The Midnight Freemasons: the 50 year member series

Showing posts with label the 50 year member series. Show all posts

WB Bill Hosler - A tribute to our fallen friend and contributor & his very last unfinished installment of the 50 year member series

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin A. Lahners

Nothing can ever prepare you for the loss of a friend and colleague, especially when their death is so sudden. There's not much more that I can add to all of the loving tributes to Bill Hosler. Bill impacted so many people and touched so many lives. He touched mine in so many profound ways. To say that I will miss him is an understatement. The hole that losing Bill has left in many of our lives will never be filled. We just have to find a way to cope.

I consider myself blessed to have worked in the Masonic Quarries with Bill, and honored to be able to call him my friend. I first started speaking with Bill shortly after I started writing for this blog in 2017. At first, we may have been a mutual admiration society. Later, when I started to be an editor of the blog, I would edit Bill's writings and give him feedback on some of his articles and we became collaborators. When Greg Knott and I decided to start a podcast, after some of our early test recordings, we decided we needed another voice, and I thought immediately of Bill.

It is through the podcast and the hours that Greg, Bill, and I would spend before and after each episode just having those deep, philosophical discussions where we would solve all of Freemasonry's problems, much like all Freemasons do in the parking lot before or after a lodge meeting, where I believe we formed a stronger bond. I am so happy that I was able to meet Bill in person. At the beginning of August 2020, when it seemed that maybe the COVID pandemic was coming to an end, Bill visited Greg and I. I was Worshipful Master of St. Joseph #970 AF&AM in Illinois for the second time. It was an amazing evening, which Bill wrote about here: Virtual Friendship, Real Life Brotherhood. I'm so happy to have that experience and the memories that go with it. I'm also happy to have had the episodes of Meet, Act, and Part with Bill. At some point when I'm able to listen to them without breaking down in tears, I know I can always hear his wonderful laugh, which was so unique, just like Bill was.

The last time I communicated with Bill, I had called him to check in on him. It went to voicemail, and he sent me a text the next day that he and Tammi were on a cruise and he was in the middle of the Atlantic. He told me he would be home last Tuesday. I replied and told him I would call him then, but as life often does, I became preoccupied with work and a busy Masonic week. I had every intention of calling him last Friday, but on my way home this past Thursday from a stated meeting at the very same Lodge that Bill had visited us at, I received a text from Bill's lady, Tammi. It was coming from Bill's number, asking Greg or I to call her. It seemed odd that she would be using Bill's phone. I braced myself for bad news, but I did not imagine it would be news of his passing. I have been beating myself up that I didn't get that last conversation with him, but as our mutual friend Robert Johnson told me, I would probably be hurting even more (if that's possible) having had that conversation.

Bill recently had been working on another installment of his 50-year Member series, but he was having trouble with how he should end it. I had been encouraging Bill to think about how he would end the series, and telling him that he needed to publish all of the series as a book. Ironically, the last installment of the series would be entitled "Why?" That's how many of us feel regarding Bill's passing. Bill and I had exchanged some ideas on how the below article would end, but I think it's appropriate to end it as suddenly as Bill left us.

The 50 Year Member-Why?

Bill Hosler, PM

Pudge is sitting in the living room of the 50 Year member. He knocked on John’s door and as soon as the old man opened it he could see the look of anguish on his face. “Have you seen this?” Pudge asked as he handed his friend a piece of printed paper Pudge had snatched from his printer in disgust. “Why? Can it be true? It makes no sense to make.”

The old man placed his reading glasses on his nose and began to read what his friend had given him slowly. “Honestly, I don’t know what to say. “ the 50-year member said in a very sad, some could say grief-stricken tone. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Pudge who was slowly sinking into the old man’s living room chair said “Why? It can’t be. He would have made a great Grand Master. He had so many good ideas to help the Fraternity thrive. All the guys were eager to support him and work with him. Now, it’s all gone”

Pudge was lamenting about an email sent to the membership to the membership of his Grand Lodge. The email stated that Randy Jones, a popular member and the Deputy Grand Master had been expelled from the Fraternity over charges that he had abused his power and had committed conduct unbecoming a Mason. “It can’t be true. He wasn’t like that.” Pudge continued “Lots of guys I have talked to in our online group are really mad! They don’t believe these charges. Many of them are so mad they are talking about quitting and starting their own clandestine lodge!”

The old man shook his head. “Starting another Grand Lodge makes as much sense as burning your house down because you saw a spider.” “That is the last thing that should be done.”

The old man continued. “First we don’t know what is truly going on. There is always a chance that the charges leveled at Randy could be true. We are on the outside looking in. I will admit that I have known Randy for a long time and that doesn’t sound like him.”

