From the archives: George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

W. B. Gregory Knott

The third installment of Gregory Knott's Freedom Trail series.

Editor's note: Greg Knott wrote this roughly ten years ago, as it was first published on 11/21/12.  In searching for articles to place on the blog for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, given all that has transpired in our nation over the past ten years, I thought it might be appropriate to repost it, and ask you to contemplate the masonic values within it.   

Written by George Washington in 1789, this was the first official Presidential Proclamation made in the United States.  Shortly after the Thanksgiving Proclamation was written, it was lost for 130 years.  It was probably misplaced when the US Capitol moved from New York to Washington, D.C.  It now resides in the Library of Congress.  And it reads:

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

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), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He's a member of both the Scottish Rite, and the York Rite, and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club in Champaign-Urbana. He's also a member of the Ansar Shrine (IL). Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts--an Eagle Scout himself, he serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M. as their representative to the National Association of Masonic Scouters.

Billy Graham: Freemason Or Not?

"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

Ringling Brothers: The Six Lost Aprons - Revisit

I didn't write this.  This was sent to me, I thought it was interesting, and thought I'd share it.  The following article was adapted from a piece which appeared in the Baraboo News-Republic titled, "Yesteryear Revisited." The text and accompanying photographs were prepared and submitted by Brother Steve Emerson, a Baraboo Lodge Past Master.

Apron belonging to Alf T. Ringling

The night of January 21, 1891 in Baraboo, Wisconsin was a special night for many of the men of Baraboo, and it has a direct connection to a special happening, some 111 years later. The story includes six soon-to-be-famous brothers and involves the ceremonial regalia they wore on that special evening.

In those days the Baraboo Masonic Lodge No. 34, Free and Accepted Masons, still met, as did all other fraternal organizations, in rented upstairs halls in downtown.

The Lodge at this time, however, was strong enough that a building of their own was being considered. Members had arrived on horseback, by carriage or on foot, for the decisive evening, and the Temple was full.

Also, in Baraboo of that day, the spectacular seven-year rise to national prominence of the Ringling Brothers Circus had brought not only respect but also good fortune to many of the brothers. Their father, August, had been a struggling harness maker.

As is well known, there were seven Ringling boys, and young Henry had only recently become old enough for Masonic membership. It was most unusual for as many as six of the Ringling Brothers to be in town at the same time. It was especially unusual on this evening that the six brothers occupied many of the major chairs in the Lodge. All seven Ringling brothers, including John, were members of Baraboo Lodge, before the year was out, Father August Ringling would join his sons in the Masonic Order.

Special Aprons Made

On this particular night in 1891, with such famous brothers occupying the chairs, some very special aprons had been ordered as gifts. Made of the finest blue velvet instead of the plain white linen usually worn, each apron was embroidered with silver thread and tassels.

Central to the blue border was white lambskin, with the symbols of the office or chair being occupied embroidered thereupon. There is some speculation that the aprons were designed and produced by the Ringling Brother's Circus wardrobe department in Baraboo.

On the back of each apron is the name of the Ringling brother and the chair he occupied: Alf T., Worshipful Master; August, Senior Warden; Al., Junior Warden; Charles, Senior Steward; Henry, Junior Steward; and Otto, Tiler.

Religiously speaking, the Ringlings were members of St. John's Lutheran Church, but nearly every church in Baraboo was represented among the other brothers present that night.

Aprons Emerge

What happened over the years to the blue velvet and white lambskin aprons, with their silver embroidery, is of some interest.

It is known that Mrs. Ida (Henry) Ringling, not to be confused with Ida (Ringling) North, gave the aprons nearly 50 years ago to one Richard (Joe) Bennett, boyhood chum of Ida's grandson, Henry Ringling III. Henry III died in an auto accident near Baraboo in 1961, and Bennett had become a friend and frequent visitor to Ida, Henry's grandmother.

Among the gifts she gave to Joe were the aprons. It is presumed that they had been in the possession of Ida's husband, Henry Sr., and later with his wife Ida, since 1891.

Recently, an alert brother of Baraboo Lodge noted an apron listed for auction on E-bay.

Upon investigation, it was determined that not only was this an authentic original apron, but that all six were available!

Moreover, thanks to some caring people during the last 111 years, the aprons were in mint condition and were still kept in the original boxes. In some cases the original protective tissue paper was still present.

