The Midnight Freemasons: Devastating Destruction and Faith, Hope and Charity

Devastating Destruction and Faith, Hope and Charity

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor
Gregory J. Knott 33°

The recent tornadoes on December 10, 2021 that ripped across Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois left in their path a horrific trail of destruction. As of this writing, over 75 lives are known to have been lost across the multi-state area. Many think this may be one of the strongest tornadoes that has been recorded in the modern history of data tracking by the National Weather Service.

Hit particularly hard was Mayfield, Kentucky. Mayfield is a small town of about 10,000 people in far western Kentucky. The tornado came at night with total darkness, which made visibility nearly impossible to easily see what was happening. Mayfield took a direct hit and it devastated much of the town. The Graves County courthouse was completely destroyed as was much of the downtown area and an untold number of homes.

I listened to a press conference where Mayfield Mayor Kathy Stewart spoke about the devastation that had occurred, yet how so many people were stepping in to lend a hand in helping one another begin to recover from this tragedy. Mayor Stewart described an American flag that she found in the rubble in the Mayfield Fire Station, as two first responders looked on.

“And I went over to them and handed it to them and immediately those two men began to fold it with the most respect,” said O’Nan. “They had been up all night; they were tired, they were dirty, and they began to fold it as gently and as beautifully as I had ever seen.”

Mayor Stewart said that the folded flag will have a place of respect and represent those who served others out of that former fire station. In many ways that flag represents the faith, hope, and charity of the community as it begins to recover.

As the holiday season is upon us, I hope and pray for the recovery of these victims and ask the Grand Architect to provide comfort to the families that have lost loved ones, friends, homes, and more.

If you wish to contribute to the relief of those in need, there is a donation button on the Grand Lodge of Kentucky Webpage under the disaster relief section on the main page: https://grandlodgeofkentucky.org/.

The USA Today had the following list of links where you can give:

Donate to relief funds

Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

Gov. Andy Beshear has established a fund to assist tornado victims and begin rebuilding. Donate at secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief or by sending a check to Public Protection Cabinet, 500 Mero St., 218 NC, Frankfort, KY 40601.

American Red Cross

Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text REDCROSS to 90999.

Aspire Appalachia

Send donations to paypal@aspireappalachia.org or PO Box 1255, Jackson, KY 41339.

CARE

The nonprofit based in Atlanta is partnering with Louisville's Change Today, Change Tomorrow to distribute food, water and cash vouchers to affected families. Donate to the tornado relief fund here.

Global Empowerment Mission

The disaster relief nonprofit based in Miami is sending trucks of supplies to western Kentucky, in partnership with Racing Louisville and Louisville City Football Club. Donate funds at globalempowermentmission.org/mission/kentucky-tornadoes/.

Global Giving

The D.C.-based nonprofit has established a Midwest US Tornado Relief Fund at globalgiving.org/projects/midwest-tornado-relief-fund/.

Kentucky Counseling Center

The organization is collecting donations that counselors and social workers in Graves County will distribute to affected families. Donate at kentuckycounselingcenter.com/mayfield-fund/.

Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has established a GoFundMe page collecting donations at gofundme.com/f/ukcom-student-effort-for-tornado-relief-in-ky.

Kentucky Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters

Visit kentuckyvoad.org/.

Mayfield Graves County Tornado Relief

Mayfield-Graves County United Way has set up a GoFundMe to collect donations at gofundme.com/f/mayfield-graves-county-tornado-relief. Find other verified fundraisers at gofundme.com/c/act/tornado-outbreak-fundraisers.

Marshall County Fund

The Marshall County Nonprofit Foundation has established a Venmo account to take funds at @MCNPF.

Mercy Chefs

The nonprofit that serves meals following natural disasters has set up at His House Ministries, 1250 KY-303, Mayfield, Kentucky, and will distribute food over the next few days. Donate funds at https://mercychefs.com/donation.

Relevant Church

The church in Mayfield, Kentucky, is taking donations for a tornado relief fund at wearerelevant.churchcenter.com/giving/to/mayfield-tornado-relief.

Rise and Shine

The mutual aid group in Bowling Green is taking donations through Venmo at @riseandshinebgky.

Salvation Army

Visit helpsalvationarmy.org and donate to the Salvation Army Western KY Disaster Relief Fundraiser on Facebook.

United Way of Kentucky

The agency has set up a donation site specifically for tornado victims. Visit uwky.org/tornado.

Western KY Tornado Victims

Bremen resident Courtney Cozee has established a GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/western-ky-tornado-vitamins.

Western Kentucky Red Cross Disaster Relief Fundraiser

Find the online fundraiser on Facebook.

~GJK

Gregory J. Knott, 33° is a founding member and Senior Contributor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (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. He is a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D., and serves as its Secretary. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters.

1 comment:

JesseDecember 30, 2021 at 6:07 PM
We have a Masonic organization that handles disaster relief in the United States. It's the Masonic Service Association of North America and this is a central part of who they are but I often do not hear about when Lodges or a states Grand Lodge need help.
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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

Gregory J. Knott, 33°

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.

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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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Devastating Destruction and Faith, Hope and Charity

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