“Second. Let’s just say for a minute that the charges could be fake and Randy has been framed. It is plausible. I mean his aggressive new ideas for next year have some of the old guard on edge. The status quo will be gone and the elders will lose their power base and Masonry as they have known it for nearly three-quarters of a century will be gone. The change they have been scared of for so long will be here and the days of beating the drum for new members just to have the members quit a year later will be a thing of the past. Masonic education will be strong and the membership will learn the things they have been saying for years are not false or even worse a lie. With each new member is a potential vote against them.

That is my suggestion to you fellows. As the British said during the darkest hours of World War Two once said: “Keep calm and carry on.” He continued “You and I both know you young fellows will be running things. It has to be that way because old guys like me will be gone. Just like someday you guys will be replaced by the next generation. If you quit there will be no one left to try and fight for what you want and then Masonry will surely die. Not because of the old guys of today who won’t change but because your generation picked up their ball and went home. Encourage each other. Work together. Stay active in Grand Lodge and vote for what you believe in. Just like in the real world if you don’t vote you let the few who did pick your destiny. If you know Brothers who have quit out of discouragement talk them into coming back. They will be needed. Every potential vote you can rally brings you closer to your goals.”

“Just remember one thing: when times change, we both know they will not block the efforts of the young men who want to shape the craft. Remember how you feel right now."

Bill, I certainly do not want to remember how I feel right now. I have lost you, my friend. This feeling sucks. However, I will honor your wishes. Much like the 50-year member tells Pudge that he can't quit, neither can we. The best way I know to honor you is to continue to keep the Midnight Freemasons blog going and to keep recording Meet, Act, and Part. Neither will be the same without you. As Bill ended his article regarding his visit to St. Joseph #970; I end this article. Much like the line in the Tyler's toast used in English festive boards ”Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again.” My friend, I will be happy when we meet again in the lodge on high. Until then, many of us will keep your memory alive.

Bill's Masonic accomplishments are many, and can be found here: Bill Hosler Obituary Please keep his fiancé Tammi and his family in your prayers. If you are able to, please join Greg Knott and I along with other Masonic friends of Bill at his Masonic rites this coming Saturday, June 15 at 2pm Eastern Time at the Lindenwood Cemetery Chapel in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I’d like to be able to have as many Freemasons as possible show up for Bill.

~DAL

From The Archives: The 50 Year Member- That Noble Contention

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

The stillness of the temple’s Masonic library was shattered by the sounds of footsteps walking down the creaky wooden floors of the hallway outside the wood-paneled room. The 50-year member seemed puzzled to see the door of the library opened for a change. It is so rare to find anyone actually visiting the beautiful old room containing tomes of Masonic knowledge and history written by some of the greatest minds of the last few centuries. “Someone must be cleaning in there or using it as a storage room again.” The old man thought.

To the old man’s surprise and delight, he noticed a light was on as he walked by the room, but the room was occupied! Stopping dead in his tracks his feet left the creaky wooden floor of the hall and stepped into the deep plush blue carpet of the library.

There in the corner of the room with his feet resting on an ottoman, quietly seated in a beautiful old leather Queen Anne chair. The brown leather still in magnificent shape despite years of non-use was Pudge. It appeared Pudge’s mind was a million miles away lost in the contents of a dusty book the young man had pulled from the shelves of the Masonic library.

Pudge jumped in a startled fright as the old man exclaimed “There you are! I thought you dropped off the face of the earth! I have not seen you on social media in a few weeks. You have not been texting or returning emails. You have not even been here in the lodge for a couple of weeks. We missed you during degree work the other night.”

Still trying to catch his breath from the fright, his hands shaking, Pudge put his book down on his lap and sighed. “Yeah, I have been taking a little break from everything recently. I really needed to recharge and recenter my mind. I really think I am having a nervous breakdown. My stomach has been tied up in knots, and I feel nervous when I leave the house. I just cannot cope with all this negativity and constant arguing going on around me all time, so I have been spending a lot of time at home reading books, listening to calming music, and meditating."

Pudge continues “Everywhere I look all of my friends are at each other’s throats over one issue or the other. I cannot turn on a TV or look at social media without people I know and love hating on each other, calling each other names, and threatening violence. It just doesn’t seem to stop. It almost makes me feel like my skin is crawling.”

“You can’t even seek refuge in lodge anymore. There are people being nasty towards each other at supper, or fighting afterward if we stop off before going home. I even notice it within a tiled lodge. I know there has always been bickering in stated meetings. Either we are spending too much on light bulbs about the proper way to do floor work. It has always been that way and it will probably never change but right now all of it just feels like fingernails across a blackboard. I just feel like I need to get away from all of this for a while or I will literally lose my mind.”

The old man smiled and slowly sat down in the chair next to Pudge. “I feel bad you didn’t think you could come to me for help. I want you to know you can always come to me to be a sounding board or if you need a shoulder to cry on. It is like I have told you, I think of you like I do one of my sons.” He patted the young man on his hand. “I totally understand, Pudge. Honestly, I honestly think all of this has been hard on all of us. I wish I could say a few magic words and make all this craziness go away but sadly I cannot. Hopefully, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I have been thinking about this, I do not think we have any more discourse or angst than we have had before, we just have it in our faces more. Enough twenty-four news coverage and up-to-the-minute news, via the internet we just cannot escape it. We cannot even go out for a walk or venture out for a cup of coffee without a device bringing it to your attention. It is like you can’t get away from it. Add to that everything else we have encountered this year and it is almost like shaking a can of pop and opening it while the contents are still under pressure. All the soda shoots out everywhere spilling over everything and if you get a face full of it.”

The old man continued: “I cannot change the world, but I can do my best to tidy up my little corner of it. Sometimes when a man, a Brother is caught up in the moment he is blind to his surroundings. It is kinda like tunnel vision. Sadly, he may not see he is on the road to destruction until he has reached the point of no return. Maybe if you happen to encounter one of these Brothers who has forgotten how to subdue his passions, Maybe let's say has gotten caught up in the moment, maybe try to take him aside just the two of you, and try to whisper some good counsel in his ear. It is a gamble. He may understand what you are trying to say to him ad heed your advice, or he may cuss you out. Hopefully someday what you said to him will begin to make sense and if it is not too late, he can change course. All you can do is try to help your brother, but it is up to him whether he accepts it.”

He paused and said: “Not long ago I came across a Past Grand Master from California, MWB Russ Charvonia. He has dedicated his Masonic career to Masonic civility. The Brother has written on the subject and given talks about civility. Most of this material he provides was created long before our current situation, but I can sure tell you all of it sure hits home right now. He has taken all the material he has collected and he has created and he put it all together on a website https://www.masoniccivility.org/. It really has a lot of great information that one can use in lodge newsletters or present during your lodge. Some of it can even be used in the profane world. Kinda reminded me of a song my son used to listen to back in the '80s, called People are People by Dispatchy Moods.” Pudge replied and laughed: "I think you mean Depeche Mode."

The old man smiled and said: “Yes, that's what I said. When I was your age I always remember hearing: “You are either part of the solution or you are part of the problem!” Sitting here with your head in the sand like an ostrich, hoping it all goes away is a way to deal with the problem, but in no way is it a solution. I know it's hard to stand in the line of fire between two opposing forces but like it says in the Volume of Sacred Law: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Pudge started laughing and said, “There is also another saying, “The pioneers get all the arrows”. Pudge continued. “Seriously, I get what you are saying. All of this does not seem like it is going away anytime soon. I guess instead of sitting at home in the dark cowering in the corner until someone else fixes all the problems I could at least put my fears aside and try to be the solution. If it’s to be, it's up to me like they say. Let’s give it a shot. I hope I can count on your help and support on this. I have a feeling I am surely going to need it. “

“You know you can count on me.” The 50-year member said “I think between the two of us we can come up with some kind of program to help get this off the ground. The DDGM is a friend of mine I will see if there are resources the Grand Lodge can provide to help us with this. Who knows? They may even want to adopt what we create and introduce it to lodges across the jurisdiction.”

Pudge's eyes widened with amazement “Wouldn’t that be something?” Pudge said, “Honestly, that would be nice if it happened but If I did this it wouldn’t be to make a big name for myself.” The 50-year member chuckled “I understand that. Your humility is legendary. Call me later in the week and let me know what you come up with. Just do not become a hermit. You are too young and not rich enough to become the next Howard Hughes.”

“OK, Bro,” Pudge said with a confused look on his face. “Right now, I am going to sit here and finish reading this book. I wish someone would have told me about this room long before now. But I have one question for you. Who is Howard Hughes?” The old man groaned and put his hand on his forehead. “Oh geez!!! I must be getting old! Tell you what, just Google him!” He paused and then said mischievously: “I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to go home and take some anti-aging pills as long as I remember what I was planning to do once I reach the house!”

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco, Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this, he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member - Talkin' Bout My Obligations

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

Pudge was sitting comfortably in one of the newly restored leather wingback chairs in a quiet corner of the Temple’s Social room. Pudge seems quite happy while looking at a pad of drawings with a group of the lodge’s younger Brethren. The group was talking and laughing with cigars in their hands as the 50 Year member walked into the room. A smile came across the old man’s face as the sound of young men laughing took him to an earlier time on a cloud of cigar smoke. “It’s just like old times.", the old man thought to himself.

As the 50 Year member approached the men, he could begin to hear some of their conversations. “I like that one.” Said one young man “Have you seen the Superman I have on my calf with the Square and Compass on his chest in place of the letter "S"? I finally got the coloring finished on it.” The 50-year member laughed and said, “It must be hard coloring something on your calf. I hope you stayed within the lines.” the old man said with a laugh in his voice. The group checked. “Pudge looked up and saw the 50-year member. “Hi,John! Hey, do you have any tattoos?” The old man smiled. “Nah, back in my day the only guys who got tattoos were either servicemen, while they were away from home or prisoners who got them while they were in prison. Neither of which I would have been, my mother would have killed me.” The crowd laughed as the old man slipped quietly into a leather chair. The group continued to discuss various kinds of tattoos and showing each other pictures of Masonic tattoos that they found on Google while doing their research on the topic.

Hearing the laughter while walking down the hallway on the way to the lodge room, Past Master Herb Johnson ventured into the Social room and began to listen silently to the young men’s conversation. Herb piped in after he heard the 50-year member's response to the younger guys. “No John wouldn’t have a Masonic tattoo. John remembers the obligations that he took!” Herb said in a gruff voice.

The young men sat silent for a second and looked at each other. They all seemed confused. One young man said hesitantly in a quiet voice “It’s unMasonic to get a tattoo?" Herb stood up and arched his back and said in the know-it-all authoritarian voice, “It is if you get a Masonic tattoo!” Herb said, matter-of-factly. “You kids have already forgotten, "I will not print, paint…” Each with an uneasy feeling, the entire group of men began to steal glances at each other, worried and questioning if they were all going to be in a great deal of trouble. Herb continued “Yep. If you got one of those tattoos, the lodge might have to file charges on you for expulsion.” The group started talking to each other in quiet scared voices.

The 50-year member began to laugh so hard he began to shake in glee, as he slapped his knee. The old man eventually gained his composure again as he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes, “John this is no laughing matter. This is serious business!” Herb said. The 50-year member began laughing again and said to Herb through his laughter, in a mocking tone, “Oh yes it is Herb. You have them quaking in their boots at the thought of a Masonic trial. I hope you are as equally prepared as these young men will be when the un-Masonic charges are filed against you.” The old man was laughing so hard he could barely stand up from his chair.

Herbert, who began to sputter while his face reddened with anger looked at the old man and said in a high nasal tone, "File charges against me!? Why I never! I have been a member of this lodge for almost as long as you have! I have never done anything that can be considered un-Masonic in my entire adult life! I served this lodge as Master four times! I served on several Grand Lodge committees-- I have been a model…” The 50-year member interrupted Herb’s tirade “Oh Herb, I know! That’s why it will be a sad day when I walk into the lodge room and see the Tyler using his sword to keep you from gaining admittance. It will be a downright shame.” Sweat began to drip down Herb's forehead as his fists were balled up in anger. “So what is the evidence against me that you are going to use?” Herb said in a quiet voice, trying to calm his anger.

The 50-year member said, "Basically the same evidence you are planning on using against these “kids”, as you call them. Violating their obligations to keep secrets. Herb, you know as well as I do that the only real secrets of this Fraternity are its words and grips, and you know as well as I do you can pick up a hundred books or get on the internet and find those. These young men aren’t going to tattoo those words on their bodies. That’s stupid. If you ever bothered to talk to these young men before acting all high and mighty, you'd discover they are going to tattoo Masonic symbols like the square and compass, symbols from the York Rite or the Scottish Rite. Just like the ones you have on the back of your car and if I am honest, I've seen on the mailbox at your house, and I know we as a lodge have contributed to your guilt by giving you plaques and certificates through the years with those incriminating symbols on them. So I think if these young men are guilty of a Masonic crime then sadly Brother, you are guilty, nay, more guilty than the rest, because you have been in the Craft long enough to know better.

The 50-year member got quiet. The sound of the silence in the room was deafening. The old man said, in a quieter, more calm voice “I’m sorry if you think I'm rough on you Herb, but dang it! I feel like you have it coming. You might know our ritual front to back, but you haven’t bothered to learn the meaning of one single word in which you've memorized. But that doesn’t stop you from spouting off pieces of ritual, trying to act like an expert on the matter when you haven’t the slightest clue what you are talking about."