Significant financial outlays were promptly made by five Baraboo Masonic Brothers-Lee Hoppe, Merlin Zitzner, Dave Deppe, Skip Blake and Rick Lewison. Others have made contributions for preservation of the aprons. This made it possible for the aprons to be returned to Baraboo, and they are now in possession of the Lodge.

Plans for the Ringling aprons are incomplete, but because of their historic importance, they may be offered for display at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo. A similar display may appear on occasion at the Al Ringling Theatre, not even a dream for Al Ringling when his apron was presented to him in 1891.

It would be 24 years before Al would build, in Baraboo, what the Theatre Historical Society of America calls the very first of the theatre movie palaces, which became so popular throughout the country. It still operates today, in its entire pre-revolutionary French architectural splendor, as perhaps the longest-operating motion picture theater in the county. The stage is used some 60 times each year for live performances as well.

Back to the Meeting

So, as we take up the story of that special night in Baraboo Lodge in January 1891, the Ringling Brothers occupied the chairs, the aprons were presented, and the Lodge prepared to build its own building. It is known that a committee was appointed and a fine building was9 built, on the NW corner of Oak and Second Avenue.

It was this building, approved at the 1891 meeting, with the Temple rooms upstairs and McGann's Furniture on the ground floor, which would burn some 65 years later. This fire in 1957 destroyed nearly all of the Lodge records, regalia and artifacts.

By good fortune the ceremonial aprons had been removed by someone, and were cared for properly for 111 years. Now they have been returned to their rightful home in Baraboo, relics of a special night.

Special Ties

Baraboo Lodge No. 34 observed its 150th year in 2002. The anniversary booklet published to commemorate the event reports that eight Ringlings were raised in Baraboo.

Alfred T. (Alf) Ringling was raised on January 22, 1890; John was raised on March 1; Albert was raised on March 29; and Otto on April 9.

Eleven months later, on February 4, 1891, August G. Ringling was raised. Henry came next on March 18; and August, father Ringling himself, joined the Craft on August 19, 1891.

The city of Baraboo has a heritage of two communities: the circus and the Masonic community. On the surface they may appear completely different-the Circus being an entertainment form for "children of all ages," and the Masonic Lodge being a fraternal organization created to help men better themselves and their community.

A connection between these two organizations began when seven Ringling brothers and their father became Masons.

Throughout the years, there have been many Masons with circus backgrounds, including members of the Gollmar family (circus owners), the Moeller family (circus wagon manufacturers), General Tom Thumb, Harry Houdini, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Baraboo's own Jimmy Williams (a.k.a. Happy the Clown), Tony Vinicki (Smaha), Robert Hocum (great-grandson of the charter Junior Warden).

The formation in the early 1870s of the Shrine helped create the bonds that grew between the Circus and Masonry. The circus is one of the largest fund raising events for Shrine clubs. It is also a major source of income for circus performers.



Todd E. Creason is the author of Famous American Freemasons: Volumes I & II where you'll find many other great stories about famous Freemasons.

Abraham Lincoln's Lesson To Freemasons

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Todd E. Creason, 33°, FMLR 

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

~Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States

I've told this story before, and most Masons know that Abraham Lincoln wasn't a Freemason.  But it was Lincoln's intention to join later.  That story of Abraham Lincoln's decision not to join Freemasonry may provide Freemasons with something to think about today.

Lincoln applied for membership in Tyrian Lodge, in Springfield, Illinois, shortly after his nomination for the presidency in 1860.  However, after further consideration he withdrew his petition because he didn't want his motives for joining to be misconstrued as an attempt to garner favor amongst Freemasons in order to obtain votes in the upcoming election. It was his intention to resubmit his application when he returned from the presidency.  It was a decision that without question gained him a great deal of respect from the members of Tyrian Lodge.

Think about that for a moment.  Abraham Lincoln withdrew his petition, because he knew some might misconstrue his motives for joining.  In fact, he may have gained a few more votes if he had become a Mason in 1860.  But Lincoln didn't want anyone to believe he had used the good name of the Freemasons for personal gain.  Like many famous Masons who had come before him, and many who have lived in the years since, he wished for his good name and conduct to reflect positively on our Fraternity, rather than to be viewed as using the Fraternity to promote and advance himself.

