An Old Friend Returns

by Midnight Freemason Managing Editor

Robert H. Johnson

When I became a Freemason back in 2007 (became an EA), I was a hard working guy who worked with my hands, winter or summer, cold or hot. I was outside 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. This is no big deal to many of you reading this, as I'm sure many of you are the same. When I finally became a Master Mason, I was still in that job and I wanted ring, but one that would withstand ANYTHING.

Enter the world of stainless steel rings. The market is flush with them now, but back then, there was really one dude who was the genesis of the trend, Bro. Gordon Spurlock. My lodge had a custom ring with him, and it was only $100. I know, now days, you can get a ring for about $25 if you really want to.

But this one was made by a bro, cut from steel, hollowed, ground, and the individual iconography placed and glued by hand. I liked that touch. I bought it and wore it every day. It had been "gold fired" as well, but that wore off after a year. That thing got beat to hell on the regular. Being steel, it even saved my finger from a few incidents.

About three years ago I started a new gig and started working in the office. I became a little more Masonic, I gained weight. All kidding aside, that ring became too tight to wear. Being steel, I can't resize it either. Insert long story about inspirational healthy living here. I was walking around the house last week and my current ring was noticeably loose. I thought, "Huh, I wonder if my old ring would fit again."

Turns out, it did. I smiled, and kept it on. It's nice to have it back.

Oh, I almost forgot, "Points Out" ;)

~RHJ

RWB, Robert Johnson is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 where he is a Past Master. He also serves as the District Deputy for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry and is also an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.

This Old Ring

by Midnight Freemason Emeritus

Bro Aaron R. Gardner 32˚

As of December, I haven’t been wearing my ring. I have felt naked without it. Why is it that a ring can weigh so much, not only on one’s finger, but on their heart as well? Does the ring possess a certain power over who I am as a man or as a Mason? Not likely. Instead, the ring has different meanings to different individuals who choose to wear it. Some opt to not wear one, which is perfectly ok, and others choose to wear one. I am one of the latter up until recently.

As I said, I have felt naked without my ring since December. I took it off because my fiancé wanted to exchange it for a bracelet which she bought for me for Christmas. It was a great gesture and I appreciate what she did. I love the bracelet and I love how it feels on my wrist. It is one of the greatest gifts she could have gotten me. It is from Masonic Man. She understands that I am a freemason and that I love being a freemason--I love the conversation that my ring brings about freemasonry, which she was hoping would happen with the bracelet. Secretly, I was hoping it would to.

The truth is, the ring is old. It is missing diamonds, the color is fading, and the band is bent. Any logical person would surely retire such jewelry as it is not worth much of anything other than costume jewelry. The ring even turns my finger green after some time of wearing it. So why is it so hard to part with?

Katie may never truly understand, but when I asked her for it back, I tried to explain to her the significance of the ring. I failed miserably, as I am better at writing out my thoughts than I am at speaking them—especially on the fly. The ring doesn’t hold any special power, other than the power that I assign or attribute to it. It’s just an old ring that my great grandmother gave me to replace the other ring I broke.

Yes, that’s right… I broke my previous ring. I have a tendency to break rings and they don’t rest well on my fingers. I attribute that to hard work and working with my hands. Since my time as a freemason, this is my third ring that has become bent over time; the previous two rings broke clean off my hand. The first one while I was stationed in Oklahoma, and the second one while I was on deployment in the United Arab Emirates. These rings have seen their fair share of toil and work. Katie, doesn’t understand why I feel the need to wear a ring other than a wedding band once she and I get married. She feels that wearing another ring is kind of gaudy.

Since it doesn’t hold any kind of power, I should easily be able to retire the ring and be accepting of the bracelet. It is essentially the same thing, right? Wrong. Fact is, the bracelet is hardly ever seen. Is jewelry meant for me or is it meant for someone else? Well, that depends on the person and the purpose of why they are wearing it. To me, I wear the ring to show not only to myself, but to others that I am a freemason. It holds a special power that I attributed to it of being connected in a world that many have no clue about. It opens doors to talk about the things I love. With the bracelet being hidden under long sleeves or a sports jacket, it is difficult to open that conversation with a simple hand shake.

It’s the key to opening the door for a lot of people. Our fraternity is looking to find more ways to discuss freemasonry with others and to get young men interested. The ring is the key. When a young man shakes the hand of a Mason who is wearing a ring, it brings up questions of where the Mason got the ring, what Freemasonry is, and the best question that is usually asked… How can one become a freemason?

Sure, the ring is old and beaten up, but it just shows how much work has gone into being a Freemason. It is a constant reminder that I am a rough ashlar working to become perfect. If I had a ring that was untarnished and didn’t see the dirt of the world, am I really doing the Craft a favor? Am I doing myself a favor? I want it to be a constant reminder that I am always working on myself, helping others, and Freemasonry to be better for the world around us. So until the day that I am perfect, or even better the day that I can actually afford a nicer ring that shines more than the light that shines in my heart for freemasonry, I will keep my ring and wear it proudly. If the day comes that the ring shines more than the light inside, then it is time to retire the ring altogether and walk away from the fraternity that I love and hold so dear to my heart.

So, for those who are worried about if their ring isn’t as nice as some others, do not fret. The light is within… the ring is only a symbolic light that gives you the permission to shine brightly, and shine brightly you will. For a Mason who cares more about his ring, is morally  destitute and should reconsider what that ring really represents.

~ARG

Bro. Aaron Gardner - Emeritus Contributor

Masonic Bling

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

The first step in addressing a problem is to admit there is a one. OK I admit, I like to collect Masonic bling. Perhaps it’s more than just a small collection. I’ve got countless numbers of lapel pins, medals, rings, watches, watch fobs and buttons. Additionally, I’ve collected a ballot box, a complete set of working tools, officers’ jewels, aprons and even a set of Masonic pillars.

Then there are the Shrine fezzes, Grotto fezzes and Scottish Rite caps. Not to mention the Knight Templar sword, KT Chapeau and White Shrine of Jerusalem altar apron. In my plastic boxes, I have coins, tie clips and numerous sets of cufflinks.

Why so much bling? I enjoy meeting the people that have given me the pins. Buying an old Masonic ring knowing that has worn sides because a devoted brother wore it before, gives me the perspective that our fraternity has been around for centuries. The Masonic pillars, which were in an Indiana lodge and a part of countless brothers’ degrees. The medals I have acquired after being at a Scottish Rite Reunion or participating in an AMD degree and thinking of the hard work and dedication it took to portray the degree work.

In the picture with this article is a watch given to me by fellow Midnight Freemason Todd Creason, a Midnight Freemason button that was created by Robert Johnson, a lapel pin from Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington DC that was given to me on my first visit and I later joined as a member and the 2017 Grand Masters pin from Virginia from a brother whom I met for the first time on a recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

The items themselves are obviously just things and most don’t have much monetary value. But what they represent is priceless. A brotherhood that has transcended hundreds of years and an on-going commitment by individual men seeking to improve themselves through Freemasonry.

~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), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC.