasonicWorld.com which houses 600+ articles, a glossary of Masonic terms, graphics, and short talk bulletins on every subject imaginable concerning Masonry.

I’ve selected a handful of articles and papers that answer some of the questions you posed to me and I hope that the candor and at times, pedigree of the author, provides a more complete picture of how Freemasonry not only is compatible with Christianity, but draws people closer to our God.

You asked me “If Christianity is complete on its own, why do you need Freemasonry at all?”. And the answer is, you don’t. You don’t need Freemasonry to worship God. But for our organization, you need to worship God to be a Mason. Freemasonry is religious in nature, but not a religion. It complements, meaning that it enhances the experience of a believer in God, the life of a follower of God, but doesn’t conflict or interfere with his duty to God, his country, or his fellow man.

The values of a Freemason- Faith, Hope, and Charity; are complemented by core tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Universal values that encompass and strengthen a Brother, or any person, for that matter. As your staff member Janet can attest, as a member of the Order of the Eastern Star (like a Masonic ladies auxillery), Masonic values are universally applicable to all faiths and philosophies, most notably those that preach a message of love and compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters, especially the widows and orphans.

Because of this, you will find about 80% of Masons are Christian, with the rest following other faiths. Our ritual has its beginnings in Christian England and much of our ritual draws directly from Scripture (KJV with the thees, thous, and thys). And while the Catholic Church is officially opposed to Freemasons, believing our ability to organize a threat to their establishment, we accept Catholic Brothers with open arms.

The Masons carry a weird mythos and misunderstanding and if there are any questions I can answer that can clarify any of those points, I would be more than happy to do so. The more transparent Masons are and upfront with information about what we’re about, the less suspicious and critical the public can be. There are enough movies and History Channel documentaries to cause confusion. I’d love to provide insight.

Scanning through the list of Masons below, you may be surprised by who is or was a Freemason. From all times, places, professions; Masonry persists. I also invite you to visit my Lodge in Madison or the lodge in Morristown to meet with other local Masons and learn about what we do. I also have a friend who is an evangelical minister as well as a Mason and would gladly share his experience. There is a lot of misinformation out there. And if I can help dispel rumor, I will do so honestly, respectfully, informatively and pleasurably.

To conclude, it has been my experience that you will find no more humble a person, someone as selfless, serving, loving, and accepting than a Brother Mason, a Sister of the Eastern Star, or a child of DeMolay or Rainbow Girls/Job’s Daughters(Masonic youth groups). These people are truly the salt of the earth and I encourage you to embrace and learn from them rather than fear and reject them. You would be surprised how many Masons are in our Church, let alone our community, in the grocery store, pumping your gas, fixing your toilet, cleaning your gutters, filing your taxes, preparing your coffee or editing your morning paper.

Sincere regards and Happy Monday.

Your Brother in Christ,

Chase William Kruppo

Kids Say The Darndest Things . . .

2011-12-09T08:58:00.003-06:00

It's a jewel . . . and an apron, Katie!

When I was installed as Senior Warden of my lodge, my daughter Katie (then two) was there. She got to sit with me in the West after I was installed in my chair--you see her? She was being particularly shy and quiet, which is a little out of character for her.

After installation, it was just the two of us. Her mother had to work, so I took her to McDonald's for a Happy Meal. The McDonald's was packed, and when we finally got up to the counter, I sat her up on the counter and ordered. When the server asked Katie what she wanted, she exclaimed in a loud voice:

"My daddy was just wearing a dress--and a necklace too!"

You could have heard a pin drop at McDonalds. I'll never forget the look at that young girl's face behind the counter either. I'll never be able to go back there again.

Enjoy your weekend.

~TEC

The Night Before Christmas, Down At The Lodge

2011-12-08T05:00:00.001-06:00

The Night Before Christmas, Down At the Lodge

'Twas the Night before Christmas, and down at the Lodge

Not a gavel was stirring, and in the hodge-podge

Of aprons and jewels and chairs East and West

you could savor the silence, most gladly divest

All metal and mineral, it mattered not,

since Christmas was nigh and the coals were still hot

In the hearth of your homestead, all Masons abed,

as visions of trestle boards danced in their head;

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter,

Our Tiler jumped up to see what was the matter!

He picked up his sword and ran fast to the door,

three knocks shook the panels - he wondered 'What for?'

He answered the knocking with, raps of his own,

and once the door opened he saw, with a moan

Of delight it was Santa, all jolly and red

Except for one notable feature Instead!

Upon his large finger lie wore what we knew

was compass and square on a background of blue!

'Why Santa!' he shouted and lowered his blade

'I see you're a Mason!' the Tiler relayed.

He looked toward the Master's most dignified chair

and said, voice near trembling, 'Most Worshipful there

Is a Gentleman properly clothed at the gate!'

The Master replied, 'Let's allow him - but wait!

You tell me a Gentleman, but I don't see

His Apron beneath that red suit, can it be

Our visitor hasn't been properly raised?

Must we offer a test that is suitably phrased?

'I do beg your pardon,' old' Santa said quick

As he pulled up his coat and displayed not a stick

But a cane with, engraving, two balls did appear

and oh, what an apron, he wore and held dear!

Adorned like the Master' complete with a sign

Of "Lodge Number One, the North Pole" on one line!

"Now let man enter," the Master declared,

and once in the Lodge room the Brethren all stared,

For Santa was wearing a jewel not seen

for many a century - there in between

The fur of his coat and the splendid red collar

gleamed two golden reindeer that shone like a dollar!

"It's Donner and Blitzen, who, I must confess

Are actually images brought from the West

By my Warden, a craftsman like none in the world!"

And with a great laugh from his bag he unfurled

An ear of fine corn and some oil from the east,

"My friend I have plenty, tonight we will feast

On all that is good! We are Masons, kind sir!"

A murmur went throughout the Lodge, quite a stir,

As presents and promises flew from his sack

This Santa, a Mason, showed he had a knack

For making this Christmas the best you could glean,

And soon even Deacons were laughing, they'd seen

On this very night only happiness reigned!

This jolly Saint Nicholas quickly explained

That only a Mason could be so inclined

to make all kids happy, make all people find

A Christmas so special, yes, Santa was right!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

I don't know where this came from originally. It was forwarded to me. I really enjoyed it, and thought you might enjoy it also. Special thanks to my old friend Bro. Jack Buvelot for sending it to me to share.

Merry Christmas!

~TEC

Lodge Secretary (For Life): A Thankless Job

2011-12-07T05:00:00.011-06:00

Contemplating my life sentence at our installation

I'm about six months into a life term as Secretary of my lodge. Masons think that's funny, and there's a reason for it. Truth is, there aren't many members that really want to be the Secretary of the lodge. It's a big job. Those that will take it, usually wind up in the chair year after year, decade after decade, until one day, they are found, face down on their desk blotter clutching a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws in one hand, and a Notice of Petition Received in the other.

The Secretary job is an important one without question. Master's come and go, but the Secretary remains year after year. He's responsible for managing the lodge, and he becomes what's called "institutional knowledge" after a few years behind the desk. He is responsible for everything from keeping the meeting minutes, to keeping the member records current. That includes all the addresses of the members, phone numbers, emails, and knowing that Charlie goes to Florida every winter, so for three months, he wants his lodge newsletter sent there. The official duties are rather extensive. Secretaries keep track of all the degree work going on, are responsible for knowing the rules of the Grand Lodge, and they quickly become the person the members look to for information. And the Secretary is usually the one that receives the call from the family when a member passes away (often late at night), and makes sure those records are updated, and works with the family to arrange the Masonic funeral rites. Secretaries also make sure the widows are taken care of long after their husbands have passed, and we keep track of what their needs may be. That's what we do.

It's a big job, even in a small lodge. There are about a million forms. Every time a petition is received--there's a Grand Lodge form. Every time an address changes--there's a form. Every time a degree is done--there is a form. Then there is collecting the annual dues--lots of forms and stamps required there. It is a lot of work, but the salary package is excellent! It's basically the base salary times the number of years you've been a Mason. The base salary is $0. So in my case, the calculation is $0 x 6 years. Okay, so basically I get reimbursed for stamps. Oh, and Secretaries get a lot of credit too--they get credit for everything that goes wrong, and the Master gets credit for all that goes right. I loved that rule last year, but not so much this year. I miss my old job--I had that nice fedora, and that oak gavel, and a lovely perch on top of the dais in the East with the big chair under the "G". And my Secretary made all those brilliant things I thought up actually happen. You know, that same guy that talked me into being Secretary in the first place.

Now I knew I was going somewhere with this, and I just remembered what it was. I couldn't have picked a better time to become a Secretary. After six months of doing things the old way, I went to a meeting last week and got training on "the new way." That was a relief to me since I've found forms that were sent to our Grand Lodge in 1920 that look exactly like the same forms I've been filling out since I was installed in June. Our Grand Lodge of Illinois is going hi-tech. Most of the forms are going away, and I'll be able to do most of my work online now. I'll be able to maintain member records myself instead of sending in all these forms. Our new system will even keep track of dues payments. I'm too embarrassed to admit how I'm doing it now--it doesn't involve stone tablets, but it's not much more sophisticated than that.