It's a good lesson for Masons to reflect on today.  As I've said many times, as the author of a couple books about Famous American Freemasons--Freemasonry's best advertisement has always been Freemasons.  A true Freemason always strives to improve himself-- to possess the qualities associated with men of good character.  But there are those out there that get that backwards--instead of creating themselves as an exemplar of Freemasonry, they use Freemasonry to advertise themselves.  And even though Abraham Lincoln wasn't a Freemason, he understood Freemasonry well enough to know that it would be better to join later rather than sooner so that his motives wouldn't seem self-serving.  It provides a good insight into Abraham Lincoln's character. 

Think about that this week.  What were your motives to join the Fraternity?  To improve yourself and serve as an example of a true and upright Mason?  Or did you join, as Lincoln feared his petition would be viewed, in order to promote and advance yourself through the good name of the Fraternity? 

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33°, FMLR is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and is a regular contributor.  He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is the author of the From Labor to Refreshment blog.  He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and currently serves as the Secretary, and is also a member of Homer Lodge No. 199 where he serves as Senior Warden.  He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL), and a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research.  He is a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D.  He was named the 2014 Illinois Secretary of the Year Award by the Illinois Masonic Secretaries Association.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

The Lord's Prayer: Benjamin Franklin's Version

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Many of the things that Benjamin Franklin dabbled in during his lifetime weren't known until many years after his death.  One of these interesting exercises he undertook was writing a new and more concise version of the Lord's Prayer.  This unusual manuscript was found by Jared Sparks as he putting some of Franklin's papers in order so they could be published, and it was originally published his book Works of Benjamin Franklin in 1847. 

Sparks was unable to ascertain when Franklin had created the manuscript, but determined that it was consistent with some of Franklin's early writings.  And of course, in Franklin's meticulous way, he not only rewrote the Lord's Prayer, but explained line by line why he thought the changes should be made.  The following are copied from that manuscript:

"Heavenly Father, may all revere thee, and become thy dutiful Children and faithful Subjects; may thy Laws be obeyed on Earth as perfectly as they are in Heaven: Provide for us this Day as thou hast hitherto daily done: Forgive us our Trespasses, and enable us likewise to forgive those that offend us. Keep us out of Temptation, and deliver us from Evil."

Reasons for the Change of Expression

Old Version: Our Father which art in Heaven

New Version: Heavenly Father, is more concise, equally expressive, and better modern English.

Old Version: Hallowed be thy Name. This seems to relate to an Observance among the Jews not to pronounce the proper or peculiar Name of God, they deeming it a Profanation so to do. We have in our Language noproper Name for God; the Word God being a common or general Name, expressing all chief Objects of Worship, true or false. The Word hallowed is almost obsolete: People now have but an imperfect Conception of the Meaning of the Petition. It is therefore proposed to change the Expression.

New Version: May all revere thee.

Old Version. Thy Kingdom come. This Petition seems suited to the then Condition of the Jewish Nation. Originally their State was a Theocracy: God was their King. Dissatisfied with that kind of Government, they desired a visible earthly King in the manner of the Nations round them. They had such King's accordingly; but their Happiness was not increas'd by the Change, and they had reason to wish and pray for a Return of the Theocracy, or Government of God. Christians in these Times have other Ideas when they speak of the Kingdom of God, such as are perhaps more adequately express'd by New Verson: And become thy dutiful Children and faithful Subjects.

Old Version: Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven More explicitly, New Version: May thy Laws be obeyed on Earth as perfectly as they are in Heaven.

Old Version: Give us this Day our daily Bread. Give us what is ours, seems to put in a Claim of Right, and to contain too little of the grateful Acknowledgment and Sense of Dependance that becomes Creatures who live on the daily Bounty of their Creator. Therefore it is changed to New Version: Provide for us this Day, as thou hast hitherto daily done.