The old man continues “Sadly you aren’t the only one with this particular notion. Think back to last month when the lodge was discussing men, for goodness sake, policemen, carrying their legally owned pistols to a lodge meeting. Sadly, I knew as soon as the discussion began, some poor, uneducated Brother would stand up and utter the phrase “I will carry nothing offensive or defensive into the lodge room with me.” And I was surely not disappointed, because it didn’t take long for the phrase to be uttered. Do you know what gets me? I bet that poor ignorant Brother and every man who grunted his agreement to that phrase was nodding his head while he was carrying a pocket knife in his pants pocket. Should we have the Tyler frisk each brother before he enters the room? Or better yet make them pass through a metal detector to ensure he isn’t carrying anything metallic into the lodge? If we are going to misquote ritual, we might as well go all the way with this silliness."

“Brother we both know that line is about a candidate, not for a Master Mason attending a stated meeting. It’s just one of my pet peeves that we either use pieces of our ritual wrong, or worse yet, we purposely twist a bit of the ritual, out of context in order to further our argument or to prove a point to someone who is as equally ignorant into the meaning of those words we've all memorized, but we can’t call them on it because it will cause “Disharmony” within the lodge.”

The 50-year member paused for a moment as Herb’s head began to lower “Brother all I am saying is we are either going to hold all members to the same standards, or we will continue to see this Fraternity further erode. The days of saying one thing but meaning another have to stop before we drive off every new member. If we are going to make good men better, we need to do it through education and teaching actual Masonic education, not through twisted, bastardized ritual which has lost it meaning through the years because we have misapplied it." The old man smiled. “OK, I am now going to step down from my soap box and get ready for the lodge meeting. Herb go in and gets us some good seats, will you?”

Herb slowly backed away. “Honest John. I think I am going to head home. I don’t feel so good right now. I think I am going to take one of my Nitro pills and head for the house.” One of the younger men of the group stepped out of the crowd and said to Herb. “Brother, my name is Tim. I am a paramedic by trade. Why don’t you sit down here and let me examine you? You look a little flushed. If you are feeling that bad, I don’t want you traveling home by yourself." He continued, "After I look you over if you still don’t feel well, I’ll take you home, or if need be to the Emergency Room. You shouldn’t be left on your own if you feel that bad.” Herb looked up at Tim and said in a weak voice. You are going to help me even after how bad I was talking about you kids? Are you sure?” Tim just smiled, took Herb and sat him in one of the wingback chairs, and said, “Of course! I may not know all the ritual as well as some of the guys here, but one part I do know and remember quite well is “I will help, aid and assist.” It’s not only my obligation, but I live it every day of my life." Tim took Herb's hand, “Now just be still, let me have a look at you.” He looked at the crowd and said as he threw his car keys in the air, “Hey Pudge go to my trunk and get my paramedic bag out of the trunk please.” Tim then looked back to Herb and started his usual questions “So tell me Brother are you having any pains? Nausea?” …

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco,Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member - Pumpkin Spiced Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

The smell of burning leaves filled the air carried by the chilly winds of autumn as the 50-year member shut the door of his car and locked it. He smiled to himself as he walked through the temple’s parking lot, reflecting on how many nights in the fall of the year he took the very same walk through this parking lot after a three-month vacation from attending lodge.

The creaking front door of the lodge building opened with a welcomed feeling of warmth emitting from the building's heating system. The smell of supper filled the air.

Pudge was stirring a pot of chili in the kitchen for the evening meal. “Good evening John,” Pudge said with a smile on his face. “It’s good to see you after a summer of being dark. I missed being at the lodge.” The old man smiled, “Yep! It’s that time of year again for pumpkin spiced Masonry.” Pudge laughed hard. “Pumpkin Spiced Masonry! Did we get bought by Starbucks? I swear everything is pumpkin spiced these days!”

The old man removed his coat and hat and placed them in the cloakroom. “I’m serious. It's time for pumpkin spiced Masonry. If you think about it, there are parallels between the two.” The 50-year member continued “Think about it, Pudge. After a long, hot summer your mind starts to think about cooler days and falling leaves, football on Saturdays. You know, sweater weather. The days are getting shorter and the long nights remind us that winter is getting closer, which brings the holiday season and the annual lodge elections and holiday party. So when you hear this coffee company or that cookie company or whatever a particular company sells start advertising their spiced pumpkin goodies, Masonry is much the same way.”

The 50-year member explained: “I know the seasons are beginning to change when I look at my calendar, and I see that the lodge’s September meeting is coming up. Both are a sure sign of fall and will start the march toward the holiday season.”

