What Freemasonry Teaches Us About Priorities

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Soon to be "Secretary Emeritus" of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL)

I made a very difficult decision recently--I decided that after seven years serving as Secretary of my Lodge, it was time to step down and let somebody else take over.  So in June, I'll become "Secretary Emeritus".   By the way, Secretary Emeritus is not a real title, but rest assured I'm going to use it anyway.

I've enjoyed the job, and that's why the decision was so tough.  I think I was good at the job, but like anything else, I'm sure I could have done a better job at a few things.  But overall, I did a good job.  I'd even been awarded Illinois Secretary of the Year a few years ago!  I've written a few pieces on the Midnight Freemasons over the years about how to be a good Secretary, like Advice For New Secretaries and Lodge Secretary (For Life): A Thankless Job.  But I'd known for some time that I needed to take a step back from a few of the roles I have in the Fraternity--Secretary was one of those. 

I've gotten to the place I'm too involved in too many things.  Secretary at one Lodge, and Master at another.  I just finished a term as Sovereign Master of my Allied Masonic Degrees Council.  I'm involved in the Scottish Rite.  We've started a new Royal Arch Chapter, and I'm up next as High Priest of the new chapter.  Then there's the blog writing, the articles, the books, the education pieces, and the speaking engagements.  It's gotten to be too much.  And we all know what happens when we get too much on our plate--we wind up with mediocrity instead of our best.  That's certainly what's been plaguing me.  I seldom feel as prepared as I should be, because I'm stretched far too thin.

So it was time for me to pull back before I burned out.  Focus on doing a few things really, really well instead of a dozen things rather poorly.  The Secretary job was the first thing I needed to let go, but there are a few other things I'm going to have to let go of--get back to being a member of a few bodies instead of a driver. 

What we often forget as Freemasons is the lesson of the 24-inch gauge--one of the first and most basic concepts we're taught.  Life is about maintaining a proper balance.  It's about properly dividing our time.  I know very few active Masons that pay any heed to that lesson at all, but we do so at our own risk.  I could name several Masons that I no longer see in Lodge anymore that I used to see at every single event I went to no matter where it was.  I know one or two were given notice by their spouses that they were spending too much time away from home, and as much as they love the Fraternity, it wasn't worth half their stuff to find out if she was serious or not.  A few others simply burned out because they were far too involved in too many things.

Brace yourself for a shocking statement--Freemasonry comes last!  It comes after God.  It comes after family.  It comes after our chosen profession.  We should never put Freemasonry before God, family, or career.  I know many who have, including me from time to time.  But as important as the work we do as Freemasons is, it should not be our entire life.  What we learn in our Lodges is what is important--those basic tenets, principles and ideals.  The application of the basic principles of Freemasonry is what is important, and making sure we're teaching our new Master Masons those lessons by serving as a good example.  Those principles we learn are the part we take with us everywhere.  Those are the basic building materials necessary to improve ourselves.  That's the part of Freemasonry that makes good men better men, and that's why we're here.  Unfortunately, too often many of us get so involved in "doing" Freemasonry that we forget to "live" Freemasonry.  We focus on the tasks rather than the philosophy. 

I think it's safe to say I'll always be an active Mason.  However, going forward I'm going to be a little more selective about the jobs I take on so that I can focus more on those things in the Fraternity where I make the biggest impact.  Writing books, articles and blog pieces that hopefully make us think.  Being a good Worshipful Master in my Lodge.  Advancing Masonic Education in our Lodges everywhere.

Attending Lodge is important.  Being involved is important.  But just as we're taught early on in our ritual--we must learn to manage our time, and live a life that's in balance. 

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and is a regular contributor.  He is the award winning 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 the Worshipful Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754.  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) and a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter U.D.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

Kids Say The Darndest Things . . .



It's a jewel . . . and an apron, Katie!

When I was installed as Senior Warden of my lodge, my daughter Katie (then two) was there. She got to sit with me in the West after I was installed in my chair--you see her? She was being particularly shy and quiet, which is a little out of character for her.

After installation, it was just the two of us.  Her mother had to work, so I took her to McDonald's for a Happy Meal. The McDonald's was packed, and when we finally got up to the counter, I sat her up on the counter and ordered.  When the server asked Katie what she wanted, she exclaimed in a loud voice:

"My daddy was just wearing a dress--and a necklace too!"

You could have heard a pin drop at McDonalds.  I'll never forget the look at that young girl's face behind the counter either.  I'll never be able to go back there again.

Enjoy your weekend.

~TEC

Freemasons On The Move

My wife has a theory about why Freemasons cover their bumpers with fraternal emblems. She believes they would decorate their garages, their yards, or maybe their mailboxes with those fraternal emblems—if they were ever home.

There are many shows on television these days about Freemasons—you’ll see them on History Channel, History International, and Discovery Channel. Those shows always seem to focus on what goes on within the walls of Masonic Lodges, with varying degrees of accuracy. But Masonry is much more about what we do outside the lodge than inside, and that’s a story you seldom ever hear.

The work that Masons do on a national scale is well known—there are the Shriners Hospitals, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, the Scottish Rite Learning Centers for Dyslexic Children, and many more. About a million dollars a day is raised to support those charitable causes, but volunteers do much of the work. I guarantee you that right now, somewhere in America, a Shriner is transporting a child back and forth from a Shriners Hospital somewhere for treatment.

But that’s only part of the story. Most local lodges have their own projects going on too—everything from buying uniforms for the Little League team, to raising money for a community improvement project. Some lodges give scholarships to exceptional graduates at their local high schools. Some help out the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Some help support local Veterans groups. The list of causes these little local lodges support is as varied as it is endless.