Old Version: Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors. Matthew. Forgive us our Sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. Luke. Offerings were due to God on many Occasions by the Jewish Law, which when People could not pay, or had forgotten as Debtors are apt to do, it was proper to pray that those Debts might be forgiven. Our Liturgy uses neither the Debtors of Matthew, nor the indebted of Luke, but instead of them speaks of those that trespass against us. Perhaps the Considering it as a Christian Duty to forgive Debtors, was by the Compilers thought an inconvenient Idea in a trading Nation. There seems however something presumptious in this Mode of Expression, which has the Air of proposing ourselves as an Example of Goodness fit for God to imitate. We hope you will at least be as good as we are; you see we forgive one another, and therefore we pray that you would forgive us. Some have considered it in another Sense, Forgive us as we forgive others; i.e. If we do not forgive others we pray that thou wouldst not forgive us. But this being a kind of conditional Imprecation against ourselves, seems improper in such a Prayer; and therefore it may be better to say humbly and modestly New Version: Forgive us our Trespasses, and enable us likewise to forgive those that offend us. This instead of assuming that we have already in and of ourselves the Grace of Forgiveness, acknowledges our Dependance on God, the Fountain of Mercy, for any Share we may have of it, praying that he would communicate of it to us.

Old Version: And lead us not into Temptation. The Jews had a Notion, that God sometimes tempted, or directed or permitted the Tempting of People. Thus it was said he tempted Pharaoh; directed Satan to tempt Job; and a false Prophet to tempt Ahab, &c. Under this Persuasion it was natural for them to pray that he would not put them to such severe Trials. We now suppose that Temptation, so far as it is supernatural, comes from the Devil only; and this Petition continued, conveys a Suspicion which in our present Conceptions seems unworthy of God, Therefore might be altered to New Version: Keep us out of Temptation."

[End of Franklin's Text]

Nobody really knows what Franklin's motives were in writing this manuscript--perhaps it was merely to entertain himself.  There will be those that will dislike the idea that Franklin even considered altering such an important and revered part of the New Testament.  But there will be others that will respect the fact that Franklin obviously had a deep reverence for the Holy Bible, and an extraordinary understanding of Theology to even undertake such an exercise and justify the changes he made.

It's just another example of the remarkable and diverse mind of one of America's most celebrated Founding Fathers.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor. He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and currently serves as Secretary.  He's also a member of Homer Lodge No. 199.  He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL), and a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research.  He was recently awarded the 2014 Illinois Secretary of the Year Award by the Illinois Masonic Secretaries Association.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

Dr. Conrad Murray: Freemason Or Not?

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Todd E. Creason, 33°

On June 25th, 2009, the world received some shocking news--Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop" was dead at the age of fifty.  Once the shock of the news subsided, what the world wanted to know was why and how the pop star came to such an untimely end.  And all eyes began to focus on Michael Jackson's personal physician--Dr. Conrad Murray.  Without question, Michael Jackson was using some very powerful drugs, including the surgical anesthetic propofol administered by Murray.  Murray ultimately was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison--he was released after serving two.

During the trial, the above photo was released by Murray's attorney, and the press went wild with the news that Murray was a Freemason.  According to the information provided, Murray is the Grand Medical Director of the United Most Worshipful Scottish Rite Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F.&A.M. 


Michael Jackson
1958 - 2009

This evidence satisfied the press of his Masonic credentials, and the story was repeated over and over again that Murray is a Freemason.  But most Masons will see the problem almost immediately with both his title and the Masonic organization he belongs to. There is simply no such title as "Grand Medical Director."

But that's not all . . . The United Most Worshipful Scottish Rite Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. is bogus, too--it is not recognized by any official Masonic body and isn't associated with any Grand Lodge of Freemasons.  It is certainly not affiliated with the Grand Lodge of Texas.  It is not affiliated with the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas.  And it is unknown to the Scottish Rite of Texas.

The United Most Worshipful Scottish Rite Grand Lodge of Texas is one of many phony Masonic organizations that are out there today (or what Masons would call clandestine organizations).

 

So back to the original question.  Is Dr. Conrad Murray a Freemason?

 

No, he is not.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor. He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is member of Homer Lodge No. 199, and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL). He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, and Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL). You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

Bing Crosby: Freemason Or Not?

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Todd E. Creason

It never fails that I’m asked this question during this time of the year.  It’s not because of his long career as a performer and singer.  It’s not because he was an Academy Award winning actor.  It’s that song they play and play and play starting around Thanksgiving!

“White Christmas” is the bestselling song in history according to Guinness Book of World Records.  Since it was released in 1942 it has sold more than 50 million copies.  The first time Americans heard that song was when Crosby performed the song live on his radio show in 1941—it was one of the songs from the movie “Holiday Inn” he was starring in.  It was written by Irving Berlin, and Crosby didn’t think it was very remarkable when he first sang it.  He later recorded it in the studio with an orchestra in just 18 minutes and released it as part of a six song album of songs from the movie “Holiday Inn.”  “White Christmas” wasn’t the hit song from that movie originally—it was the song “Be Careful, It’s My Heart” that originally became popular. 

But White Christmas struck a chord with those serving during WWII.  The nostalgic tone of lines like “just like the ones I used to know” and “where the treetops glistened” hit home with veterans serving away from their families, and the Armed Forces Network was overwhelmed with requests to play the song.  The original master recording was used so often, it eventually became damaged.  Bing Crosby remade it in 1947, and that’s the version most often heard today.

My Grandma Creason never liked the song.  When it was originally released, she was working in a small restaurant.  The customers there played the song on the jukebox over and over and over again—to the point everyone that worked there was sick of it.  One of her co-workers told her as the song was playing yet again, “Don’t worry, Lucile, they’ll eventually get tired of it.”  But, they never did.  71 years later, it’s still one of the most popular songs during the holidays.  Bing Crosby’s version still remains the most popular and has never been out of circulation.  But that’s not the only version—“White Christmas” has been re-recorded by more than fifty different artists over the years. 

But the question is—was Bing Crosby a Freemason?

Bing Crosby is often listed as a Freemason, but in fact, he was not.  He was never the member of a Masonic Lodge.  Some of the confusion is because of the song “White Christmas.”  Bing Crosby wasn’t a Mason, but the man that wrote “White Christmas” certainly was—and he was one of America’s most prolific and successful songwriters of all time.

Irving Berlin was a member of Munn Lodge No. 190 in New York.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor. He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is member of Homer Lodge No. 199, and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL). He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, and Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL). You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

Theodore Roosevelt And His Bear

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Todd E. Creason

In 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt was invited by the Governor of Mississippi, Andrew Longino, on a bear hunting trip.  Roosevelt was known as a keen hunter, and quite a competition broke out amongst the hunters in the party. But while many of the competing hunters had already managed to kill a bear, Roosevelt hadn't.  There was obvious concern about how that might appear--the new President and great hunter coming home empty handed.

Roosevelt's guide and several of his attendants were able to track down a bear, and tied the exhausted animal to a tree.  They brought the President to the site where they had the bear tied up, expecting him to shoot the bear and therefore save his reputation.  But Roosevelt refused to shoot the badly beaten and exhausted animal.  He said simply is was unsportmanlike, and he wouldn't do it.

Radar and his Teddy Bear

The story soon got out, and cartoonist Clifford Berryman drew a famous cartoon of Roosevelt and his bear that became very popular.  In many Berryman cartoons to follow, the little bear (drawn to look smaller and cuter) was always present somewhere in the cartoon.

The public, however, didn't see Roosevelt's actions that day in Mississippi as a sign of weakness at all--but a sign of strength and character.  It actually bolstered his reputation as a moral man, and a decision maker.

Not long after the incident, and the popularity of the cartoons, a man named Morris Michtom got the idea for a new toy--a stuffed "Teddy Bear."  It soon became hugely popular, and has remained so to this day.  And while not fond of being called "Teddy," Roosevelt himself seemed to enjoy having the popular bears named after him.  He gave away many of them during his campaign as he ran for another term as President.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor.  He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is member of Homer Lodge No. 199, and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL).  He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, and Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL).

The Great Cheese-Ball Incident of 1863

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, PM, FMLR

     At the outset of the Civil War, Lt. Second Class Charles W. Read resigned his commission in the
 US Navy and joined the Confederate Navy.  Initially assigned to the CSS McRae in New Orleans, Read eventually was given an assignment on the CSS Florida.  On May 6, 1863, in Brazilian waters, the Florida captured the merchant vessel Clarence, as it headed for  Baltimore.  The captain of the Florida, John Maffitt, assigned Read and twenty crew members  to take command of the Clarence.  Armed only with a small howitzer, Read devised a plan to use the innocent-looking ship, along with its valid registry papers, as a decoy to invade the harbor in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

     During the long voyage north, the crew of the Clarence fashioned mock cannons which could be used to make the ship look like it was well armed, but easily hidden to keep the ship disguised as an innocent merchant vessel.  Beginning June 6, over a three week period, Read and his crew went on a stealthy rampage, capturing no less than 22 United States ships.  On two occasions, they scuttled the ship they had been sailing and transferred to the captured vessel, first to the Tachony, then to the schooner Archer.

