The Dreaded Announcements

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters.

Inner Temple

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RWB Michale H. Shirley

I’m a Certified Lodge Instructor, and I aspire to become a Grand Lecturer, so it’s fairly safe to say that Masonic ritual appeals to me a little bit. I love to give lectures, I love to learn new ones, and I love to teach it. But I try very hard to remember that knowing ritual is not what Masonry is about.

Most Worshipful Brother Terry L. Seward once said to me, “everything there is to know about Masonry is contained in our ritual.” He was, of course, right, and I’ve never known a man who loved our ritual more than MWB Seward. But it’s not his mastery of ritual that makes him a man whom I aspire to emulate. It’s the joy with which he embraces life, a joy that radiates out from him in every direction, that I admire.  It’s the light that shines in his inner temple. He would likely argue that knowing ritual has enabled him to make the choices that keep that light shining, and he’d be right.

In 1882, Illinois Grand Master William H. Scott, in his address to the Grand Lodge, had this to say about ritual:

Brethren, perfection in the work and lectures is a consummation earnestly to be hoped for. Yet if this is to be attained at the sacrifice of the great moral principles which Masonry teaches, they are purchased at too great a cost. We should never lose sight of these important lessons, nor forget that our ritual, beautiful as it is, and as desirable as it may be to have a correct knowledge of it, is only the scaffolding by the aid of which we are " to erect the inner temple of our lives."

Masonry is not all ''forms and ceremonies.'' A man may be an excellent ritualist, what some call "bright Mason," and at the same time a very bad Mason. It is well to be able to work well in the lodge, but it is far better to practice the Masonic virtues at all times, in the home, at our places of business, and before the world.

Ritual as scaffolding that helps us erect the inner temple of our lives is a metaphor that needs more attention. It’s easy to focus too much on ritual when you’re trying to put on a degree, and the temptation to start correcting people when they don’t know their parts is always there. But ritual is not Masonry.  It’s the path to Masonry.

Memorizing ritual enables me to carry it with me wherever I go, to meditate on its meaning, and to try to practice what it teaches. I don’t have to look it up. The more ritual I know, the more often I’ll be reminded of it by the events of my daily life and the choices they present to me. The more ritual I know, the more I’ll be able to apply it purposefully. It is knowing ritual, which means not just memorizing it but contemplating it, that gives me the chance to gain further light, and pushes me to choose to practice our true Masonic virtues. I find that when I neglect the ritual I slide back toward careless behavior in dealing with my fellow creatures. Neglecting the ritual makes it easier for me to act un-Masonically.

So I continue to work, however haltingly, to memorizing all the Work. Yes, I want the sense of accomplishment that comes with learning. Yes, I want to be able to assist in degrees. Yes, I want to earn the title of “Grand Lecturer.” But more than all of that, I want to be a Mason. As far as I’m concerned, there is no greater goal to which I can aspire.

~MHS

R.W.B. Michael H. Shirley serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois, A.F. & A.M, as Leadership Development Chairman and Assistant Area Deputy Grand Master of the Eastern Area. A Certified Lodge Instructor, he is a Past Master and Life Member of Tuscola Lodge No. 332 and a plural member of Island City Lodge No. 330, F & AM, in Minocqua, Wisconsin. He currently serves the Valley of Danville, AASR, as Most Wise Master of the George E. Burow Chapter of Rose Croix; he is also a member of the Illinois Lodge of Research, the York Rite, Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, Eastern Star, Illini High Twelve, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. The author of several articles on British history, he teaches at Eastern Illinois University.You can contact him at: m.h.shirley@gmail.com

Memento Mori – Remember (That You Have) To Die.

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Joshua Huckabee

Last week, a great man and Mason was laid to rest. I perform Masonic burial services in my area, as there are few of us who know the service these days in my neck of the woods. It is a great honor to do so, but funerals are never easy, and I always find myself solemnly reflecting upon Death. As Masons, we are confronted with symbols reminding us of the universal dominion of Death, and in the funeral service that I preform we are encouraged to “anticipate our approaching fate and be more strongly cemented in the ties of union and friendship; that, during the short space allotted to our present existence, we may wisely and usefully employ our time, and in the reciprocal intercourse of kind and friendly acts, mutually promote the welfare and happiness of each other.”