Pudge laughed so hard he almost dropped the ladle he was holding. “I think you may have a point, John. I know I’m glad we are back in session again. I missed Masonry during those three months.”

“I miss seeing the gang during those months, but I still have Masonry in my heart during the break, even if I am not in the lodge.” The old man said, “To me, the learning doesn’t stop just because the lodge room is in darkness.” He continued, “If we go to the beach I take a book with me about Masonic history or symbolism instead of a murder mystery novel, or if I am hiking in the mountains, it is the perfect time for me to learn or relearn a piece of ritual. If I am really in need to spread Masonic cement, I can always attend a meeting at the Scottish Rite or go to the Shrine and talk with the Nobles who are a fixture there. You can even visit some of the widows of the lodge and see if they need any help, chances are they could use something even if it is just someone to talk to them. Don’t confuse Masonry with just attending a stated meeting. Masonry never stops no matter what time of year it is or even the day of the week. Whether we meet or not, it never hurts to rest from your labors now and then. Think about it Pudge, if that Craftsman didn’t stop and rest and refresh himself he would never have found that sprig of acacia. So, I welcomed the rest; I can tell you the officers of the lodge welcome it. I feel like I’ve rested and ready to restart my work in the quarry.”

Pudge stood up straight after he laid spoon on the counter. “I have to admit I did enjoy my time off. I spent part of my time of learning the stair lecture. I think I have it nearly complete. Maybe soon I will have the part down well enough I can conduct a candidate. You know, I’ve heard some lodges don’t take a break for the summer. Maybe if I start getting lodge sick next year I can always visit another lodge that doesn’t go dark. But it does feel good to be back. I am also excited to start our Saturday football parties in the temple's social room again, and I am hungry. Join me in some chili and cornbread? I made it my special recipe.” “You bet,” the old man said. "I brought hot peppers and antacid with me tonight. The peppers to make the chili spicy an antacid to cure the effects of the peppers later!” Both men laughed. “I can run out and get you a pumpkin spiced coffee to go with that chili too, if you like.” The old man snickered “I think your chili, and the fall stated meeting is all the autumn I can handle at one moment.” Both men laughed as the men took their places in line for dinner.

~BH

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member - Just an Old Photo On the Wall

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Bill Hosler

“He needs to rest, so please make sure your visit is brief,” the nurse told the 50 Year member as he and Pudge were about to enter the hospital room. “Yes ma’am, we won’t stay long.” The nurse stopped and hesitated for a moment:“You are family members of his, aren’t you?” The old man smiled. “Yes ma’am, he is my brother.” She smiled, “I’m so glad. The poor man has been in here so long and has never had a visitor. You can see the loneliness in his eyes.”

The 50 Year member peeked into the sterile hospital room. He could see Martin Baker lying quietly in a hospital bed. The only sounds that broke the silence in the man's darkened room were that of the machines providing the medicines keeping him alive, beeping as the life-giving drugs coursed through his veins.

Martin was a long-time member of the 50 year member's lodge. The old man felt like he knew Martin his entire life. Which, for the most part was correct. Martin and the old man’s father served together in the same unit during World War II and after the war they continued their friendship for decades.

The two men and their wives socialized together, some nights playing bridge at each other’s houses. And both family’s kids spent summers at each others homes playing baseball and other games. Some of the 50 years members earliest and favorite childhood memories are spending time at the lodge building with Martin and his dad while they served as officers. The fondest memory of Martin was when he served as the Senior Deacon conducting him through his Master Mason degree while the old man’s dad sat in the east and obligated him.

The shuffling of feet into the quiet hospital room seem to wake Martin up. A smile came across his face as his eyes tried to focus in the darkened room: “John, Is that you?” “It sure is Marty. I heard you were in here, I wanted to make sure you were okay and see if you needed anything.” Martin looked into the 50 year member's eyes and said with a feeble smile. “I’m doing okay. They are taking good care of me, considering everything that is wrong with me.” He looked over and saw Pudge standing near the foot of his hospital bed. "Who is this young man? Is this one of your sons?”

The 50-year member chuckled “Nope, but he might as well be. Marty this is Jeremy Pugslie. Most people just call him Pudge. He belongs to the lodge." Despite the many IV tubes, Marty raised his right arm and gave Pudge a certain grip. In a quiet voice Marty said, “Good to know you Brother. I’m sorry I don’t get down to the lodge much like I used to. I don’t get to meet many of the newer members.”