My job is about to become much easier. I can even print off member rosters, address labels, and reports out of this new system. I'm very impressed. Got to give a lot of credit to our Grand Secretary, Frank Cline! I even overheard Frank say at that meeting he was able to update a record right from his smart phone when he ran into a Brother at a gas station with a new address. He updated that address right into the Grand Lodge database from the cashier counter at the gas station. I gotta get one of those smart phone thingies. My wife has one, but it seems to make her mad--something about Angry Birds.

It's a great honor to be a lodge Secretary. Much of the information I've gotten for my Famous American Freemasons books has come from the lodge Secretary where my famous Freemasons belonged. I've sent hundreds of letters and emails in search of this information. These Secretaries serve in lodges all over the United States--some are old, and some are very young. But they are never shy about being willing to dig through the dusty musty files in search of information for me. And they've come up with some very unique stories written in lodge minutes. They've even scanned and sent me pages from their minutes, or scanned copies of the signature of the famous Freemason in their roster books. Thanks to those efforts, some of the details in my books about these famous men you probably won't find anywhere else.

It's an important job. If you're asked to be the Lodge Secretary, don't do it unless you're willing to do it right, because part of your job is writing history for your community. And one day, those words you write might just mean the world to somebody that isn't even born yet.

Todd E. Creason

Secretary (for life)

A Few Great Gift Ideas For Dad!

2011-12-06T05:00:00.008-06:00

As a dad, I thought I'd help a few of you out with a few gift ideas. Believe it or not, we love the ties and sweaters and slippers, they're lovely, but how about trying something a little different this year. Dads are usually hard to buy for, because they don't require much. I know buying for my dad is impossible.

After Christmas last year, I wrote a post about one of my favorite gifts--the Keurig Coffee Maker. I called it my "new favorite thing." Here it is a year later, and it's still my favorite thing. I use it every day and I still think it makes great coffee and tea. Actually I have two of them (wife gave me one, and daughter gave me one so I guess the hints worked well)--I took one to work. I've got a few favorites when it comes to the K-Cup varieties--my favorites include Donut House Extra Bold and Caribou Morning Blend. But Starbucks have come out with a few that are good too--including their popular Pike's Place brew. They've got something for any taste from very mild to "holy crap!" And the tea selections have gotten better over the past year too--Tazo is now available in K-Cups. A Keurig would be at the top of my list if I was looking for a gift for a java junkie.

Another nifty toy I never thought I'd like is a Nook. I thought I was a book-reading purist, and I'd miss the tactil experience of reading on an electronic screen. Guess what? I don't miss paper that much. I bought one about a year and half ago, and I'm seldom without it. So if dad likes to read, try that, and put a few books he'd like on it so he can try it out right away, perhaps the entire Todd E. Creason library would be a good thing to load on it. That would be my suggestion anyway. Once he starts reading it, getting used to it takes very little time, and the inability to leave the house without it sets in almost immediately--wallet, keys, phone, Nook.

There's a couple choices to think about. Of course there's a Nook Color, which doesn't appeal to me much because I'm a book reader, and black and white is fine for what I do. But if dad reads a lot of magazines or comics, that color version is very nice. And there's the new black and white reader with a touch screen (I have the old one)--the Nook Simple Touch. If dad just reads books, that's the one you should get. I am very, very tempted by that one (the guy at Barnes & Noble let me borrow one during my visit the other day.) I'll probably wind up with one eventually, but I still like the one I have.

You know another thing dad might like--a nice hat. Delmonico Hatter has a great selection, and I highly recommend them as an online seller. Their service in impeccible, and they carry everything from western hats, to fedoras, Stetsons to Tilleys. I'd recommend a nice wool winter hat--I've been wearing a Tilley winter hat for about a month now, and I just love it. It's toasty warm, and very comfortable. There are a number of different models, find one you think dad would like, and get it for him. The bonus is you can do this without leaving the house--they ship right to your door, and usually the shipping is free.

And if you don't know his hat size, there's an easy way to get it. Find a hat he wears all the time. If it's fitted (like a western hat or a higher end ball cap) the size will be inside the rim. If it's one of those "one size fits all" adjustable numbers, borrow moms sewing tape measure and measure around the inside rim of the hat--there is a chart that will convert that inch measurement to hat size. Easy huh? And if you'd like to buy your favorite author a hat, that's a 7 3/8.

So take good care of dad this year, and have a Merry Christmas,

~TEC

My Favorite Harry S Truman Story

2011-12-05T05:00:00.002-06:00

Harry & Bess Truman

I don't know how many times I've opened with this story over the years, but it's one of my favorites.

Harry Truman made a speech at the Washington Garden Club. He gave credit for his beautiful flowers to the good "manure" he used to fertilize them. The prim and proper ladies didn't think much of the President's repeated use of the word "manure."

One of them said something to the First Lady, Bess Truman. She asked Bess if she could make him stop using the word "manure." It was a vulgar word in their opinion, and he was, afterall, the President of the United States.

Bess replied, "Heavens no! It took me twenty-five years to get him to say 'manure.'"

~TEC

Take A Few Minutes Every Day To Broaden Your Horizons

2011-12-02T05:00:00.022-06:00

"There is nothing so stupid as the educated man if you get him off the thing he was educated in."

~Will Rogers

Claremore Lodge No. 53, Oklahoma

People have a tendency to stick with the things that interest them. It's only natural to study and learn about the things that you find endlessly fascinating, but at the same time, it can be a little limiting. I try to take a little time each day to explore the world, and it's way easier to do now than it was twenty years ago. These little daily adventures over the years have lead to me to become interested in a number of subjects (not just Freemasonry and American history). In fact, my original interest in Freemasonry came from surfing expeditions I did after seeing the movie National Treasure. Then I started reading, then there was a petition, three degrees, authored three books, Scottish Rite, York Rite . . . But it wasn't too many years ago when I had no interest in the topic of Freemasonry at all because it hadn't managed to hit my radar, and now, I can't imagine a life without it.

Which is why I love books like this. The Intellectual Devotional provides a very easy way to learn something about an area you otherwise may never be exposed to. And you can do that every day in just a few minutes--these short readings are a page each. I found these several years ago, and I think there are about five of them now. There are 365 short readings, one for each day of the week, a different subject each day, and if you read one each night before going to bed, it's remarkable how much you can pick up. I think there are five of these collections now.

This isn't the only book of this ilk. There's also the Bedside Baccallaureate series--I think there are two of those. The title might be a bit of an over-reach, but it's full of short lessons on a variety of topics too. But books aren't the only place you can can get a quick daily fix of learning. Years ago I had a calendar that would offer up one interesting fact about science each day. There are website that I enjoy like American History Fun Facts. I love collections of useless information. I have dozens of quote books (and I put some of my favorites together in my own collection called A Freemason Said That?)

It's a big world out there--take a little time out from your day to day life and explore it. You might just be surprised at what you find out there that interests you. You might just find, like I did, something you don't even know exists yet that could change the course of your life forever.

~TEC

Happy Birthday Bro. Mark Twain!

2011-12-01T08:11:00.004-06:00

"There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded."

~Mark Twain

Polar Star Lodge No. 79

St. Louis, MO

We all know that blowhard that never stops bragging about the things he does. How much money he makes. How many good works he does. How much he donates to charity. They are all over the internet. He's the guy the spends more time talking about the volunteer work he does than actually doing any.

I grew up being taught that true charity was something you didn't brag about. It was something that should be done quietly because it's not really about you. It's one thing to bring attention to an important cause (I do that all the time), but it is quite another to use that cause to advertise what a wonderful person you are.

Every year around this time, we read about gold coins found in Salvation Army buckets. We read about some anonymous secret Santa that gives away thousands of dollars, a hundred dollar bill at a time, to needy people. We don't know who those people are because they don't do it for themselves, they do those things because its something they believe in. I think that's what I like about Freemasonry--the fact much of the work Fremasons do nobody ever sees. That's the true spirit of giving--not that jerk that posts on his Facebook "Hope you all enjoyed the football game while I just spent three hours serving meals to the homeless." Oh, brother.

Yesterday marked what would have been Mark Twain's 176th birthday. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that he's one of my favorite authors as much as I quote him on The Midnight Freemason. There are three great sources of American wisdom when it comes to finding quotes--there's Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, and Will Rogers. Those are my "go-to" guys when I need a good one. And of course, all three of those men were Freemasons.

~TEC

Jack The Ripper: Freemason Or Not?

2011-11-30T05:00:00.004-06:00

"My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good Luck."