Death can be a great teacher in this sense. Masonry, particularly the Master Mason’s degree, is riddled with reminders of mortality. It is the great equalizer, and we must seize Life before Death seizes us, lest our lives be lived in vain. This is further impressed by the reading of Ecclesiastes 12 which begins with “Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not when thou shalt say ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” The take home message is obvious – Carpe diem; seize the day; live each day as your last – whatever your phase of preference is, but please, spare me the YOLO (You Only Live Once).

Many fear what happens to us after we pass through the final veil of darkness; however, I do not feel there is much to fear in Death itself. Many of the world’s major religions have some promise of an afterlife, and this provides comfort and hope for many people. I had a conversation recently, however, with someone who is secular and expressively afraid of what happens after death. Without a belief in an afterlife, one may feel fear of the unknown, or perhaps nihilistic. For those who do not believe in an afterlife, I have this to say: regardless of if you do not subscribe to the belief in an afterlife, we never truly die. We are all made of matter, and that matter existed long before we did. You may have heard “we are all made of stardust,” and this is true. Every natural element was once part of a star that exploded and sent that cosmic dust into the universe. For eons those particles have been recombining and transforming. Everything you eat and drink was once something else, and you, also, will one day provide life for another organism. In this sense, we never die – we only change forms. To me, this is a universal truth that transcends spirituality and secularism, and it is a beautiful cycle if you look at through the right set of eyes. Therefore, there is no reason to fear Death, but instead, be motivated to make the most of life. Like our ancient Grand Master, we may meet an untimely fate, but in the meantime, we can use our time here wisely, to help others.

I will leave you with a few quotes that merit reflection:

"Watch the stars in their courses as though you were accompanying them on their way, and reflect perpetually on how the elements are constantly changing from one to another; for the thought of these things purifies us from the defilement of our earthly existence."

~Marcus Aurelius Meditations

“Faith, Hope and Charity. The greatest of these is CHARITY: for our faith may be lost in sight; hope ends in fruition; but charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of eternity.”

~JH

Bro. Joshua Huckabee was raised in 2009 at Knob Creek #401 Temple, TX. He is currently JW of Knob Creek #401, SW of King Solomon #1427 (both Temple, TX). He is active in his Chapter, Council and Commandery. He is also a member of the Waco Scottish Rite Bodies.

Investigations

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RWB Michael H. Shirley

Jurisdictions may vary in the way they do this, but when a man petitions a lodge for degrees, that lodge is required to investigate him, in order to determine whether he is fit to be made a Mason. Some lodges conduct their investigations with due diligence. Others, to put it kindly, do not. I sometimes hear my Brethren lamenting this state of affairs, and harking back to the days when “they used to do it better.”

In 1910, Brother Albert W. Ashley, Most Worshipful Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Illinois, was moved to include a section on investigations in his report to the Grand Lodge. Entitled “Greater Care Needed,” it read as follows:

Information has come to me from various sources that in many lodges there is great carelessness in investigating the character of petitioners for the degrees. In the inordinate desire for a large membership unfit men are received. In localities where there is a shifting population this is particularly true.

In the oil region complaint is made that candidates have been accepted and the degrees conferred upon those who were mere transients and whose residence is in another state. Others were accepted and the degrees conferred upon who [sic] were morally unfit to he made Masons, and whose occupations violated the law of the state. Such violations of law must inevitably lead to disaster and discipline.

Attention is here called to this evil that Masters and others may take due notice and govern themselves accordingly.

Lax investigations, it seems, are not a new problem, which isn’t surprising. If history teaches us anything, it’s that human beings weren’t nobler in the past, or smarter, or harder working. They were subject to the same failures of character as we are. They just wore different clothes.