     Once on the faster Tachony, Read abandoned his plans to raid Hampton Roads and continued to surprise US vessels at sea instead.  He continued to evade capture for the most part because US authorities, having learned of the initial capture, continued to look for the Clarence.

     The Archer headed up the east coast to Portland, Maine.  There the crew made its way into the harbor and commandeered the cutter Caleb Cushing.  Crews from Portland set out after the Cushing in three steamships, the Forest City, Casco and Chesapeake.  There was little wind and the steamers easily overtook the Cushing.  Set to defend themselves the Cushing crew members soon discovered their ship was armed with plenty of powder, but only five rounds of ammunition.  They fired off the five rounds, each shot missing its target.  Then, in desperation, crew members stuffed a ball of Dutch cheese found on board into a 32-pounder cannon and fired it at the steamboats.  The cheese ball separated, melted and showered the bewildered Portland crews with smelly, dripping, goo.

     It was the Cushing's last hurrah.  Read's crew set it on fire and took to the lifeboats.  The steamboats closed in, with Lt. James H. Merryman, captain of the Forest City, in charge.  As Merryman approached, the doomed crew members in lifeboats repeatedly gave the Masonic Grand Hailing Sign of Distress.  Merryman, undoubtedly a Freemason who reported recognizing the "Masonic signs," spared the Confederate crew.

     Later, as Read and his crew were led through the streets of Portland, angry citizens threatened to lynch them but Merryman, his crew and their Masonic ties with the prisoners prevented the lynchings and again spared their lives.

     Read's Masonic status is uncertain.  Masonic tradition would be to spare only the Freemasons in the group.  In this case, Merryman extended mercy to the entire crew, including Read.  This could mean every Confederate raider, including Read was a Mason.  It could also mean Merryman spared the lives of the non-Masons. We will most likely never know.

     James Merryman remained at his post in Portland as a United States Marine Inspector and eventually attained the rank of Captain.  For his exploits Read earned the nickname "Sea Wolf of the Confederacy."  He continued his military career and was awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor for his service.  He died in 1890 at his home in Meridian, Mississippi at the age of 49.

~SLH

Steve Harrison, 32° KCCH, is a Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri.  He is the editor of the Missouri Freemasonmagazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Senior Warden.  He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor.

President of the United States for a Single Day

by Midnight Freemason Conrtibutor

Steven L. Harrison PM, FMLR

     Riding along the winding backroads of northwest Missouri, about a half-hour form my home, I

sometimes stop at an old cemetery just outside Plattsburgh.  Right inside the entrance is a series of arrows pointing to a specific grave.  That grave has a compelling brass marker which proclaims the man buried there was "President of the United States for one day ~ Mar. 4, 1849."  After stopping at the cemetery I sometimes roll my big red Harley trike into Plattsburgh where the townsfolk have erected a towering statue to the man, also proclaiming his presidency.  On occasion, I've even gone on up the road, across the Missouri river and visited "The World's Smallest Presidential Library," which was built in his honor.  The library is located in Atchison, Kansas, which was named after the man, David Rice Atchison.

     Senator David Rice Atchison, a member of Platte Lodge #56 in Missouri, was President pro tempore of the United States Senate when Zachary Taylor was elected president.  Inauguration day in 1849 fell on a Sunday and the devout Taylor refused to attend his swearing in on the sabbath, rescheduling it for the following day.  Taylor's Vice President, Millard Fillmore, followed suit and James K. Polk's term had expired the previous day, technically leaving the presidency vacant.  Constitutionally, Atchison was next in line for the office.

     Hearing this quirky bit of news, Atchison's friend, Judge Willie Magnum, and a group of others descended on Atchison's house and tramped up to his bedroom in the middle of the night.  There, with the confused Atchison in his nightgown, Judge Magnum administered the oath of office.  Brother Atchison went back to sleep and spent the bulk of his "presidency" resting and reading in his home.  He later said this about his auspicious day:

"It was in this way; Polk went out of office on the third of March 1849, on Saturday at twelve noon. The next day, the fourth, occurring on Sunday, General Taylor was not inaugurated. He was not inaugurated until Monday the fifth, at twelve noon. It was then canvassed among senators whether there was an interregnum (which means a time during which a country lacks a government). It was plain that there was either an interregnum or I was the President of  the United States, being chairman of the Senate, having succeeded Judge Magnum of North Carolina. The judge waked me up at three o'clock in the morning and said jocularly that I was President of the United States and he wanted me to appoint him as Secretary of State. I made no pretense to the office, but if I was entitled in it I had one boast to make, that not a woman or child shed a tear on account of my removing anyone from office during my incumbency of the place."

