That's a Wrap

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor
Gregory J. Knott 33° 

Illini High Twelve Chapter No. 768 recently decided to turn in our charter. The chapter first organized as a Masonic lunch club in 2011 and eventually the decision was made to pursue a chapter with High Twelve International. We successfully completed the organizing requirements and charted in 2012.

The club was very strong for many years, with numerous guest speakers from throughout our community. Attendance was generally good and the meetings were very enjoyable. We met in a local restaurant that provided good service and good food. The right combination of everything right? So you might ask, why did the chapter decide to close?

The COVID-19 most definitely played a role. We last met as a club in February 2020 and because of all the things that happened the last two years, the club didn’t get back together.

The other reason is that we didn’t have anyone who wanted to step up and be the club secretary. I was the original charter secretary for the five years and fellow Midnight Freemason Darin Lahners took the reins the last five years. The endless cycle of chasing dues and other administrative functions just didn’t appeal to anyone else as a volunteer job. Without anyone to chase the paper, the club effectively died.

I would like to offer a few observations that we learned over the last decade. The first is that the national or parent body should be cognizant of the amount of administrative overhead they require in regards to time and resources. If the pandemic has done anything, it has caused us to think long and hard about how business is conducted and has forced organizations to reassess if long-standing administrative functions were truly even needed. Masonic bodies would be well served to examine their business and administrative practices to see if they can make it easier for their constituent organizations.

Next, I would suggest you may not always need to put a strong administrative function around your efforts. Though we have turned in our charter, we are talking about continuing to meet as a more informal lunch or dinner club. We can still have the occasional guest speakers and invite our fellow Masons and their families to join us for food and fellowship.

In conclusion, I consider our efforts as the Illini High Twelve Club, very successful. I am glad we came together and I want to thank High Twelve International for all their assistance over the years. I personally plan to stay in High Twelve as a member of another club and look forward to their growth over the coming years.

~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.

Who is High 12 International?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

     WB Todd Creason and myself recently led the formation of a High 12 club - Illini High 12 Club No. 768 based in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.  But as we were going through the start-up process, many of our brethren asked, who are High 12?

     "High Twelve International’s founder, former minister, E. C. "Wallie" Wolcott, who was the YMCA’s General Secretary at the time and eight of his business associates who were also Master Masons, met in Sioux City, IA, for fellowship and camaraderie and chartered the first High Twelve International club.  It was Founders #1, chartered May 17, 1921."

"High Twelve is an organization of Master Masons who support Masonic causes with special emphasis on youth support and patriotic events. There are approximately 9,000 members in over 250 clubs nationwide and in foreign countries."

     Brother Creason and I had been working on a Masonic lunch club for sometime and during a visit to the 2011 annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Illinois met Roger Carson, who was the Illinois High 12 Association President at the time.

     Brother Carson helped us work through the chartering process and in June 2012 we officially became Illini High 12 No. 768. Brother Creason is the charter President and I am the charter Secretary.  The club has been growing nicely and has over 40 members at the present time. 

     We have focused on 2 main goals for the club, emphasizing a relaxed informal meeting style and having guest speakers where our members have an opportunity to learn what is happening in our community.  Our speakers have included a college president, county officials, and civic leaders.

     Our club also has worked with the University of Illinois ROTC program to send care packages to troops overseas.

     An additional benefit we have found is that our meetings are a great way to introduce prospective members to Masonry.  Our meetings are open to anyone and several of our members have brought guests that have then petitioned the Blue Lodge.

     I am very impressed with High Twelve and would recommend that brethren that want another avenue for fellowship consider joining a club.  If there isn't a club in your area, start one, it's a relatively easy process and the rewards are large.

~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.

What Is High Twelve International?

I've written about several Masonic appendant bodies over the last few years, and I thought I'd tell you a little something about a group I recently became involved with, and have enjoyed a great deal--High Twelve International.  I'm paraphrasing most of this information from the group's website. 

High Twelve is a social extension of Freemasonry. You could most easily describe it as a lunch club, which is how it got its name.  Long ago, noon was known as “high twelve” and the time to call workmen from labor to refreshment.  Accordingly, many High Twelve clubs – but not all – meet at noon.  It's very casual, and there is no ritual.  While there is a lot of variety from club to club, High Twelve usually meets at a restaurant, they have lunch, and perhaps listen to a speaker. 

High Twelve was started in 1921, and today boasts a membership of approximately 9,000 members in over 250 clubs nationwide and in foreign countries.

But High Twelve is much more than a lunch club--it's an association dedicated to bringing Master Masons together, and dedicated to service to the fraternity--High Twelve adheres strictly to the Masonic Laws of whatever jurisdiction it's in.  

And as with all Masonic groups, there is a philanthropic aspect as well. The Club's two primary focuses are on youth and education and it strongly supports the Order of DeMolay, Rainbow Girls, Job’s Daughters and the Wolcott Foundation that was established to provide scholarships for students at George Washington University who seek public service careers in government.

Illini High Twelve

Charter members of Illini High Twelve

As I said, I've recently gotten involved with High Twelve. One of High Twelve's newest charters in Illinois is the Illini High Twelve, which serves the Champaign-Urbana area (home of the University of Illinois.)  I'm very proud to have been elected as the Charter President of that group. We started as a small group of Freemasons who all worked at the University of Illinois who got together occasionally for lunch.  We decided to set a regular monthly lunch date and location, and invite more Masons to join us.  It went from three or four meeting for lunch, to about twenty in a very short period of time.  We decided it was time to take it to the next level--to charter a High Twelve club.

Our club is very casual--come as you are. Spouses are invited. All Masons are invited.  We even encourage our members to bring friends they think would make good Master Masons and give them a chance to meet a few Masons.  

It's something we all look foward too each month.  If you're interested in joining a High Twelve group, visit the High Twelve International website, and there you'll find a listing of all the groups in your area.


~TEC