“I totally understand,” Pudge said. “I’ve heard a lot about you from John.” Martin laughed through a cough, “I bet you have. I could tell you a lot about him, too. I remember once, a long time ago when he was still in short britches, he carved the name of a girl he liked on the wall of the lodge’s preparation room with a pen knife when he was supposed to be cleaning it. His father tanned his hide so hard…” The 50 year member stopped Marty’s story, “Careful Marty, I am trying to run for sainthood and I can’t have these young ones know I am not perfect.” The 50 year member said with a laugh in his voice. Marty smiled and said, “Well son, you will never get elected as long as I am still on this earth. I know all your secrets. Lucky for you the doctor said I won’t be around here much longer.” Martin said quietly.

The 50 year member took the old man's hand and grasped it, trying to choke the tears away, “Oh Marty don’t believe those doctors. You are I both know they don’t know as much as they think they do.” Martin grasped Johns hand back. “I’m afraid this time they might be right. I can see the writing on the wall as clearly as I can see that girl's name you carved on the wall all those years ago.”

Martin continued, “Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve lived a good life. But sadly, most of the folks I have known all my life have went before me. I can tell because my daughter told me she called the lodge to let the brothers know I was in here and I wasn’t doing well. When I was in active in lodge we used to make it a priority to visit members or their wives in the hospital and make sure they didn’t have any needs. I never heard from anybody. I guess I have gotten so old I have been forgotten just another old dinosaur. I’m just an old photo on the Past Masters wall that no one ever looks at anymore. I know all these men are busy at their jobs, raising kids and trying to keep their wives happy,” Martin said with a slight smile on his face. “We had all of that and more in our day. But when we got a call from the lodge that a Brother was sick or his family was in a desperate situation, we all came running. I guess they are all busy with those charity projects the lodge does now that I read about in the paper.”

“I am just so glad you two came here to see me. I can’t say thank you to you both enough." A tear began to run down Martin’s cheek as his voice began to falter.

“You know I am scared but I am also happy because I will finally be able to stand in the Northeast corner of the Celestial lodge above and hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And I will finally get to sit in lodge with your dad again and all those old guys I have think about every day. But John, I need you to promise me something. Since I had all daughters they don’t understand Masonry. When my time comes to climb those winding stairs will you please make sure I get a Masonic funeral? I will make sure to tell my daughter to get my apron to you.”

The 50 year member sitting at the edge of Martin’s bed. Tears running down his cheeks, his hands shaking said to Martin, “Of course I will Brother. I will personally conduct the service, if I can keep from crying, I am also going to promise you something else. I promise to make sure that you won’t be just another old photo on the wall and I will make sure no other member of this lodge ever feels like they just an old photo either.”

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco,Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member - A Menace to Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Bill Hosler

“I SAY THEY ARE A MENACE!” Herb Johnson said as he banged his fork on the dining room table accentuating each word by pounding the table, “THOSE KIDS ARE RUINING THINGS!” With enough force, the vibrations knocked over a salt and pepper shaker sitting near him. “See! This is why we can’t have nice things!” Mike Bailey said breaking the tension caused by Herb’s temper tantrum.

“I swear Herbert your screaming about “those kids” makes you sound like a Scooby Doo villain!” The whole table laughed, and everyone turned to look at Pudge who was choking on his beef and noodles through the laughter. Bailey continued “If you don’t calm yourself you are going to give yourself a heart attack.” Herb began to sit quietly and began to spread butter on a piece of white bread quietly while muttering something under his breath.

“I hate to agree with Herb but honestly they have caused me issues.” The building manager Jerry Kelly said “I have found graffiti in the men’s restroom which I’m pretty sure was caused by one of the boys. Someone painted “Demolay” in spray paint on the back wall of the temple. I tell you that was a pain the clean off.”

Jerry continued, “The biggest problem I have is wax. After every meeting there is candle wax all over the lodge room floor from all those candles they use in their rituals. I’ve actually ruined several vacuum cleaners by accidentally sweeping over all that blasted wax!”

“SEE!” Herbert screeched “They are constantly running through the hallways and wrestling in the museum room. They even take the manual freight elevator and leave it on the top floor. Several of us have had to climb all those stairs to get the elevator and bring it down to the ground floor again! Those girls aren’t much better either!” Herb's shrill voice continued to raise in volume and in shrillness: “They are constantly asking the lodge for money for this trip and for that trip. They are always having one fundraiser or another and leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Do they expect us or the Eastern Star to follow them around and clean up after them? We aren’t their parents.”

“You aren’t anymore Herb, but I can remember when your sons and daughters were involved in the youth groups that meet here.” The 50 year member said while he sat down with his food. “Why, I can remember several members complaining about the same petty things then, as you are complaining about now. Seems to me Herb, I remember you standing up in the middle of the lodge defending those boys when your son Herb Junior was Master Counselor about…. Hmmm twenty five years ago?”