     Historians almost universally agree that Atchison was not officially the president.  It is also true, however, that neither the outgoing president James K. Polk, nor Taylor were president on March 4.  Duly inaugurated, who better than Brother Atchison to fill the gap? If you're not willing to agree that he was at least ex-officio President, just don't mention it around Atchison, Kansas or Plattsburgh, Missouri.


~SLH

Steve Harrison, 32° KCCH, is a Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri.  He is the editor of the Missouri Freemasonmagazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Senior Warden.  He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor.

Are Freemasons Weird?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, PM, FMLR

     I recently attended a non-Masonic function held in a church where the Freemasons had dedicated the building.  Out in the parking lot after the function had ended, I made note of the cornerstone.  Not realizing I was a Mason myself, one of the others in the group gasped, "Isn't that weird!"  

     Weird.  The word echoed through my brain like it had exploded from my 1970s quadraphonic speakers playing one of those old reverberating radio stations.  Weird.  Are we weird?  I mean, I know there are people who think Masons are weird, but they're usually the types I think are weird, right backacha.

     The person who said it, in fact, was a member of the church where we met.  It's a mainstream Christian church that I always thought was pretty open-minded and tolerant.  Not weird.  What's more, on the way in I had seen what I presume to be a parishioner's car with a Shriner's emblem on it.  Is he weird... the church pariah, perhaps?  I doubt it.  And besides, if that was the viewpoint of the church, why on earth did the members decide to have the Masons dedicate it? I can't believe that's the case at all, so I have to believe that collectively, the church members hold Freemasons in high enough regard to have them dedicate the building.  So I figure it must have been that individual's point of view.  It's a view held by a few others, isn't it?

     Freemasons are weird?  Are the men (and women) who support the Shriner's hospitals weird?  Are the people who support dozens of other charities like the Knight Templar Eye Foundation and Scottish Rite Clinics weird?  

     George Washington... was he weird? Omar Bradley? Clark Gable? Will Rogers? Thurgood Marshall? Richard Dreyfuss? Fifteen US Presidents? Peter Marshall?  What mainstream Protestant thinks Peter Marshall was weird? How about the founders of the Mayo Clinic?

     Is the Fraternity whose Lodges served as an early model for democracy weird?  Were many of the leaders of the American Revolution weird?  How about the very first organization to break down class barriers, declaring everyone in Lodge to be equal?  Or the Lodges in Belgium that first put forth the shocking idea that women are equal to men?  How weird is the first organization known to promote worker's rights?  Guess where many of those "weird" leaders in medicine, education, the arts, literature, music and architecture came from.

     I'll admit there are some Freemasons who have done some weird things.  In fact, I'm writing a book about them.  However, for every Freemason who did something a bit offbeat, I'll bet I can come up with a hundred non Masons who were more weird.

     This wasn't the first time I had heard someone express an opinion that Freemasons are somehow weird and it won't be the last.  Still, it perplexes me.  Maybe I'm just a little... well... weird.

     This article has been revised from a similar article the author published in the Missouri Freemason magazine.  The author thanks the Masonic Service Association, whose new pamphlet, "What Has Masonry Done For The World," served as a reference for this article.

~SH

Steve Harrison, 32° KCCH, is a Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri.  He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Senior Warden.  He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor.

What Masonic Secrets are the FBI Hiding?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

     While on a trip recently to Washington DC, I had the incredible opportunity to visit the HQ of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI HQ is located at 935 Pennsylvania Ave, NW inWashington DC. The HQ is officially known as the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

     Hoover was director of the FBI from 1924-1972. Until July 1, 1935 the FBI was known as the Bureau of Investigation. Hoover was a devoted Freemason and we will touch on this later.

     When arriving at the Hoover building, there are multiple layers of screening that take place before you enter. You must be escorted at all times. The building itself was designed in the 1960’s and eventually finished in the early 1970’s and takes up at least 2 city blocks of prime real estate. The FBI has recently put forth a proposal to replace the Hoover building with a new HQ in the DC metro area.