~Jack the Ripper

Over the course of several weeks beginning at the end of August 1888, five women, all prostitutes, were brutally murdered by one of the most notorious serial killers in history--a man known only as Jack the Ripper. Two months later, as suddenly as the murders began, the crimes stopped, and Jack the Ripper dissappeared into the London fog forever . . . the case never solved. But there are currently more than a hundred theories on who Jack the Ripper actually was, and in on of those versions, it is alleged that Jack the Ripper was a Freemason!

This theory first surfaced in Stephen Knight's 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution. Knight believed that Jack the Ripper was actually Dr. William Gull--Queen Victoria's own physician. The story goes that the Queen's grandson, Prince Albert Edward had secretly married a hooker by the name of Annie Crook, and they had a child. As an heir to the throne, Queen Victoria (or possibly the Prime Minister) ordered that everyone who knew about the secret marriage should be eliminated--and Freemason Dr. Gull was the man selected to take care of it. Interesting story, and Knight based it on a story told by Joseph Sickert--his grandfather was a painter and insider back in the days the murders took place (and oddly enough, his grandfather is also suspecting of being Jack the Ripper according to a couple of the theories).

Jack the Tyler???

The murders themselves supposedly indicated there was a tie to Freemasons--the mutilations of these women were supposed to allude to the Hiram Abiff allegory in the degrees of Freemasonry. There was also a note written in chalk allegedly erased by Commissioner of Police (and Freemason) Sir Charles Warren to protect the Freemasons scrawled on a wall near one the victims that read: “The Juwes are the men That Will not be Blamed for nothing.” According to Knight, this reference to Juwes referred again to the Masonic ritual, and Hiram Abiff's challengers Jubelo, Jubela, and Jubelum (the juwes).

But there are a few problems with this theory. First of all, Dr. William Gull was not a Freemason. And another problem is that nobody besides the author Stephen Knight ever called Hiram Abiff's three challengers "Juwes." And the biggest problem is that Joseph Sickert, the source of Stephen Knight's book, later retracted his story, and called it a hoax--or as he put it "a whooping fib."

So was Jack the Ripper a Freemason? Since he was never identified--who knows? But if he was, I hope they didn't let him be the Tyler . . .

~TEC

A Dark Day In History: Coffee Rationing Began In 1942

2011-11-29T05:00:00.003-06:00

Many things were in high demand when America entered into WWII after Pearl Harbor, and to make sure there was enough, many items were rationed, including sugar, butter, gasoline, rubber, meat, etc.

But without a doubt--people weren't very happy when coffee became one of those items in high demand during the war. The rationing of coffee began in November 1942, in order to make sure our G.I.s fighting in the war had enough. Roosevelt even gave up his morning cup and switched to milk (or so the story goes.) Coffee drinking Americans over the age of fifteen could get a pound of coffee every five weeks--that's barely a cup a day.

There were a lot of tricks to stretch that out--they reused coffee grounds making a watery brew they called "Roosevelt's coffee." They used less and percolated it longer. They also mixed the coffee with chicory or a grain based coffee substitute called Postum to stretch the supply out further.

However, it didn't last long. Coffee was the first item to come off rationing--the coffee crisis was over by September 1944 although the government jacked the price up on coffee substantially to reduce the demand, and made it well known that if supplies ran short, coffee could very well be rationed again. But that didn't prove to be necessary.

I wonder which event during the Roosevelt years was more popular--the lifting of Prohibition in 1933, or ending the coffee rationing in 1944?

~TEC

The Illustrious Red Skelton, 33°: The Pledge of Allegiance

2011-11-28T05:00:00.001-06:00

The Illustrious Red Skelton, 33°
(1913 - 1997)

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments in television history was on January 14, 1969, when legendary comic, Red Skelton, became suddenly serious at the end of one of his television show as he reminisced about an incident from his childhood. Something was on Red's mind he wanted to share. You have to remember that this was during the Vietnam War when anti-war protests had rendered the American flag as much as symbol of divisiveness as that of unity. It was also a time when the Supreme Court ruling eliminating prayer from schools was still fresh in the minds of Americans.

Red said what he had to say in his own way. He remembered back to his boyhood, when his teacher, Mr. Lasswell, felt his students had begun to recite the Pledge of Allegiance as if it were a daily drudgery. He decided to take a moment, and recite it to them, telling them the meaning of each word. Ever since the first broadcast, Red Skelton's words have remained a perennial favorite--especially around patriotic holidays.

It went like this:

I -- Me; an individual; a committee of one.

Pledge -- Dedicate all of my worldly good to give without self-pity.

Allegiance -- My love and my devotion.

To the Flag -- Our standard. “Old Glory”; a symbol of courage. And wherever she waves, there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts “Freedom is everybody's job.”

of the United -- That means we have all come together.

States -- Individual communities that have united into 48 great states; 48 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose; all divided by imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common cause, and that’s love of country, of America.

And to the Republic -- A Republic: a sovereign state in which power is invested into the representatives chosen by the people to govern; and the government is the people; and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

For which it stands, one nation -- Meaning "so blessed by God."

Indivisible -- Incapable of being divided.

With Liberty -- Which is freedom; the right of power for one to live his own life without fears, threats, or any sort of retaliation.

And Justice -- The principle and qualities of dealing fairly with others.

For All -- For All. That means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

Now let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said, "That is a prayer" -- and that be eliminated from our schools, too?

Red Skelton couldn't have been more right about that . . . that's exactly what's been happening with The Pledge of Allegiance in the years since. It's been under attack. In the end, it will be up to Americans to decide the fate of the Pledge of Allegiance in school. But there is one place where its future isn't in doubt--within the walls of Masonic Lodges across the United States, where it is recited before the opening of every meeting.

~TEC

Author Review: The Working Tools Masonic Magazine

2011-11-25T05:00:00.002-06:00

I meet a lot of interesting people through my books, and as a result of The Midnight Freemason blog--most of these friends I've never actually met face to face.

I made a new friend from New Jersey this week--WB Cory Sigler. I actually met him on Twitter (just about the time I was beginning to think everyone on there was nuts) and wound up talking to him on the phone the other day.

WB Sigler is the editor of The Working Tools Masonic Magazine which publishes monthly. Take a few minutes and have a look--you can view all the past issues online at the link above. He offers a great mix a materials. He's done an excellent job at offering a little something for everyone.

I've really been enjoying it--it's not a newsletter, it's a magazine, and I'd estimate the monthly average is about sixty pages. I'm slowly working my way through the past issues. He does interviews, he has guest writers, profiles famous Freemasons (maybe that's something I ought to look into doing one day), and the magazine even reviews books and highlights interesting websites on the topic of Freemasonry. Whether you're looking for deep meaning, or light reading, you'll find something that appeals to you in every issue.

And if you enjoy it, you'll have plenty to read for a long time--I believe he's published forty-eight issues thus far.

And of course there's a reason we were talking. Cory has asked me to submit an article to The Working Tools Masonic Magazine. I'm really looking forward to it, and it will give me something to work on over the holidays for my new friend and Brother in New Jersey.

And don't worry, there will be no possible way I'll let you miss it when it comes out. For that matter, I don't think there's any way Cory will let you miss it either . . . he's everywhere!

~TEC

Billy Graham: Freemason Or Not?

2011-11-24T05:00:00.002-06:00

"Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is."

~Reverend Billy Graham

Harry S. Truman and Billy Graham

Another person that is often cited as being a Freemason is Billy Graham. It's hard to say where this rumor began, but as with so many of these cases, the "evidence" seems to be centered on photos of awkward handshakes.

Perhaps part of it was this photo of Billy Graham and Harry S. Truman shaking hands. Truman was a very active Freemason before, during and after his Presidency, and was the Past Grand Master of Masons in Missouri. The rumor about Rev. Graham has persisted for years, however, Billy Graham is not a Freemason. He's made that quite clear, and his organization even released this email nearly fifteen years ago.

Subject: Freemason

Date: Wed, 16 Jul 97 11:23:21 -0500

From: dkinde@graham-assn.org (Don Kinde)

Thank you for your e-mail message. We understand your concern about rumors that Mr. Graham is in some way associated with Freemasonry. The reports are erroneous — though we continue to hear them. Mr. Graham is not, has not been and does not expect ever to be involved in Freemasonry. Your help in keeping the record as accurate as possible would be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Don Kinde
Christian Guidance Department
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

So that should answer that question beyond a shadow of a doubt. Billy Graham is not a Freemason. Period.

~TEC

Food For Thought: The Yellow Light

2011-11-23T05:00:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine, WB Stephen Hooper, sent me a version of this story--I modified it some. Bro. Hooper has been Master of two lodges in my area, and incidently, the person I first asked about being a Mason. I hope you enjoy it--it's very funny. And I hope you think about it over the rush of the holiday season.

The light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating man behind him was furious and honked his horn, screaming at him in frustration, because he missed his chance to get through the intersection.

As he was still ranting at the car in front of him, he heard a tap on his window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered him to exit his vehicle with his hands up...

He took him to the police station where he was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. He was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with his personal effects.

