Meet, Act and Part

By Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J.Knott

Let me be clear from the start, this article is a shameless plug for the Meet, Act, and Part podcast.  Darin Lahners, Bill Hosler, Todd Creason, and I started the podcast in early 2020 as another means of sharing Masonic information and topics with others.   I have long been a radio junkie and when the podcast movement began to take off, I quickly began listening to them, so creating our own podcast seemed like a natural thing to do.

I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what direction the podcast was going to take.  The group of us had some brief conversations on topics and format, but eventually, we just decided to dive in and figure it out as we went.  We bought a domain name, found a recording platform, and figured out what kind of equipment we needed such as microphones to begin.  

Our first episode was on Masonic education, which seemed like the perfect topic to begin with considering that is one of our major interests.  On episode number 4, we had our first guest MWB Roger VanGorden, Past Grand Master of Indiana, who spoke with us about The Path Forward Campaign and the new website Be a Freemason.  Over the course of 2020, we had several other guests such as Chris Hodapp, Robert Johnson, Steve Harrison, and Michael Poll.  We went international with guests Sotoris Sakellarious from Greece and Mathew Christmas from England.  

The format has continued to evolve and we have worked to create our own niche in the Masonic podcast world.   There are some fabulous podcasts out there right now, such as Whence Came You, The Winding Stairs, and The Historical Light to name just a few that each have their own style. 

We utilize a conversational tone with our guests and each other.   I like to think of our podcasts as the type of conversations you might have with a brother in the dining room or parking lot.  Free flow of ideas, learning from each other, and sharing our experiences.    

Darin Lahners is our editor and does a great job taking out our miscues.  Bill Hosler uses his fabulous web skills on maintaining our website and getting us out into the social media world.  Without them, this podcast wouldn’t be possible.

Where are we going in the future?  We will continue to have a wide variety of guests and topics.  We are especially looking for new voices within the fraternity.  Do you have any suggestions for guests?   Please let us know.

Let me close by thanking our listeners.  We appreciate the positive comments that we have received from so many people.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations we have had with so many outstanding brothers and am looking forward to many more.  Until then Brethren, let us Meet, Act, and Part.  

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott 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. You can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com

The Masonic Mountain

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

RWB Alex Powers

Have you heard of the Masonic Mountain in Colorado? We recently took a road trip to Colorado Springs for a much needed family vacation and I got the chance to see this particular mountain. Still not ringing a bell? Perhaps you have heard of Pikes Peak--I thought so. The term “Masonic Mountain” which you'll find referenced online, I personally think is a bit overzealous, but nevertheless there is quite the Masonic Connection. When I mention this to Masons unfamiliar with the story, their first thought always goes to, “...is it named after Albert Pike?” No, it is not. However, coincidentally enough, the man whom the mountain is named after is one General Zebulon Pike. It was originally named “El Captain” by the Spanish explorers and was later renamed to “Pike’s Peak” and finally, removing the apostrophe, the current “Pikes Peak” after one Zebulon Pike, the American explorer who documented the mountain after the documented the mountain during his exploration of the Louisiana Purchase territory. Even more interestingly, he was in fact distantly related to the legendary Albert Pike through a shared ancestor, James Pike.

Zebulon made a name for himself, though independent of his ancestral connection. He was a celebrated American general, brigadier, and explorer. Born January 5, 1779, Pike went on to lead an impressive military career although he would perish in action at the young age of only 34 years old. Zebulon and Albert Pike did have another point of commonality besides the status of General in the military and being distantly related. They both were Freemasons. Brother Zebulon Pike is said to have been a Master Mason belonging to lodge #3 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

So is that why Pikes Peak has been referenced as a “Masonic Mountain”? Because the explorer was a Mason and it shares a common surname, the same as Albert Pike? Well, perhaps partially, but there is actually something even more interesting that brings a solid connection to Freemasonry that lasts even to this day. Some are already aware that back in 1899 there was actually a Masonic time capsule placed at the summit of Pikes Peak. In 1899, there was a triangular time capsule made of copper inserted into a large boulder on the edge of the summit of Pikes Peak. For someone like myself who is not the biggest fan of heights it was a bit of a daunting task wondering my way over to it, but the historian in me would not allow me to leave without seeing it up close. For those that follow me on social media, I even did a live broadcast while standing next to the capsule. I figured if I happened to fall to my death in the midst, might as well document the event…

The capsule was originally placed there back in 1899 as a joint effort between the Cryptic Masonic of Colorado and Kansas. That was of course, a very pleasant surprise to discover, being a Kansas Mason. It is said that as many as 500 Masons arrived on a special train for the ceremony. That would have been a sight to see; 500 Masons carrying out a ceremony atop Pikes Peak! I can only imagine.

In 1999, on the 100th anniversary of that event, more than 200 Masons (still a mighty impressive number) from Colorado and Kansas once again took the Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak removing the capsule and its contents with the intention of replacing it with a new one for another 100-year term. Due to a misjudgment in size the replacement capsule did not fit correctly and on top of this, a theft occurred of those new items. What was left in their place-- a slew of anti-Masonic materials. September of that year it is reported that the issue was resolved and a new, proper fitting capsule was set into place with a crowd this time of 22 Masons. It is said the original capsule is displayed in a Kansas bank, however, I have not yet discovered where. If anyone reading this happens to know I would appreciate that information so I can pay it a visit in person.

So yes, this mountain does indeed have some Masonic roots so to speak. Some even into the depths of the hard, cold summit rock. Having the opportunity to visit this monument in person was pretty surreal to me. I imagined the original dedication crowd there so many years ago... If you ever have the opportunity to visit, make sure you act on it. I know the next time we are in the Colorado Springs area I will again pay a visit to the peak of "Masonic Mountain", and imagine again, the labors of my Brothers.

~AGP

RWB, Alex G. Powers is a historian and esoteric enthusiast. As a fifth-generation Freemason, he carries a hearty interest in antiquities of the Masonic institution. He currently serves as the Director of the Kansas Lodge of Research as well as District Deputy Grand Master for Area 9A in Kansas, he is also a Past Master and currently serving as Tyler and Lodge Historian for Gardner Lodge No. 65. Brother Powers is the host and founder of Historical Light, an independent production focusing on the history of Freemasonry. He is also the author of “A History of Gardner Masonic Lodge No. 65” with additional projects in the works.