     No pictures were allowed except in the outdoor atrium area. It was there that I found some very interesting plaques. The first that caught my attention was a seal with the words Annuit Cceptis. This is of course the backside of the Great Seal of the United States of America. Annuit Coptis means "He [God] has favored our undertakings".

     For decades speculation has been that the great seal is a Masonic symbol placed on the dollar bill as a sybol of Masonic domination. After leaving the courtyard we visited the FBI Museum, which features a timeline of events of many of the major cases that the FBI has worked on including the Unibomber, Chicago Gangsters and September 11.

     On display are many artifacts associated with the cases. J. Edgar Hoover himself was there in lifesize form as a wax figure. He was standing beside an American flag and wearing his Masonic ring.
So what Masonic secrets were the FBI hiding? 

     Well perhaps I will truly never know, but the influence of Brother Hoover is still very obvious in the agency today.

The courtyard also featured a plaque honoring J.
 Edgar Hoover. Brother Hoover was a member of Federal Lodge No. 1 in Washington DC having been raised
 on November 9, 1920. In 1955 he was coroneted a 33^rd Degree
Inspector General by the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite,
 Southern Jurisdiction and received the
Grand Cross of Honor in 1965.

~GJK

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), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He's a member of both the Scottish Rite, and the York Rite, and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club in Champaign-Urbana. He's also a member of the Ansar Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts--an Eagle Scout himself, he serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M. as their representative to the National Association of Masonic Scouters.

Teddy Roosevelt "Get on the Horse!"

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

R.W.B Michael H. Shirley

I’m not much of a shopper, but I’m married to one. My wife and I can go into a store selling nearly anything and I’ll be done looking and ready to go before she’s made it past the first display. But we both love antique malls, and there our styles complement each other: she’ll look at every item, while I’ll do five laps to see if something catches my eye. Sometimes she’ll see something I’ve missed and show it to me as I run past, and sometimes I’ll find something I think she’ll like and go get her to accelerate her shopping experience. It works for us, we have fun, and occasionally we find something we have to have.

Recently, we found ourselves in a consignment and antique shop, and as I was preparing for my customary laps, she pointed at a framed photograph of Theodore Roosevelt and said, “What do you think of this?” It looked like a page cut from a magazine, behind rough glass in a homemade wooden frame, showing a grinning Roosevelt on horseback, looking too alive and vital to just be a record of a moment in 1906. I bought it, took it home, and hung it in my library. 

Theodore Roosevelt has never been a particular hero of mine, although he’s fascinating to even the most casual observer. I’ve never been particularly taken with his career, although I’m grateful for his championing of national parks. Even among Masonic presidents, he’s not at the top in my personal pantheon (Harry Truman stands there alone). But in that picture he embodies a Masonic quality better than any other public figure of whom I’m aware: doing things with great joy. From his sickly childhood to his early death, Theodore Roosevelt believed in doing things. Whether it was hunting big game, exploring the Amazon, reforming the New York police, organizing a volunteer company to fight in Cuba, using the presidency as a bully pulpit, or just getting on horseback for a vigorous ride, he was never still. He lived each day as if there weren’t enough hours to do all that needed to be done. “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind,” he wrote, “but great actions speak to all mankind.” He was a truly joyful man of action, and his life spoke loudly to anyone who paid attention. As it still does.

So now that picture hangs on my wall, where Brother Roosevelt, still seemingly alive over a century later, reminds every day me that I have things to do, that the opportunity to do them is to be seized, and that I should do it all joyfully. Roosevelt loved all forms of exercise, but it was on horseback that he seemed most fully alive. It might be a metaphor for his remarkable life, and it reminds me daily of his example. That picture tells me to get on the horse, take the reins in my hands, and ride. 



R.W.B. Michael H. Shirley is the Assistant Area Deputy Grand Master for the Eastern Area for the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M.  He is the Past Master of Tuscola Lodge No. 332 and Leadership Development Chairman for the Grand Lodge of Illinois. He's also a member of the Illinois Lodge of Research, the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. He's also a member of the newly-chartered, Illini High Twelve No. 768 in Urbana-Champaign. The author of several articles on British history, he teaches at Eastern Illinois University.