The officer said, ''I'm very sorry for the mistake. You see, I pulled up behind you while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the Square & Compass emblem mounted on the car, the Knights Templar tail-light covers, the "2B1ASK1" bumpersticker, and the Shriner's fez in the back window, so naturally....I had assumed the vehicle was stolen.''

A couple years ago, the Grand Master of Illinois said a funny thing at a dinner I was attending. He was encouraging the Masons there to order Master Mason plates offered by the State of Illinois because a portion of the annual renewal fee supports Masonic charities. Anyway, he said that since he'd gotten the Master Mason license plates for his car, he'd become a much more considerate driver. Everyone laughed because they knew exactly what he was talking about.

It's easy to become impatient behind the wheel, especially around the holidays when everyone seems to be in such a hurry. But remember what your car says about you, and more importantly, what your behavior says about those things you choose to display on your bumper. Many of us use our bumpers to express those things that are important to us--organizations we belong to, what church we attend, and even our political leanings. If you decide to do that, make sure you're a good example of what those organizations and symbols represent.

If you're an angry driver, maybe you're not the best person to advertise . . . you know?

~TEC

P.S. Master Mason plates are offered by quite a few states, and they work much the same everywhere--they cost a little more, but a portion of the annual registration fee supports the charitable causes supported by your Grand Lodge. Check with your Secretary of State to see if Master Mason plates are available in your state.

Another Round of Famous Freemason Trivia!

2011-11-22T05:00:00.015-06:00

Everyone seems to enjoy the Famous Freemason Trivia posts, so here's a few more for you to enjoy.

John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones, commanding the frigate Ranger was given a nine-gun salvo as it arrived in France in February, 1778, fired from Admiral Piquet’s flagship. That was the first time an American Naval vessel was recognized by a foreign power—it was also the first time America was recognized as an independent nation.

James K. Polk

James K. Polk was the youngest President, at age 53, to die in retirement after serving as President of the United States. He died only 103 days after he left office.

When Sam Houston enlisted in the United States Army in 1813, his mother gave him a gold ring with the word “Honor” inscribed inside the band. Before he left with the army, she told him, “While the door of my cabin is open to brave men, it is eternally shut against cowards.” He wore the ring his entire life, and while honor is a word often used to describe Sam Houston, coward is not.

Mel Blanc

As a teenager, Mel Blanc used to walk by the Shriner’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. It’s the reason he later became a Mason. “Hearing about the work they did with crippled children was what initially piqued my interest in the fellowship and prompted me to seek admission.” He joined Demolay in 1925, and later joined Mid Day Lodge in Oregon in 1931 and the Shriners in 1951. He loved children.

~TEC

You'll find many more great stories and facts about famous Freemasons in my book series Famous American Freemasons. This seems to be a popular topic, so if you have some interesting trivia or stories about famous Freemasons you think I could use for future installments, please email them to me at webmaster@toddcreason.org and I just might use them. If you want a few more fun trivia facts, just click on the trivia link in the Favorite Topics cloud in the right column on my blog, and you'll see them all.

Famous Freemason: Dan Beard

2011-11-21T05:00:00.002-06:00

I've got to thank the One Minute Mason again for the idea. If you haven't checked out Steve Harris' blog, click on the link. It's a great collection of short pieces that make you stop, scratch your head, and say "Huh, I didn't know that."

Dan Beard was a very interesting man, and he's been on the periphery of my research for years--his name has come up again and again, in fact, he's on the list for inclusion in the last volume of the Famous American Freemasons series. He's best known for organizing the Boy Scouts of America. Known to the scouts as "Uncle Dan," he also wrote a very popular monthly column in Boys Life Magazine for many years.

But long before he was involved with scouting, he was a noted author and illustrator--not to mention he had a lot of very interesting friends. He knew men like publisher James Gordon Bennet, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Billy the Kid. But his friendship with Mark Twain was one he is most remembered for. It wasn't long before Twain called upon his friend's talents and asked him to illustrate his book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Dan Beard went to work on the illustrations immediately, and did more than 200 for the book over the period of a single week--and Twain's book, along with Beard's illustrations, has never been out of print.

Uncle Dan Beard was a member of Mariners Lodge 67 in New York City and later, he joined Cornucopia Lodge 563, Flushing, New York.

~TEC

Famous Freemason: Mark Twain On Procrastinating

2011-11-18T05:00:00.009-06:00

"Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

~Mark Twain

Polar Star Lodge No. 79

St. Louis, Missouri

It's easy to do--put off those unpleasant tasks we either don't like to do, or just don't want to do. A day becomes a week, a month, a year? But Mark Twain had a good point--instead of putting those things off as we tend to do, why not just tackle them first thing and get them over with? Is it ever really as bad as you think it's going to be? Do we wind up spending more time dreading things than it actually takes to do them? Wouldn't it feel great just to get it over with and move on to something you enjoy?

This weekend, take a couple minutes and write down a few of those things you've been meaning to do. See if by the time the weekend is over you can't just eat a few of those frogs. You may just discover the relief you feel was well worth the effort of slogging through those tedious tasks--whatever they might be.

Try it, and see if you don't get back to work on Monday feeling as if you've actually accomplished something.

~TEC

Freemason Wisdom: Oscar Wilde On Education

2011-11-17T05:00:00.088-06:00

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught."

~Oscar Wilde

Apollo University Lodge No. 357

Oxford, England

There are a lot of versions of this saying. Everyone from Benjamin Franklin to Winston Churchill have made similar remarks. They all seemed to understand the same thing--while education is important, there's a great deal you can't learn in the classroom. Many of mankind's most intangible strengths have nothing to do with formal education--they come from lessons we learn by living life. The best lessons are the ones we learn the hard way. They come from failures and mistakes we make along the way. They come from falling in and out of love. They come from facing adversity. They come from making friends as well as enemies. They come from being knocked down, and from standing back up again.

I worry about our children. We learned those lessons by surviving our childhood (which wasn't always easy). Our children are growing up in a world where most of the obstacles have been removed. Will they ever learn those hard-won lessons about life when they are seldom challenged by adversity? Could that be why so many kids today have problems with anxiety? When do kids in today's world learn how to cope with the challenges life is going to throw at them?

~TEC

Stephen King's New Novel: 11/22/63

2011-11-16T05:00:00.004-06:00

Stephen King started publishing books about the same time I started reading them. I can tell when and where I've read every one starting in about the fourth grade or so. I was trying to think the other day which one I read first--it was The Shining. That would have been in about 1977, and I was ten years old at the time. It scared the hell out of me, so naturally, I read Carrie and Salem's Lot right after I finished that one, and I've been hooked ever since.

So I've grown up with him, and every time I start to read a new one, it's like falling back into step again with an old friend. I think I may be the guy he calls Constant Reader--that I am. I haven't like all his books, in fact, there have been a couple I never finished.

The Dark Tower returns
April 2012

But his newest book 11/22/63: A Novel is fantastic--even for those of us who weren't around when Kennedy was assassinated, I think at one point or another, we've all had that moment where we wonder what the world might have been like if it hadn't been for that one day in Dallas. Stephen King explores that very question, as usual, in his own unique way. He's always known how to use small details to really pull you in, and there are so many subtle nostalgic nuances, it's not long before you're completely immersed in that era in American history--it's difficult to put down once you get started. It's available in Kindle and Nook editions as well.

Stephen King has another one coming out soon that has a lot of people excited--the latest in his epic Dark Tower series--The Wind Through the Keyhole. I wrote about that series here. So keep your eye out for it also--it's due out in April 2012.

Happy reading,

~TEC

Family Fun: Ansar Shrine Circus

2011-11-15T08:27:00.000-06:00

We had a really fun day on Sunday--we went over to Springfield, Illinois to enjoy the Ansar Shrine Circus at the Praire Capital Convention Center. We just had a blast. Katie is four, and can hardly wait to go again. She got to see elephants and monkeys, loved watching the jugglers and bike riders--and much like when I was a kid, she had her eyes covered for most of the high-wire act.

She also had a chance to try and few new things--like a snowcone and cotton candy. It was well worth the trip over to Springfield, and the Ansar Shrine Circus doesn't only provide wholesome family entertainments (and that's not something you find much anymore) but it supports a terrific cause--The Shriners Hospitals for Children. I couldn't believe how many fez's I saw--how many Shriners volunteered their weekend to help direct patrons to their seats, sell programs, and work the concession areas.

So next time you see the Shriners Circus in town--go! Have a great time with your family, and know that not only have you had a great day, but you've supported a worthy cause.

~TEC

Freemason Wisdom: Dave Thomas On Success

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

"I think the harder you work;

the more luck you have."

~Dave Thomas

Sol D. Bayliss Lodge No. 359, Indiana

It's easy to look at someone that has been successful in life, and say "he's lucky" or "he's had all the breaks." But after learning about so many self-made men, what I've learned is that luck has very little to do with it. These men, more often than not, have made their own luck by hard work, determination, and through sustained focus on their goals. Men like Dave Thomas are passionate about what they do, and had their own ideas about how it should be done. Success isn't about luck--it's about knowing what you want and being willing to work hard to achieve it.