~MHS

R.W.B. Michael H. Shirley serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois, A.F. & A.M, as Leadership Development Chairman and Assistant Area Deputy Grand Master of the Eastern Area. A Certified Lodge Instructor, he is a Past Master and Life Member of Tuscola Lodge No. 332 and a plural member of Island City Lodge No. 330, F & AM, in Minocqua, Wisconsin. He currently serves the Valley of Danville, AASR, as Most Wise Master of the George E. Burow Chapter of Rose Croix; he is also a member of the Illinois Lodge of Research, the York Rite, Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, Eastern Star, Illini High Twelve, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. The author of several articles on British history, he teaches at Eastern Illinois University.You can contact him at: m.h.shirley@gmail.com

The Occult Lodge: Part Eight

The Electronic Lodge

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Bro. James E. Frey 32° KT, ROS

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six 

Part Seven

 

In this new century the occult lodge has struggled to remain relevant and re-establish itself. Similar to Masonry the occult lodges have found less and less individuals interested in applying themselves to the practical application of their teachings. Many will attest that for some Masonic lodges it is difficult to find interested prospective members, even more difficult to convince newer members to abandon their comfy couches with cable TV and high speed internet and become active in regular attendance at business meetings and degrees. It is even more difficult yet,  for occult lodges to find interested individuals to proceed through degrees and education materials and to become active in attending ceremonies and meditations. 

In this progressive materialist and secular society balanced by the polar opposite of often misguided fundamentalist evangelicalism, the students of the esoteric mysteries often have no outlet to connect with people of a similar mind. Many young men join the Masonic lodge hoping to find those who are occult minded, but often become discouraged with the planning of pancake breakfasts and the paying of the bills. With the occult in  mind,  with no where to turn, many have turned to the internet. Internet and mail order occult orders have become quite common, with a wide reach they can be a connection for those who are interested in occultism with no active groups in the area.
 

The Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosae Crucis, or AMORC, is one of these more popular orders. This washed down Rosicrucian system has claimed to be founded by Sir. Francis Bacon, but in actuality was formed in 1909 by Harvey Spencer Lewis. Lewis claimed to be initiated into a Rosicrucian Order in France in which he received permission to transport these teachings in an American order. AMORC tends to appreciate the Egyptian motif and has a fantastic foundation in alchemical symbolism in its system, but over the recent years it has become more New Age focused. Still though, AMORC has a plethora of information and education programing available to those who are interested, and for a beginner in esotericism they are an excellent starting point. But if Rosicrucianism isn’t quite your thing maybe Martinism is.

The Traditional Martinist order or the TMO is considered by many Martinist groups to be the bane of

Martinism due to their openness with Martinist teachings and the accessability to its programs. Martinist teachings focus on being an unknown superior and they value their discreteness due to its roots in French Gnosticism. But the TMO is open for all to apply, aiding you with teachings rooted in the works of St. Martin. They offer do it yourself mail order degrees that allow you to make Martinism your own experience. Even many Golden Dawn Groups will offer "astral initiations" on perspective members who are not in travel distance to an active temple.

Another education focused program one could peruse is the Builders Of The Adytum, or BOTA. Founded in 1922 by Freemason and occult writer Paul Foster Case, BOTA has been heavy influenced by both the Golden Dawn and Ancient Craft Masonry. BOTA is organized into regional study groups, which focus on the Outer Porch Work which contains a correspondence program which is rooted in the main aspects of the western mystery school Qabalah, Tarot, Alchemy, and Hermetics. But after completion of this first order the student is presented an option to continue into the second order or porch work. This second order is an initiatic school that uses the Tarot to as a basis for the aspirant to attain spiritual advancement.

Over the years the Occult Lodge has been largely reduced to online study and mail order programs that promise occult secrets but do not provide a community to support one’s practical application of this knowledge. But what can Masonry learn from the Occult Lodge? Are we doomed to the same fate? With online education programs and Scottish Rite degrees on DVD it is hard not to recognize that asonry is following this trend. What can be learned from the occult lodge is that we must also provide an esoterically minded mason with a community open to them using Masonic teaching and symbolism as a spiritual tool. Remember there is nothing stopping masonry from being an individual spiritual path, except the individual’s perception of its symbolism. So if you get an occult minded young man interested in masonry for its ‘mysteries’ embrace him like a brother. Chances are good his interest in the esoteric has made him feel shunned by society or church. This might be why he seeks out masonry, to find that spiritual truth he has not found in any other group. Allow him to make masonry into a system that promotes their own enlightenment. Young men like this need local lodges to fill this void because the Occult Lodge for the most part has faded into obscurity. But still somewhere they will always exist, in the dark corners of our mind, in the back of occult shops or deep in the woods there still are secret groups dedicated to spiritual awakening. Just as always, they have been hidden in plain sight. 

~JEF

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society