I’ll give you a little snapshot of what Masons were doing in my corner of the world today.

This morning, my lodge sponsored a community blood drive with the local blood bank, which we do about four times a year. My mother gave her pint this morning.  She was not a regular donor until she learned about our regular blood drives at the lodge--a pint at a time, she's heading into the gallon donor range.  One of our regulars has given six gallons, and I'm sure he doesn't hold the record by any means. 

Two of our members left the blood drive event early to help with an Illinois CHIP program sponsored by a couple other local lodges. The Illinois CHIP is a child identification program—we prepare kits for parents, free of charge, that include fingerprints, DNA, photos, and a short video clip of their child in the event of an emergency. And another of our members was with the York Rite in another local lodge, helping with a degree day, where they welcomed eight new members into the Royal Arch Chapter.

And that's a pretty light Saturday in my area, covering just a few local lodges within twenty miles of my house—and there were no doubt a few other things going on in my corner of the globe I didn’t know about. Now if you consider the bigger picture, you’ll have a better understanding of what Freemasonry is really about—there are hundreds of Masonic Lodges in Illinois, and thousands nationwide. That’s a lot of Masons, supporting a lot of different causes, in a lot of different ways.

Masons get around, and they believe in the things they do, and $4 gas isn’t going to slow them down any—I doubt $5 gas would impact them much. Freemasons spend a lot of time on the road. They don’t do if for the glory. There’s little reward. We don’t give out merit badges, but there is every chance you’ll get a free lunch or dinner if you help out—usually a hotdog or a BBQ sandwich.

So when you see that little square and compass on the bumper of a car during your daily travels, give them a little honk and wave. There’s a good chance he’s going to, or coming from something few people will celebrate, but somebody, somewhere will no doubt appreciate.

Library Archives of Ogden Past Master Lost in Tragic Blaze!

Secretary and ADDGM Wor. Bro. Denver Phelps makes the sad announcement . . .

As I reported earlier, Ogden held a Past Master's Dinner to thank the PM's of Ogden Lodge for their past service and to celebrate the long history of the lodge.  It was an event of laughter and celebration, but it was obvious to some that two things were out of wack...  first of all, one of the more recent Past Masters of Ogden Lodge, and current Master of Homer Lodge, Steve Hooper was missing.  Secondly, the Secretary of the Lodge, Denver Phelps, seemed to be carrying a dark secret, the details of which would soon be announced.

After a delicious dinner, and a presentation in which all the PM's of Ogden were announced and their ladies were presented with roses, Worshipful Bro. Denver Phelps confirmed what most of us had sensed--there was sad news to be announced. . .

He said, and I quote to the best of my recollection:

"I don't know if you all knew it, but there was a bad fire in Royal last night.  Some of you may have noticed that Worshipful Brother Steve Hooper isn't here today.  He had a bad fire at his house last night . . . in his library.  He lost all his books.  All three of them.  Two of them he hadn't even colored in yet. . ."

Of course Worshipful Brother Hooper was actually vacationing in Florida, and there was no fire at his house, but it hasn't stopped his dedicated friends and brothers from taking up a collection of coloring books and crayons.  If you'd like to donate, just mail those coloring books to Ogden Lodge, and we'll make sure he gets them--we're running a little heavy on Disney, so SpongeBob or Scooby-Do would be good choices.  We know it's expensive at nearly $5, but we're also trying to raise money for a 64-color box of Crayola crayons with the sharpener in the back. 

Of course, one lesson that Masons can take away from this. . . well, practical joke . . . is that if you miss a meeting, a pancake breakfast, a dinner, or a degree... you open yourself up for all kinds of mischief. 

TEC

Ogden Lodge No. 260 Past Master's Dinner a Great Success 2/29/2010!

The Past Masters of Ogden Lodge in attendance left to right:  Donald Hawkins, Brandon Lewis
Carl W. Lewis, Michael Tucker, John Harrison, Loyal "Doc" Davis, Kent Nelson,
Denver Phelps, Robert Vilven, and current Master Clark Timothy Nichols.

Current Worshipful Master of Ogden Lodge Tim Nichols opens the after dinner program.

Ogden Lodge held a very successful Past Master's Dinner on Sunday.  We had a great dinner provided by Bro. Doug Behrens (I know my friends at Pekin Lodge know this, but it's a great thing for a lodge when they manage to raise a great cook in their lodge).  We had ten Past Master's of Ogden Lodge in attendance, and several more for other area lodges. 

Bro. Secretary (ADDGM) Denver Phelps reads the names of the Past Masters in attendance.

Brother Denver Phelps announced the names of our Past Masters while our current Master, Tim Nichols, passed out roses to their wives.  I gave a short talk about the history of the lodge, and American history since the lodge was founded.  Bro. Greg Knott managed to record the whole thing and put it on YouTube.  I thought he was kidding.  I wish I'd practiced more now.

General George Washington (portrayed by Bob Blacketeer)

General Washington and his slackey Sean McBride

Of course, the only thing anyone is going to remember about the event was the surprise visit from Bro. George Washington.  He gave a riveting account of his life, the Revolutionary War, and his Masonic affliation. It was a memorable talk punctuated by the presentation of the American flag--according to legend, General Washington presented the first flag to a Masonic Lodge, and to this day, you'll find one in every Masonic Lodge in the United States, and every meeting begins with the pledge. 

Good time was had by all.

TEC