Dave Thomas never graduated from high school, and yet, he helped Colonel Sanders turned KFC into a multi-million dollar franchise long before he founded Wendy's. It was Dave Thomas, then a restaurant cook, that first came up with the idea of selling chicken in buckets.

Dave didn't attribute his success to luck--he knew better. He knew exactly how he'd become successful--through long hours and hard work.

~TEC

Freemason Presidents

2011-11-11T05:00:00.013-06:00

I caused quite a stir with my blog entries George W. Bush: Freemason Or Not? and Barack Obama: Freemason Or Not? Apparently, I am incorrect, and either I'm not high ranking enough in the fraternity to know anything, or I'm part of the global Masonic conspiracy . . . take your pick. I got quite a chuckle when I read through my email last night. So, as author of two books on the subject of famous Freemasons, and probably the best authority on the subject of who is and who isn't a Freemason, let me lay it all out for you.

Here's the whole list of American Presidents that were Freemasons. As I said in the previous post--this information is not a secret! In fact, in my Famous American Freemasons books, I go in to much greater detail about some of these Presidents' Masonic affiliations.

GEORGE WASHINGTON #1

Member of Fredericksburg Lodge (later No. 4) at Fredericksburg, Va. Charter Master, Alexandria Lodge No. 22, Alexandria, Va., April 28, 1788.

JAMES MONROE #5

Initiated in Williamsburg Lodge No. 6 at Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 9, 1775, but there is no record of his taking any further degrees, however the records of Cumberland Lodge No. 8 in Tennessee, show a reception for Monroe as "a Brother of the Craft" was given for him in 1819.

ANDREW JACKSON #7

Grand Master of Tennessee, 1822-23. His lodge is unknown but he is said to have attended at Clover Bottom Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. He was present in lodge at Greeneville in 1801 and acted as Senior Warden pro-tem. The records of St. Tammany Lodge No. 29 at Nashville, which became Harmony Lodge No. 1 under the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, show that Jackson was a member.

JAMES K. POLK #11

Member of Columbia Lodge No. 31, Columbia, Tenn. Exalted a Royal Arch Mason in La Fayette Chapter No. 4 at Columbia in 1825.

JAMES BUCHANAN #15

Member of Lodge 43 in Lancaster, PA. Served as Worshipful Master. Also Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

ANDREW JOHNSON #17

Member of Greeneville Lodge No. 119 now No. 3 at Greeneville, TN. Believed to be a member of Greeneville Chapter No. 82 Royal Arch Masons, since he joined Nashville Commandery of Knights Templar No. 1 in 1859. He received the Scottish Rite degrees in the White House in 1867.

JAMES A. GARFIELD #20

He was initiated and passed in Magnolia Lodge No. 20, Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Columbus Lodge No. 3O in1864. Affiliated with Garrettsville Lodge No. 246 in 1866, and also Pentalpha Lodge No. 23 in Washington, D. C. as charter member. Exalted in Columbus Royal Arch Chapter, and became a Knight Templar. Also a member of the Scottish Rite.

WILLIAM MCKINLEY #25

He is sometimes said to have been initiated, passed, and raised in Hiram Lodge No. 10 in Winchester, West Virginia in 1865, but this event most likely took place in Hiram Lodge No. 21 at Winchester, Virginia. McKinley affiliated with Canton Lodge No. 60 at Canton, Ohio in 1867 and later became a charter member of Eagle Lodge No. 43. He received the Capitular degrees in Canton in 1883 and was made a Knight Templar in 1884.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT #26

He was a member of Matinecock Lodge No. 806, Oyster Bay, N. Y.

WILLIAM H. TAFT #27

Made a Mason at sight in Kilwinning Lodge No. 356, Cincinnati, Ohio in 1901.

WARREN G. HARDING #29

Initiated in Marion Lodge No. 7O, Marion, Ohio, 1901. He received no other degree until after becoming President. He was passed and raised in Marion Lodge in 1920, Royal Arch Chapter degrees in Marion Chapter No. 62 in 1921; Knight Templar in Marion Commandery No. 36, in 1921. Scottish Rite and Shrine in 1921.

FRANKLIN D.ROOSEVELT #32

He was a member of Holland Lodge No. 8, New York City, a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite in Albany Consistory, and a member of the Shrine.

HARRY S TRUMAN #33

He was a member of Belton Lodge No 450; organized and became a charter member of Grandview No. 618. Served as both district lecturer and deputy Grand Master for several years. Elected Grand Master of Masons in Missouri in 1940. He received the first Gourgas Medal of the Scottish Rite, NMJ. He was a 33rd Degree. He was buried on his library's grounds with impressive rites--it was the first time Masonic funeral services were ever televised.

GERALD R. FORD #38

Ford received the degrees in Malta Lodge No. 405, Grand Rapids, Michigan along with his three brothers. Brother Ford was the 1974 recipient of the NY Grand Lodge Distinguished Achievement Award, the highest honor that can be presented by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York. He was also a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Shrine.

AND THERE ARE A COUPLE IN QUESTION . . .

It is believed that John Adams was a Freemason by many Masonic scholars, however, no documentary evidence survives to establish it for certain. We just don't know for sure.

It has also been argued that Thomas Jefferson was a Freemason--he was known to have attended Masonic Lodge meetings in Paris, and there are several other indications that he may have been a member of the Craft--however, there is no evidence that has survived to prove he was a Mason either.

AND THERE ARE A COUPLE MORE THAT CAUSE CONFUSION!

Lyndon B. Johnson did receive the 1st Degree in Freemasonry, however, he never finished.

Bill Clinton is not a Freemason. He was a member of Demolay, which is an organization for boys sponsored by Freemasonry, however, he never joined a lodge when he became old enough.

And of course there's Ronald Reagan. He's often cited as a Freemason as well. But he wasn't. I posted a blog about that called Ronald Reagan: Freemason Or Not? recently.

And most recently, I talked about George W. Bush and his father George H. W. Bush and revealed the fact there is no evidence to support that either of them are Masons. I also posted a article about President Barack Obama and the fact there is little to support the contention that he is a Freemason.

That's the entire list of American Presidents who were Freemasons, and hopefully I cleared up a few questions about which Presidents were Freemasons, and those who weren't as well.

~TEC

Barack Obama: Freemason Or Not?

2011-11-10T05:00:00.019-06:00

Here we go again! I had no idea until I posted George W. Bush: Freemason Or Not? that there is actually another President that is believed by some to be a Freemason--our current President Barack Obama! It was quickly brought to my attention. So I did a little checking on that.

Oh no! There's that Masonic
"Rock On" hand sign again!

THE EVIDENCE

Just like with George W. Bush, the "evidence" President Obama is a Freemason seems to be blurry photos of odd handshakes and hand signals, an anonymous report that somebody once sat next to him during a Masonic meeting, and there was a Time Magazine photo of his hands on the Presidential seal that sported a Masonic ring. All the details about the sources of these stories are documented in an article posted by the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon.

Definitely a Masonic ring, but are those the
hands of the President?

THE MASONIC RING
One thing about that photograph of the ring immediately struck me. As the article from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia pointed out, that photo was probably taken for the article, and those hands most likely aren't Barack Obama's. I think that's probably correct. One thing I did notice is that ring is on upside down--at least it would be in Illinois. And it is presumed if Barack Obama is a Mason, he was made a Mason in Illinois. In Illinois, the general custom is for Freemasons to wear their rings with the points of the compass worn towards you--that ring is being worn with the points outward. Of course, he could have joined a lodge in another state--he has lived in several states over his lifetime and customs vary in different locales. I'm sure I'm going to be schooled about how rings are worn--if there's an expert on Masonic ring customs out there, please feel free to do so.

SO IS BARACK OBAMA A FREEMASON?

There is no evidence that Barack Obama is a Freemason--neither the Grand Lodge of Illinois nor the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois have any record of him being made a Freemason. And no information has come from the Grand Lodges of any other state he lived in indicating he was ever a member of the fraternity. If President Obama were a Freemason, you'd hear about it. Those Grand Lodges would be proclaiming that fact far and wide as they do with every President and famous man that has been a Freemason.

And that makes guys like me who write about famous Freemasons very sad. President Obama would make a great subject for the last volume of my Famous American Freemasons series.
~TEC

George W. Bush: Freemason Or Not?

2011-11-09T05:00:00.025-06:00

The Masonic sign for "rock on?"

For a long time, it has been rumored that George W. Bush (as well as his father George H. W. Bush) are Freemasons. The internet is full of blurry photos of awkward handshakes and signs both George H. W. Bush and his son George W. apparently displayed that are supposed to provide evidence that both of these former Presidents are Freemasons. Of course these "secret handshakes" and "signs" Masonic conspiracy theorists use as evidence of a connection to Freemasonry have nothing to do with Freemasonry at all.

