Compelled To Suffer The Punishment…

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Born on St. John the Evangelist's Day, December 27, 1884, Samuel R. Freet seemed to be destined for Freemasonry from the very start. A teacher and lawyer, he was raised in Ivanhoe Lodge #446 in Kansas City in 1910 and served as its Master ten years later. That same year, 1920, he was appointed to the advancing line of the Grand Lodge of Missouri.

His lengthy progression through the offices in the Grand Line culminated in 1929, when he became Grand Master. Each Grand Master looks forward to presiding over a successful Grand Communication at the end of his term and Most Worshipful Brother Freet was no exception. After years of work moving through the Grand Line offices, and a year of preparation for his Grand Lodge communication, Most Worshipful Brother Freet was stricken with kidney disease near the end of his term.  His affliction required surgery that left a 10-inch scar in his back and severely limited his mobility. His condition weakened him and Brothers reported him being confined to a bed when they visited him prior to Grand Lodge. At that time his wife Gertrude informed the Brothers that her husband's doctors said he only had months to live. (Freet, in fact, struggled with his health issues for two more years, passing away October 4, 1931, at the young age of 46).

The Deputy Grand Master, William Gentry, made plans to fill in at the meeting should MWB Freet be unable to attend. Freet, however, had other plans. He mustered his strength and came to the meeting looking frail and thin.

Freet opened the Grand Lodge meeting and presided over it until it was time for his Grand Master's address. He read two paragraphs and nearly collapsed.  Although unable to continue, his Brothers ordered a bed from the hotel staff and placed it just off stage so he could be present for the proceedings. Deputy Grand Master Gentry then proceeded to read the Grand Master's message.

Somewhat recovered, Freet was reported to be in good spirits. Hearing that, Past Grand Master Ray Denslow went over to his bed and reported, "Most Worshipful, I have gone over the proceedings of the Grand Lodge carefully, and discovered you are the only Grand Master in our history ever to have been compelled to suffer the punishment of listening to his own address."

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33° , is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships are the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasonsblog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35 year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

Masonic Oddities Part 1: Museo di Symbologia Masonica

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Jason Richards

*Editors Note* Masonic Oddities is a new series by Bro. Jason Richards that highlights Masonic memorials, monuments, museums, or other "craft curiosities" that lie off the beaten path of the casual Masonic traveler to remind brethren wheresoever dispersed that one can find light in the most unusual of places.

Part 1: The Museum of Masonic Symbols in Florence, Italy 

About a year and a half back, my wife and I embarked on a whirlwind tour of Italy which ultimately led us to the beautiful city of Florence. Whilst sitting up in our hotel room one night looking up attractions to visit the next day, I came across the website for the Museo di Symbologia Masonica, or Museum of Masonic Symbols. I excitedly explained my findings to my wife who, to her credit, obliged my curiosity and we set out the next evening to find what I can only describe as a mad scientist's treasure trove of Masonic artifacts.

Nestled in an unassuming building on via dell'Orto, the museum is situated less than a quarter mile from the site of Italy's first Masonic lodge, founded in a tavern on via Maggio in 1731 by a group of English expatriates. The museum is run by Cristiano Franceschini, a fourth-generation Freemason, whose family's collection of Masonic artifacts set the groundwork for the museum, which opened in 2012. Bro. Franceschini welcomed us to his museum and graciously gave us a tour of his incredible collection.

Masonic artifacts of all shapes, sizes, ages, and origins lined every inch of the museum's two floors. The exhibition houses more than 10,000 artifacts from the late 18th century to the present day, which include regalia, photos, posters, aprons, lapel pins (of course), a 4-binder Masonic stamp collection, and historical documents, among other oddities of all sorts. The museum's second floor houses a Chamber of Reflection and a small, Scottish-style replica lodge room which was, like the rest of the museum, packed to the gills with Masonic paraphernalia. After the initial tour, Bro. Franceschini pulled out his growing document library which contained everything from old charters to Masonic pamphlets to a Masonic stamp collection that filled four binders.

After a couple of hours of browsing through the collection, my wife succeeded in convincing me to say my goodbyes to Bro. Franceschini, and we wandered up the street in search of an Italian trattoria for dinner.

If you ever find yourself in the beautiful city of Florence with a bit of time to spare, Bro. Franceschini's collection is well worth the 7 euro price of admission. In a country with a Masonic culture that lives largely out of public view, the Museum of Masonic Symbols stands as a beacon to demystify the fraternity and encourage the public to explore its philosophy, symbols, and history.

-JR

Bro. Jason Richards is the Senior Warden of Acacia Lodge No. 16 in Clifton, Virginia, and a member of both The Patriot Lodge No. 1957 and Fauquier Royal Arch Chapter No. 25 in Fairfax, Virginia. He is also Chaplain of Perfect Ashlar Council No. 349, Allied Masonic Degrees. He is the sole author of the Masonic weblog The 2-Foot Ruler: Masonry in Plain Language, and is a co-host on the weekly YouTube show and podcast The Masonic Roundtable. He lives in Virginia with his wife, cats, and ever-expanding collection of bow ties.