The Midnight Freemasons: This Old Ring

This Old Ring

by Midnight Freemason Emeritus

Bro Aaron R. Gardner 32˚

As of December, I haven’t been wearing my ring. I have felt naked without it. Why is it that a ring can weigh so much, not only on one’s finger, but on their heart as well? Does the ring possess a certain power over who I am as a man or as a Mason? Not likely. Instead, the ring has different meanings to different individuals who choose to wear it. Some opt to not wear one, which is perfectly ok, and others choose to wear one. I am one of the latter up until recently.

As I said, I have felt naked without my ring since December. I took it off because my fiancé wanted to exchange it for a bracelet which she bought for me for Christmas. It was a great gesture and I appreciate what she did. I love the bracelet and I love how it feels on my wrist. It is one of the greatest gifts she could have gotten me. It is from Masonic Man. She understands that I am a freemason and that I love being a freemason--I love the conversation that my ring brings about freemasonry, which she was hoping would happen with the bracelet. Secretly, I was hoping it would to.

The truth is, the ring is old. It is missing diamonds, the color is fading, and the band is bent. Any logical person would surely retire such jewelry as it is not worth much of anything other than costume jewelry. The ring even turns my finger green after some time of wearing it. So why is it so hard to part with?

Katie may never truly understand, but when I asked her for it back, I tried to explain to her the significance of the ring. I failed miserably, as I am better at writing out my thoughts than I am at speaking them—especially on the fly. The ring doesn’t hold any special power, other than the power that I assign or attribute to it. It’s just an old ring that my great grandmother gave me to replace the other ring I broke.

Yes, that’s right… I broke my previous ring. I have a tendency to break rings and they don’t rest well on my fingers. I attribute that to hard work and working with my hands. Since my time as a freemason, this is my third ring that has become bent over time; the previous two rings broke clean off my hand. The first one while I was stationed in Oklahoma, and the second one while I was on deployment in the United Arab Emirates. These rings have seen their fair share of toil and work. Katie, doesn’t understand why I feel the need to wear a ring other than a wedding band once she and I get married. She feels that wearing another ring is kind of gaudy.

Since it doesn’t hold any kind of power, I should easily be able to retire the ring and be accepting of the bracelet. It is essentially the same thing, right? Wrong. Fact is, the bracelet is hardly ever seen. Is jewelry meant for me or is it meant for someone else? Well, that depends on the person and the purpose of why they are wearing it. To me, I wear the ring to show not only to myself, but to others that I am a freemason. It holds a special power that I attributed to it of being connected in a world that many have no clue about. It opens doors to talk about the things I love. With the bracelet being hidden under long sleeves or a sports jacket, it is difficult to open that conversation with a simple hand shake.

It’s the key to opening the door for a lot of people. Our fraternity is looking to find more ways to discuss freemasonry with others and to get young men interested. The ring is the key. When a young man shakes the hand of a Mason who is wearing a ring, it brings up questions of where the Mason got the ring, what Freemasonry is, and the best question that is usually asked… How can one become a freemason?

Sure, the ring is old and beaten up, but it just shows how much work has gone into being a Freemason. It is a constant reminder that I am a rough ashlar working to become perfect. If I had a ring that was untarnished and didn’t see the dirt of the world, am I really doing the Craft a favor? Am I doing myself a favor? I want it to be a constant reminder that I am always working on myself, helping others, and Freemasonry to be better for the world around us. So until the day that I am perfect, or even better the day that I can actually afford a nicer ring that shines more than the light that shines in my heart for freemasonry, I will keep my ring and wear it proudly. If the day comes that the ring shines more than the light inside, then it is time to retire the ring altogether and walk away from the fraternity that I love and hold so dear to my heart.

So, for those who are worried about if their ring isn’t as nice as some others, do not fret. The light is within… the ring is only a symbolic light that gives you the permission to shine brightly, and shine brightly you will. For a Mason who cares more about his ring, is morally destitute and should reconsider what that ring really represents.

~ARG

Bro. Aaron Gardner - Emeritus Contributor

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WB Darin A. Lahners is our Managing Editor. He is a host and producer of the "Meet, Act and Part" podcast as well as a co-host of an all-things-paranormal podcast, "Beyond the 4th Veil." He is currently serving the Grand Lodge of Illinois Ancient Free and Accepted Masons as a member of the Committee on Masonic Education He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, Salt Fork Shrine Club under the Ansar Shrine, and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Prairieland College in Illinois. He is also a Fellow of the Illinois Lodge of Research. He was presented with the Torok Award from the Illinois Lodge of Research in 2021.