And that's because neither George W. Bush, nor his father George H. W. Bush are Freemasons. And if they were, there would be no reason to keep it a secret--there were fourteen Presidents that were Freemasons. The last was Gerald Ford. That's a well-known fact. And it's possible there were one or two more, but no documents survived as evidence.

Secret handshake? I don't know
what that is exactly, but it seems a
little obvious for an ultra-secret
society--doesn't it?

The Bushs' are, however, members of a secret society--they are both Bonesmen. Alumni of the secret society at Yale University called Skull and Bones. Each year, the Skull and Bones members "tap" fifteen new members at Yale University to join their society--usually those seen by the society as prominent leaders and other notable figures on campus. The list of alumni of Skull and Bones is impressive--along with the Bushs', other members include John Kerry, President William Howard Taft, and former Secretary of War Henry Stimson just to name a few.

But there is no connection between Skull and Bones and Freemasonry--they aren't related in any way. One is an international fraternity of men, and the other is a college society.

~TEC

Author Updates

2011-11-08T08:28:00.000-06:00

I had a very busy weekend, and a busy week coming up, so The Midnight Freemason may be a little light on content this week. I usually type those blog entries up over the weekend and schedule their release throughout the week. Didn't happen last weekend. But I thought I'd give you a few updates on my projects.

-A Shot After Midnight, my second novel, and a sequel to One Last Shot, is through the first editing round, and that process was a monster. It should be easier going forward. It's right on schedule for a Spring 2012 release. I'm not planning on giving out many details about it, or what it's about until we're closer to release. I will tell you I plan on enlisting the talent of Brion Sausser again for this book cover.

-I finished a limited book tour, and I've got some books left over. If you want autographed copies contact me at webmaster@toddcreason.org and I'll get them out to you. There aren't a lot, so if you want them, it's on a first-come-first serve basis. I won't be ordering additional copies. I'm working on getting a an online store set up on here so you can order autographed copies through Paypal. I hope to get that up and running over the weekend.

-The Midnight Freemason blog is finally taking off--I think I've finally found a formula that works. I'm getting tons of emails from all over, and believe it or not, we've got more than 350 Twitter followers! Thanks for your support. As I've said many times before, if you run across something interesting you think would be good for The Midnight Freemason blog, send it my way. As you are undoubtedly aware, I get my material from many sources--keep it coming!

I should be able to get back to regular posts tomorrow. Sorry for the interuption in service. In the meantime, I noticed the One Minute Mason has been busy--you can get your trivia fix there until I get caught up. I also noticed there are a few new podcasts at Whence Came You you can listen to.

Thanks again,

~TEC

Another Good Trivia Blog: One Minute Mason

2011-11-05T05:00:00.009-05:00

The readers of The Midnight Freemason seem to enjoy my trivia posts, so I thought I'd point out another place you can find interesting facts about famous Freemasons. Check out the One Minute Mason. Bro. Steve Harris posts short, very interesting, and always amusing facts about famous Freemasons (and related topics).

I'll give you one from his blog. Did you know this?

Brothers George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson each became President of the United States without having anything more than a grade school education.

~TEC

The Myth Of Hatless Jack

2011-11-04T05:00:00.002-05:00

I've written a few posts now about hats, including a series about Freemasons and their hats. I love hats, and I always have. Perhaps it is my love of old black & white movies, or perhaps I was born too late. I've always wondered why men stopped wearing hats, so I did a little research about it.

It would have been unthinkable until the late 1950s early 1960s to leave the house without a hat. It was part of a gentleman's wardrobe, and deeply ingrained in the American psyche. That was back when men were men. But in the 60s, that tradition for the most part, faded away. And it's all John F. Kennedy's fault. He didn't like hats, and rarely wore one. In fact, he was the first President who didn't wear a hat to his inauguration. He set a new trend--the heyday of the fedora was over.

The only problem with that story is that it isn't completely accurate. It's true Kennedy didn't like hats, but he did wear a hat to his inauguration. He didn't wear it when he gave his speech, however, as far as anybody knows, no President ever did wear his hat during their inaugural speech--including Lincoln. That would have been considered very disrepectful.

And the other part of the story is that hat sales had been in decline for more than a decade before Kennedy took office. What most likely killed the hat was technology. A hundred years ago, men spent much more time exposed to the elements. He wore a felt hat in the winter to keep himself warm and dry, and a straw hat in the summer to keep shelter himself from the heat and keep the sun out of his eyes. A man's hat wasn't a fashion statement--it was a necessity. The more advanced our technology became, the less we needed that protection. Many Americans today are rarely exposed to the elements for any length of time--maybe a quick walk from your heated car to the entrance of the grocery store.

However, the hat isn't dead yet. More and more men are rediscovering those classic styles, and are beginning to appreciate again the artistry and workmanship that goes into a truly great hat. Slowly but surely, hats are making a come back--and I'm not talking about those ridiculous Alpaca knit hats or baseball caps. I'm talking about fedoras, and Hombergs, and Panamas. And there are good reasons why American men are going back to brimmed hats--protection from UV radiation. We've finally figured out that sunlight isn't always such a good thing and maybe wearing a hat that covers our ears and our neck is a good idea.

And if you're looking for a hat, many of the best hat makers are still in business today, and producing hats the same way, and to the same exacting standards they always have--names like Stetson, Borsalino, and Bailey. There isn't a hat store on every corner anymore, but there are a lot of places you can order quality hats online. I buy only from one outstanding company--Delmonico Hatter. They are a family business that has been around since 1908, and their selection and service are absolutely outstanding.

So get out there and hat up!

~TEC

Here We Go Again: More Famous Freemason Trivia!

2011-11-03T05:00:00.002-05:00

Clark Gable as Rhett Butler

-Long before he was Hollywood’s leading man, Clark Gable worked a number of odd jobs. He worked in a tire factory, he sold men’s ties in a department store, worked at a newspaper, and as a telephone linesman just to name just a few. He once said that at the time Margaret Mitchell was writing Gone with the Wind, and inventing the character Rhett Butler, he was working for four dollars a day as a common laborer in Oklahoma. That's a long way from Hollywood.

Red Skelton, 33°

-Red Skelton grew up in poverty. By the time he was twelve, he’d already worked a number of jobs, beginning when he was seven years old. He was a newspaper boy, he wracked balls at a local pool hall, in a bordello as a “towel boy,” and for “Doc Lewis” a traveling medicine man where he not only made the miracle medicine, but handed out the bottles to those foolish enough to buy them. He was discovered selling papers outside a theatre by another famous Freemason—vaudeville comedian and later movie and television actor Ed Wynn.

Ernest Borgnine, 33°

-In October 1950, Ernest Borgnine was about to give up on his dream of being an actor—he was too plain-looking, and jobs were few and far between. At best, he might get occasional roles as a cab driver, or a milkman. He was beginning to be more realistic about his future. Contemplating a career as a tugboat captain on the Hudson River, he would never have believed that within five years of that moment, he’d be standing before the Academy in a crowded auditorium—receiving the best-actor Oscar. In his nineties now and more than 200 film roles later--he's still at it. Go Ernie!

Will Rogers

-In one of Will Roger’s movies State Fair he worked with a former state fair grand champion boar, Blue Boy, who was massive in size, had large tusks, and a foul disposition. He nearly gave the director of the film, Henry King, a heart attack, when one day he found his missing actor asleep in the pen with Blue Boy, his head resting on the animal. “I’ve always been on friendly terms with hogs,” he said. He got a good laugh, and after the film, the director gave him the animal to eat. Will Rogers didn’t feel right about “eating a fellow actor” so he donated Blue Boy to an agricultural college, where the hog lived out the remainder of his life. Very typical behavior for Will Rogers.

~TEC

You'll find many more great stories and facts about famous Freemasons in my book series Famous American Freemasons. This seems to be a popular topic, so if you have some interesting trivia or stories about famous Freemasons you think I could use for future installments, please email them to me at webmaster@toddcreason.org and I just might use them. If you want a few more fun trivia facts, just click on the trivia link in the Favorite Topics cloud in the right column on my blog, and you'll see them all.

What Is the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry?

2011-11-02T05:00:00.066-05:00

Home of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville (IL)

This time of year, many of the Scottish Rite Valleys in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction are holding their Fall Reunions. In fact this weekend is my valley's reunion, the Valley of Danville (IL). I get this question every once in awhile, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to try and answer it.

Once a man becomes a Master Mason in his local lodge, or Blue Lodge, he has received the highest degree in Freemasonry--the 3°. However, that doesn't necessarily mean he's done. If he wants to, he can decide to continue learning more about the principles of Freemasonry by joining one of appendant bodies of Freemasonry where he can receive additional degrees--additional degrees, not higher degrees. As I said, there is no degree higher than that of Master Mason. The York Rite is one of these appendant bodies (and I'll talk about them another time), and the Scottish Rite is another.

