Give me the pass of a Master Mason!!!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin A. Lahners

I was able to check off a few items from my masonic bucket list this past weekend.  The first item was checked off when I, at the invitation of my good friend and brother, Dustin Farris, attended a Third Degree at John C. Ellis Lodge #17 of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Illinois in Decatur, Illinois. I was pleased to meet many new brothers,  including Most Worshipful Brother Clarence W. Trotter, who was Grand Master of the MWPHGLIL from 1995 - 1997. I was also able to meet a brother I had met virtually during the pandemic, Ryan Flanigan, and one of his brothers, Adam Friend, both of whom drove from Springfield to Decatur to witness the degree.       

They had a total of six fellowcraft in waiting to get raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason that day. I will say that what I witnessed was I thought as unlikely as the Warfaring Man telling the three fellowcraft that he didn't see the ruffians attempt to book a passage into Ethiopia and that they did not turn back into the country.  In doing so, this would have then resulted in the twelve fellowcraft being judged guilty of the murder of our Grandmaster H.A. and being executed instead of the guilty party of three.

I have often wondered what the "confusion" mentioned in our ritual would actually look like.  The line has fascinated me since I saw it as a reply to the Worshipful Master for someone who is not vouched for as being a brother giving a bad pass in our ritual. Other than a dramatized version of it in the second section of the Third Degree, when there are no designs on the trestle board, I had never seen a real-world example until this degree. It was always a masonic bucket list item that I never thought I would get checked off.  Maybe I'm one of those men that Alfred, as played by Sir Michael Caine (and as some Masonic sites have him listed Brother Michael Caine), states in The Dark Knight likes to "Watch the world burn".  

The Senior Deacon brought one of the hoodwinked Fellowcraft into the lodge. The Senior Deacon is explaining the scene walking the poor, blind brother towards the First Tyrian, Jubela.  Jubela launches into his ritual, where he exclaims his delight at finding Grandmaster H.A. alone, tells H.A. since the Temple is near completion, he wishes H.A. to fulfill his promise to give him the pass of a Master Mason... thus ending the first part of his ritual by demanding: "Give me the pass of a Master Mason!!!".  The brother, having just been given the pass of a Master Mason in the first section, gave it to Jubela before the Senior Deacon could even speak his reply. 

And then it happened... Confusion.....

Past Masters React to the Pass of a Master Mason being given to Jubela 

Confusion is a misnomer. It was complete chaos.  I believe that no one else in the room had ever witnessed such an occurrence either.  The brother who was acting as the First Tyrian could not believe it.  He had to walk away, being completely flustered.  The Past Masters grumbled in a low breath. The lodge was filled with astonishment and brethren wanting to know which lodge this particular fellowcraft was from. No one knew what to do.  I was half expecting a reenactment of the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the Ark is opened and faces began to melt.  The other half of me expected to see one of the Past Masters do something akin to Ricky Bobby stripping down to his underwear and racing helmet, running around the lodge yelling he was on fire.  Luckily, the Senior Deacon took control of the situation and brought the fellowcraft onto meet the second Tyrian, making sure that he knew only to repeat the words that the Senior Deacon uttered in reply.  He then was brought before the last Tyrian, and you know the rest of the story from here. 

To be fair, I felt bad for the poor brother who had done this.  It's obvious that he didn't understand what was happening fully, and that the Senior Deacon would be replying for him (and he would need to repeat what the Senior Deacon said to the First Tyrian).  For the record, this is different than what happens in the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. ritual, as the Senior Deacon does all of the replying for brother at this point to the Tyrians.  I could empathize with the potential embarrassment he felt as well because I also had an embarrassing moment during the second section of the Third Degree.

I was serving as the intender for one of my brethren that came into the lodge after me at St. Joseph #970, Bro. Brian Clark. It was Brian's third degree so this must have taken place in 2012, and I was one of the twelve fellowcraft who went down on one knee while clad in white gloves and a white apron to plead with King Solomon and beg forgiveness after recanting in the horrid plot to extort the secrets of a Master Mason from our Grandmaster H. A. However when I went down to one knee, I heard (along with everyone else in the lodge room, even poor Hiram in his grave at that point) a loud ripping sound as my pants blew apart in the crotch area to the rear.  My face immediately turned beet red.  I immediately fled the lodge room as quickly as I could.  I drove home, an apron covering my exposed underwear, changed and returned to be able to greet Brian at the end of his degree.  Needless to say, Brian and I shared and continue to share a good chuckle over what happened. I can only hope that this brother can see the humor in what occurred to him. 

Yes, I split my pants...Fellow Midnight Freemason Greg Knott can confirm this.