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RWB Johnson is an Emeritus managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry", “The Master’s Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self – Annotated Edition” and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way

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Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog, and an award-winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. Todd started the Midnight Freemason blog in 2006, and in 2012 he opened it up as a contributor blog The Midnight Freemasons (plural). Todd has written more than 1,000 pieces for the blog since it began. He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary. He is a Past Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research (FMLR). He is a charter member of Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is a Past EHP. You can contact him at webmaster@toddcreason.org

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Greg is a founding member and Senior Contributor of the Midnight Freemasons. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and Past Master and 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 Valley of Danville Scottish Rite, a charter member of Admiration Chapter No. 282, Eastern Star and GAO Grotto. He is also a President of the Salt Fork Shrine Club of ANSAR Shrine (IL), serves as Secretary of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Greg serves as 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.

Bro. Randy Sanders

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

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Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and Master of the Western New York Lodge of Research No.9007. Hew currently serves his district as Assistant Grand Lecturer. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org, he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Past High Priest in Royal Arch Masonry, Past Sovereign Prince of the Scottish Rite, and a Cryptic Mason. He and his wife are serving again as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considers himself a “Masonic Feminist”. As a masonic speaker throughout New York State, he primarily speaks regarding the use of technology in the Craft. Some of his numerous Empire State Mason articles have been republished in Arizona and New Jersey. To aid in his outreach on these topics, he authored “Webmastering the Craft: Fraternity in a Digital World”, available worldwide in softcover and eBook. He also regularly gives his "Astronomical Tour of the Lodge" at various Lodges. Having lifelong interests in world religions, science, and other fields, his degree is in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and a minor In Psychology. He has written articles and essays on the topics of science and religion, culture and politics, business and economics, technology and futurism, as well as various aspects of social psychology. Usually, with interdisciplinary contexts, many of these focus on the ideals of intellectual honesty and tolerance in all forms. Having edited and contributed to Books of Transactions as a member of the Western New York Lodge of Research, he is writing a book on Masonic research bodies. Slowly transitioning to writing and publishing, he continues working on his primary business, Kentropolis Web Development, and Design. He works from home, living in Buffalo, New York with his wife and numerous pets. In addition to various community service projects, he is also an independent interfaith minister with hospital chaplain credentials which aid him in visiting Brethren at health facilities. He also enjoys carpentry, martial arts, and beekeeping.

Patrick Dey

Patrick M. Dey is a Past Master of Nevada Lodge No. 4 in the ghost town of Nevadaville, Colorado, and currently serves as their Secretary, and is also a Past Master of Research Lodge of Colorado. He is a Past High Priest of Keystone Chapter No. 8, Past Illustrious Master of Hiram Council No. 7, Past Commander of Flatirons Commandery No. 7. He currently serves as the Exponent (Suffragan) of Colorado College, SRICF of which he is VIII Grade (Magister). He is the Editor of the Rocky Mountain Mason magazine, serves on the Board of Directors of the Grand Lodge of Colorado’s Library and Museum Association, and is the Deputy Grand Bartender of the Grand Lodge of Colorado (an ad hoc, joke position he is very proud to hold). He holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Colorado, Denver, and works in the field of architecture in Denver, where he resides with wife and son.

Phillip Welshans

Phillip Welshans is Senior Warden of Palestine Lodge #189 in Catonsville, MD under the Grand Lodge of Maryland A.F. & A.M. He is also a member of the Maryland Masonic Lodge of Research #239, and the Hiram Guild of the Maryland Masonic Academy. As a member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, S.J. in the Valley of Baltimore, he has completed the Master Craftsman programs and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society. His interests are primarily in Masonic education, particularly the history of the Craft, esotericism, and the philosophy of Masonry.

Erik M. Geehern

Bro. Erik M. Geehern is currently Master of Goshen Masonic Lodge #365 in Goshen, NY under the Grand Lodge of New York. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in October of 2019 and since then has served in various progressive chairs along the road to the east. He writes and curates a newsletter for his Lodge quarterly which disseminates education, history, and esoterics. He is also a member of the Grand College of Rites, the American Lodge of Research and the Kansas Lodge of Research. He works in restaurant operations; consulting, and when not engaged in his usual vocation, or laboring in the Craft, he loves spending time with his wife and two children.

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This Old Ring

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