Officers of Danville's Lodge of Perfection

The Scottish Rite offers twenty-nine additional degrees--and no, you don't have to be from Scotland, or go to Scotland to receive them. If you're a Master Mason, you can do that a little closer to home.

The degrees are performed like stage plays and often include elaborate costumes, lights, sound, music, and special effects. The allegory in each of these degrees illustrates a particular principle, virtue or tenet meaningful to the Scottish Rite Mason. Every year (in most places twice a year) a Scottish Rite Valley meets in what they call a reunion. That's the place where Scottish Rite Masons come together to socialize, and to put on degrees for new members who have petitioned to join the Scottish Rite. Another purpose of a reunion is to continue the tradition of the Scottish Rite by conferring the 32° on another group of worthy Master Masons.

Lunch at the Valley of Danville Reunion

Reunions are a fun time for Scottish Rite Masons. It gives us a chance to visit with friends we may only see twice a year at reunions. For those that enjoy participating in the portrayal of the degrees it's also a great deal of fun. There are a lot of ways to participate--some like acting in the degrees and learning parts. Some help with lighting and sound, makeup, costumes, or helping to direct the degrees. If the only thing you know how to do is read, they'll give you a script and have you prompting the actors. It doesn't matter what you're good at or what you enjoy doing, the Scottish Rite Valleys have a real knack for putting it to use. And as I and many others have learned, the Scottish Rite also has a way of bringing out talents we might not have known we had.

But the Scottish Rite is more than just about reunions, degrees, and socializing--the Scottish Rite's goals, like with all the bodies of Freemasonry, is to make good men better, and the world a better place. And at the Valley of Danville, we've been doing that for 107 years.

~TEC

If your interested in learning more about Freemasonry, there isn't a better place to begin than with the book Freemasons for Dummies by the Illustrious Christopher Hodapp, 33°. I had a chance to meet him a few months ago in Chicago, and told him how much I've enjoyed his books--he's written several, and all of them are excellent. His Freemasons for Dummies book is a particularly good resource for those interested in learning more about Freemasonry, and it's a book I've often given to perspective members. You might also check out his blog Freemasons for Dummies.

Freemason Wisdom: Jesse Jackson On Action

2011-11-01T05:00:00.033-05:00

"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it."

~Reverend Jesse Jackson

Harmony Lodge No. 88 PHA

Chicago, IL

Someday I'm going to do something meaningful with my life. Someday I'm going to lose weight. Someday I'm going to get more involved in the community. Someday I'm going write a novel. Someday I'm going to . . .

Hey, you know what? Someday, you're going to be dead, and you'll have missed your chance. If it means that much to you why haven't you started yet?

You know why?Because you either have no intention of actually accomplishing that goal, or you haven't started because you don't believe you can actually accomplish it. As Henry Ford pointed out, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." Your inactivity has doomed you to failure.

The difference between a dreamer and a doer is action. The dreamer has a lot of excuses about why they haven't done anything, and the doer has a lot of reasons why they had to. There is a sense of urgency with doers. They don't sit around thinking about it, they do it. Doers are motivated by the knowledge that they will be successful one way or another. They believe they can not fail, and that belief frees them to act upon those goals.

But dreaming is important. Many doers start with a dream, but that dream means nothing until it is acted upon. Jesse's right--it's just a bunch of hot air until you conceive it, believe it, and achieve it.

~TEC

Ronald Reagan: Freemason Or Not?

2011-10-31T05:00:00.018-05:00

"Going to college offered me the chance to play

football for four more years."

~Ronald Reagan

Over Ronald Reagan's long career as both an actor and a politician, he had been involved with events and charitable causes supported by Freemasonry and the Shriners. He is often listed as a Freemason, or a member of the Shrine. Now Freemasons thought a great deal of Ronald Reagan without question, but President Reagan was never a Freemason himself.

Now here's where people get confused. On February 11, 1988, the Grand Master of Washington, D.C. presented President Reagan with a "Certificate of Honor" which said that President Reagan's life was a testament to his firm belief in brotherly love, relief, and truth, and his service to the public has broadened the applications of temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice to the benefit of all mankind. But the certificate was given to Reagan to acknowledge his life's work--he was not made a Mason by the Grand Master of Washington, D.C.

Freemasons present Reagan with certificate in Oval Office in 1988

A little later, both the Scottish Rite and Shriners followed suit and honored Reagan for his contributions. The two Scottish Rite Grand Commanders (Northern Jurisdiction and Southern Jurisdiction) jointly gave President Reagan a Scottish Rite Certificate, and the Imperial Potentate gave him a Shrine certificate giving him "honorary membership" in both organizations--but again, he was not made a Mason.

Great American? Yes. Freemason? Unfortunately, no.

~TEC

Tilley Hats: Something Even I Can't Tear Up

2011-10-29T05:00:00.002-05:00

Before and After--I've aged more than the Tilley has . . .

Some months ago I bought a new hat for summer--I bought a Tilley Endurables TH4. I bought it on the recommendation of my friend and Brother Master Mason, Terry Tillis (a true "hat guy"). He didn't recommend the hat I finally selected, he just recommended the hat company. I wrote about it at the time here.

There was a lot to like about that hat as soon as I took it out of the box. It had a really nice wide brim (and for us guys with big noses, that's always a plus). Another thing I like right out of the box was the angle of the brim in back. It's one of the few brimmed hats I own that I can drive in comfortably--I'm not always knocking it off with the head rest. And while it looked heavy and stiff at first, the hemp fabric was actually very light and extremely comfortable the first time I wore it--and the more I've worn it and washed it, the softer it's gotten. There was no "breaking-in" period like with most hats.

Idiot swimming in the Tilley hat? That me!

So early on, I knew I was going to like this hat. But there was part of that story I wasn't completely buying--the idea that this hat I'd purchased was virtually indestructible. There was even a story that one had been digested by an elephant (twice!) and had been recovered. I'd have to admit, I took that as a challenge. I was looking forward to sending that hat back to Tilley in a very short number of months for a replacement (they have a lifetime guarantee). So that's what I set out at the beginning of the summer to do--to destroy that hat as quickly as possible.

Me and the Tilley at Festival #3

I've put that poor hat through hell over the last few months. I've fished wearing it. I've done yard work wearing it. It's been on my head when I've gone swimming in the family pond--I even wore it into a swimming pool (there was a little alcohol involved that time). Oh yeah, that reminds me, it's beer proof also--I believe I'm the first one to mention that as a selling point. That hat has even survived a half dozen fall festivals, long walks, windy days, and a brief exposure to a campfire (I should have been wearing the chin strap that breezy afternoon). It's also been harshly washed a number of times. It's been exposed to a lot: dirt, mud, sweat, pond water, wood smoke, ash, grass clippings, worm guts, chicken blood, chlorine, stink bait, gasoline, BBQ sauce. You name it. I even got white spray paint mist all over it, and had to use hot water, dish detergent, and a stiff brush to get it off. I've indeed been unnecessarily cruel to that hat, and I feel bad for what I've done.

Can you guess, in the end, who finally won that contest? The Tilley hat did.

Despite the horrible treatment I've given it, it looks nearly as good as it did when I took it out of the box--but it's even better now. Every time I've washed it, it gets softer and even more comfortable. It's been years since anyone had to remind me to remove my hat, but this one has gotten so comfortable I forget I'm wearing it. I don't think I've ever owned a hat I enjoy wearing more--whether I'm mowing the yard or going to the grocery store. I don't think I've worn a baseball cap all summer. In the beginning I wore it with the purpose of tearing it apart, but it wasn't long before I was wearing it because it's comfortable, and I love it! What a great hat!

He's not as handsome as me,
but it gives you an idea...

But the Tilley TH4 has one drawback. It is a little casual for wearing to work in an office, and probably isn't the best choice for winter--so guess what I did today? Yeah, I'm sold. I ordered another one. The Tilley winter hat--toasty warm for winter and stylish enough for work. I'm going to try to be kinder to this hat. It's predecessor pretty much proved the Tilley reputation for endurance is well-earned. Sure, they're a little more of an investment than a baseball cap, but it very well might be the last hat you ever have to buy.

So check out the Tilley website--they offer an amazing range of styles and fabrics. It's good to know in a world that can't seem to make a pair of jeans that can survive a year of wear that there still exists at least one thing that is made to last.

~TEC

Great Read: Killing Lincoln

2011-10-28T05:00:00.032-05:00

This is a great read whether you enjoy history or not. In Killing Lincoln, Bill O'Reilly has reconstructed the last two weeks of Lincoln's life. It reads much like fiction, and in fact, much like good fiction it's difficult to put down. We see the world of 1865 from several perspectives--Abraham Lincoln's, John Wilkes Booth's, Ulysses S. Grant's, Robert E. Lee's. It was an interesting way to put it together, and it was very well done. But I will tell you, it was difficult to read at times, because we all know how it ends--with the tragic death of one of America's greatest Presidents.