While I realize that the third degree is a solemn and serious affair, and needs to be treated as such, life often brings unexpected levity to us.  We can either let the absurdity of life frustrate us, or we can roll with the proverbial punches. However, we have brothers that are there to help us off the mat if we get knocked down and can't get back up.  We see this literally occur during the second section of the Third Degree.  While not the ultimate lesson of the Third Degree, I do believe it is a pretty powerful one.  Now if I can see the ruffians escape unharmed just once during a Third Degree, my Third Degree Masonic bucket list will be complete.  After this past weekend, my hope is renewed.  

And I would have gotten away with it if not for that meddling wayfaring man
  

~DAL

WB Darin A. Lahners is our co-managing Editor.  He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign – Urbana (IL). You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com.  

Ignorance … Is It Truly Bliss?

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Wayne DJ Greenley E.A.

I don‘t want to tread on too many toes here, however in my very short time as an Entered Apprentice I have observed a common theme from non-masons when I tell them I am a Freemason. Some of you may think a newly appointed Entered Apprentice may not have the right to make a judgment about a certain practice some Masons have partaken in. Maybe I am being a little bit presumptuous however this is something, I believe, should be addressed. 

I live in Brisbane, Australia and was initiated at a lodge on the 26^th February 2015. On my first degree I received a square and compass lapel pin and was told to wear it whilst walking down the streets of the city (As is the way here in Queensland), and I also do so at work and university with pride. Most people don’t register in their minds that I’m even wearing a lapel pin, but for those few who do, say I must be a really big fan of Star Trek. This is funny in one way but sad in another, people confusing the Square and Compass (a symbol which is centuries old and can be seen in public in many major cities) with a symbol of a science fiction program which has only been around for 50 years. 

Now, this is the concerning theme I have come across. When I tell a person I am a Freemason, the response I get from that person is that they have known another Freemason in the past who told them “I can’t tell you anything about Freemasonry, it’s a secret”. Now I’m not going to make a dispute about a Brother who is keeping that of which is to remain secret, secret. Of not, that’s the charge of every Mason to do so. However saying such comment, to me, sounds like a phrase a member of a secret society would make, which we are not. I have to wonder about the motive behind a Mason who says we can’t discuss the Brotherhood in anyway. That’s wrong. It is perfectly acceptable to say something on the lines of “We are a fraternity of men, who derive from different religions, economic and social background, and come together as perfect equals and raise money for charity”. So why don’t those men say something like that? 

Maybe they’re uncomfortable talking about the topic, fearing judgment and persecution from a conspiracy nut-crazed Cowan. Perhaps they don’t know the best way to describe Freemasonry, they don’t want to let the team down by saying something wrong. Or maybe they wish to enforce this ideal that we are a mysterious society that is only meant for a few select individuals (I hope though that is not the case). 

Regardless of motive the result is still the same, non-masons being ill-informed about Freemasonry, which begs the questions, is ignorance of our society by Non-Masons what we want? Is ignorance truly bliss? 

NO! It’s not. It has and will have a continuing negative effect on our fraternity.

If history has taught us anything it’s that we humans fear anything that we don’t understand and to quote a very wise and beloved character from the Star Wars franchise, “Fear leads to Anger, Anger leads to Hate, Hate leads to Suffering”. Ignorance of Freemasonry leading towards Fear, Anger, Hate and Suffering may be a little bit of a stretch, but I hope you get the point I’m trying to convey. Allowing someone, who has asked you what Freemason is, to continue in a state of ignorance in not a good thing. 

That person may start having misconceptions that we are a select secret society or worse, they may do their own “research” and after clicking on a few website may come to the belief that we are either:

• Associated with devil worship (an ideal created by Léo Taxil) 
• A bunch of murders who will cold-bloodedly kill anyone who threatens the secrecy of this society (an ideal created by the William Morgan affair) 
• Actually Lizard like Aliens who have come to earth for world domination (an ideal created by idiots who have never read a book)

In my opinion a short response, such as the one I gave earlier, would be adequate to answer peoples questions. A Brother though, may feel more inclined to give their own interpretation of what Freemasonry means to them, which is fine, as long as you give an answer. If they persist for more information advise them to read a book such as Freemasonry for Dummies or if they prefer a different medium of learning I would suggest Brother Robert Johnson's greatly informative podcast Whence Came You?. Better yet, tell them the best way to find out the answers to their queries is to simply join. Let that man know, should you believe him to be a good candidate to Freemasonry, that the option to join is there should he wish to take it. Maybe then we will have a new Brother. This is a more fitting result than the former. Don’t you agree? 

Bro. Wayne DJ Greenley is an Entered Apprentice (Soon to be Fellowcraft) hailing from Queensland Australia. He is a student at University and loves classical music as well as the theatrical arts. He is anxiously awaiting his next steps in the fraternity.