Now there isn't much new here for the history aficionado, but for the armchair history buff, there is no question you'll learn a thing or two as you're enjoying this story. I wish more books were written like this one--history needs a vehicle in which to get out of the college classroom and into the mainstream again. It's shocking how little the average American knows today about their history.

But if you read this, at least you'll know a little something about Abraham Lincoln, and the final days of the American Civil War.

ABOUT BILL O'REILLY

Bill O'Reilly is arguably the best known, most written about, and most discussed news personality on television. "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel is certainly the most watched by a wide margin, and is seen in more than thirty countries. He's also the best-selling author of several books.

~TEC

Trivia: A Few More Fun Facts About Famous Freemasons

2011-10-27T05:00:00.001-05:00

Everyone seemed to enjoy the last trivia post, so here's a few more fun facts about famous Freemasons.

Burl Ives

-Burl Ives was once jailed in Utah for vagrancy, and for singing a lewd song while entertaining a group on a public street with his banjo. He later recorded the song "Foggy Foggy Dew" and it became one of his most popular songs.

Douglas MacArthur

-Douglas MacArthur's mother was known to be somewhat overprotective of him. When he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1898, his mother accompanied him. She stayed in a hotel so close to her son that she could check on him with her telescope to make sure he was studying in his room as he should be.

Roy Rogers

-During the depression, Roy Rogers (then Leonard Slyes) and his father found themselves among the economic refugees who traveled from job to job, picking fruit and living in worker campsites--some of the the same campsites John Steinbeck described in his famous novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Harry Houdini

-As a boy, Harry Houdini had a natural aptitude for locks. He used to unlock and relock all the cabinets in his family's home with a buttonhook. In fact, he was later somewhat notorious as the little boy who had unlocked all doors of the shops in his hometown one evening.

Colonel Harlan Sanders

-Before he became famous for his eleven herbs and spices, Colonel Sanders had worked as a soldier, a streetcar conductor, a lawyer, and a gas station owner. He learned to cook at a young age out of necessity. He took care of his brothers and sisters while his mother worked in a canning factory.

If you enjoyed these, there are a few more here. And of course these and many more stories and interesting facts about famous Freemasons can be found in my Famous American Freemasons series.

~TEC

Walt Disney: Freemason Or Not?

2011-10-26T05:00:00.008-05:00

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

~Walt Disney

He was a great man, a great animator, he loved children, and he had an imagination that knew few limits. He often been cited as a Freemason, in fact, often he's listed as a 33rd Degree. I've read a lot about Walt Disney, and he was widely admired and respected. He's many things to many people, but one thing he was not, was a Freemason.

Now part of what may have cause the confusion is that during the 1950s, Disneyland sponsored various clubs for its employees, including a knitting club, a shooting club, a skiing club, bowling and softball teams. There was also a Masonic club at Disney, presumably for the employees who were Freemasons.

However, even though Disney wasn't a Freemason, he did belong to Demolay as a boy, which is a fraternal organization sponsored by Masonry. While many Demolay do go on to become Freemasons, Walt Disney never joined a Masonic Lodge. Walt Disney was kind of a big deal in Demolay--he was only the 107th member to join the organization, and a member of the Mother Chapter. He was later inducted into Demolay's Legion of Honor, and the Hall of Fame. He was very fond of the Demolay organization, and spoke out favorably about it often. In fact, he made his creation, Mickey Mouse, a member of Demolay!

Without a doubt, Walt Disney's contributions has changed the world in many wonderful ways. He's brought happiness, wonder, and imagination to millions throughout the world. He was never afraid to push the boundaries, to try something new, and to find new ways to entertain his guests both in the theater, and in his famous park.

It's really too bad Walt Disney wasn't a Freemason--I'd have loved to profile him in one of my books.

~TEC

Rolling Rock Beer: Elixir Of Illustrious Freemasons?

2011-10-25T05:00:00.026-05:00

There has always been speculation that there is some connection between Latrobe's Rolling Rock Beer and the Freemasons--I mean, it's obvious, there's a '33' right on the bottle! And the 33rd degree is the highest degree that can be attained by Freemasons. Is it possible the Latrobe's were Freemasons?

It's one of those great beer controversies--where did the '33' come from? Everyone seems to have a theory, and nobody has the definitive answer.

And there are many theories:

-One common theory is that it was to celebrate the repeal of prohibition in 1933. That was an important year for brewers and beer drinkers alike!

-Another legend is that the Rolling Rock brewery was started with money won at the horse track. The winning bet was placed on #33, "Old Latrobe," and that is why there is a horse and the '33' on the bottle.

-Another has it that brewers in those early days belonged to the local union #33.

-Another claims the reservoir the brewery got its water from was fed by 33 streams.

And the theories go on and on and on . . .

Sadly, the most likely version is the least exciting. It may have simply been a printers mistake in the beginning. This version of the story comes from a very reliable source--the former CEO of the company. He was also very interested in where that '33' had come from--his name was James Tito. What he discovered is actually very simple.

The slogan on the back of the bottle read originally:

"Rolling Rock – From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe, we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you."

That's 33 words. There were a number of different versions of those slogan in the beginning, but the Latrobe family finally settled on the shortest one--the one that ran only 33 words. Somebody noted that in the margin, and when it went to the printers, the printers didn't realize that the 33 wasn't part of the text and included it. The mistake wasn't discovered until a large batch of bottles had been produced, and back in those days, the labels were painted right onto the bottles, and those bottles were reused, which explains why the mistake wasn't immediately corrected

And just maybe it wasn't corrected later because of the stir it had created when those bottles reached the public. Everyone talking about and debating what that '33' meant and speculating about where it had come from. Perhaps Latrobe saw that controversy as a good thing. Here it is more than seventy years later, and people are still talking about it. I guess you'd call that 'beer buzz'.

So it's unlikely Rolling Rock has anything to do with the Freemasons. Not to propagate a myth, but I can tell you, I do have it on good authority that at least one 33rd Degree Mason approves of the product. It's not his favorite by any means, but he finds it crisp and refreshing with a easy-to-drink flavor.

~TEC

Odd History Trivia: Stonewall Jackson's Arm

2011-10-24T05:00:00.015-05:00

"Duty is ours; consequences are God's."

~Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863) lost his arm in a battle at Chancellorsville, when Jackson and his staff were returning to camp and were mistaken for a Union Calvary division. Jackson's chaplain, conducted a funeral for his arm, with full military honors, and buried it where it remains today. But Jackson's wound ultimately proved fatal, and he died several days later and was buried in Lexington, Virginia--more than a hundred miles from his arm.

As one of the most successful and popular Confederate generals, his death was a serious setback for the Confederacy, not only from the standpoint of its military ability, but it also deeply affected the morale of the Rebel Army and supporters of the southern cause.

It is likely Stonewall Jackson was a Freemason based on correspondence, actions and eyewitness reports. It has long been speculated that he may have been a member of a traveling military Lodge, but no records exist to confirm the fact. It's unlikley we'll ever know for sure.

~TEC

Thomas Jefferson: Freemason or Not?

2011-10-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

"I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another."

~Thomas Jefferson

The question of whether or not Thomas Jefferson was a Mason has been argued for two hundred years. Most Masonic scholars take the position that he was not a Mason because there is no contemporary evidence that he ever belonged to a lodge of Freemasons. Most of the claims of his membership are based on his close associations with so many other Masons: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, James Monroe, Lewis Meriwether, William Clark, and Voltaire.

However, there is some evidence that indicates he may have been a Mason and that he attended Masonic meetings. Dr. Joseph Guillotin reported that he attended meetings at the prestigious Lodge of Nine Muses in Paris, France—the same lodge attended by Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, and John Paul Jones. He marched in a Masonic procession with Widow’s Son Lodge No. 60 and Charlottesville Lodge No. 90 on October 6, 1817, and participated in laying the cornerstone for Central College (now known as the University of Virginia.) In 1801, twenty-five years prior to his death, a lodge was chartered in Surry Court House, Virginia—it was named Jefferson Lodge No. 65. And most notably, upon his death on July 4, 1826, both the Grand Lodge of South Carolina and the Grand Lodge of Louisiana held Masonic funeral rites and processions for him.

I've had the opportunity over the last few years to ask a few well-respected Masonic scholars about Thomas Jefferson, and every time, they fall back on that same line "there is no contemporary evidence that Thomas Jefferson was a Mason." But at least one I spoke to, when I asked him what he thought, admitted he believed Thomas Jefferson was a Mason.

I caught some flack for it, and I knew I would, but I decided to include him in my second book Famous American Freemasons: Volume II because my books are not just about famous Freemasons; they are also about the larger story of American history. And no story of America would be complete without including the contributions of Thomas Jefferson.

If he wasn’t a Mason, he clearly possessed all the prerequisites for membership, and his beliefs, his philosophies, and his great skill in architecture were certainly indicative of Masonic affiliation. But he took the answer to that question to his grave--a big obelisk he designed himself. Odd, huh?

Was he a Mason, or not? I’ll leave the question for you to decide.

~TEC