Herb began to breathe quickly as his eyes appeared to grow several sizes larger in his head, sweat ran down his forehead while his hands began to shake. The entire table grew nervous about the old Past Master's medical condition as he began to speak.

“Umm...now John that was a different case entirely back then.” Herb said in a quiet, weak voice. “They were just boys being boys they never meant to cause any harm.”

The Fifty Year member rolled his eyes and shook his head “I’m sure it was completely different Herb.” The old man continued “You knuckleheads really surprise me. You really, really do. Sometimes I think we might as well turn in our charter and turn this building into one of those coffee houses that are popping up around town!”

The men sitting at the table began to squirm in their chairs as the Fifty Year member continued: “Think about it guys. Almost every man in this lodge came to us from Demolay. So many of us in this lodge met our wives when they were young girls serving as members of the Jobs Daughters and Rainbow girls.”

“I can say that the first time I danced with a girl was on the floor of that ballroom next to where we are sitting right now. And it was many years before I was able to attend a high school dance.” Many of the men began to smile as their minds drift back to that same time in their lives. “If you think about it, most of the Demolay boys from that time got married to those cute little Rainbows or Jobies, we became the next generation of Masons in this lodge and they grew up to be Eastern Stars. I will admit we might have lost a couple of generations but, by golly many of these young men are bringing their children to join and I can almost envision the cycle beginning again.”

“Jerry, you mentioned how many problems the kids have caused you in the maintenance of the temple, but let me ask this; How many times have those some young boys and girls helped you by volunteering to work on the building on weekends?” Jerry lowered his head “Quite a few, John. They have helped paint the walls of the lodge rooms and the ball room and helped me strip and reseal all the floors. They have also cleaned out all the junk from the basement and the attic. Actually, they help out a lot. It really saves the building committee a lot of money by not paying out labor.” The old man smiled “How many of our Masons were there on these weekends?” Jerry laughed “Oh, maybe one or two...”. The whole table laughed.

“That’s what I thought,” The old man continued “And I bet I could call the Star’s Worthy Matron and she would tell me the same thing about the number of times the girls have helped them cooking and cleaning and baking cookies for their bake sales. But apparently these children, or as they should be called according to you guys, "Menaces to society" seem like they are a pretty valuable asset to this organization to me.”

“Brethren, you are right. They are a bit unruly at times. But after all they are children they need our guidance to become better men and women. If you stop and think about it guys, that’s why we all are here: To become better men. We just happen to be further down that level of time then they are. They need us for guidance as much as we need them to help perpetuate the membership of this lodge. It’s the perfect circle of Masonry.”

“Jerry, I’m sure if we found some nice brass discs or nice plates we could catch that wax instead of it falling on the floor of the lodge room.” The Fifty Year member said. “I’ll talk to the Chapter’s Dad. I bet we can come up with something.” Jerry replied.

“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Mike Bailey said as he wiped his face with a napkin “But I am going to get me a piece of blackberry pie and a cup of coffee before we open the lodge. Herb, I’m not sure you need any sugar, and you sure don’t need any coffee! You are wound up enough. If we give you any more stimulants you won’t quit talking and we will be in lodge until midnight!” The whole table began to laugh Herb replied with a bit of mischief in his voice, “Mike I can handle pie and coffee better than that belt you are wearing can. It looks like it's going to give way and explode at any moment!” as the table began to laugh even harder.

Pudge stood up and began to walk to the lodge room with the Fifty Year member “Honestly,” Pudge said “I think these guys and their back and forth insults are the circle in Masonry.” The old man laughed “Oh it’s a circle all right but these stooges are more the Imperfect circle instead of the perfect circle.” The old man laughed and said quietly to Pudge, “Funny thing is the joke is on all of them. I took the last piece of pie before I sat down. They are all out of luck.” Both men laughed themselves silly as they walked into the lodge room.

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco,Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

From The Archives: The 50 Year Member - Some Assembly Required

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

“You boys hurry up and get those things put away. When you're done come inside, I have warm cookies and cocoa for you.” The 50 Year member laughed. “Sometimes she talks to me like I’m one of her sons.” Pudge laughed. "I think it’s because she knows you are a big kid at heart.” The old man smiled, "I hope it’s that, and she isn’t slipping. By the way Pudge, I appreciate you spending your last holiday from work taking down my Christmas decorations. I know I haven’t added any new ones in years but it feels like it takes twice as long as it did a few decades ago.”

“You're welcome, Brother. But I hate to see all these decorations and the holidays go away. It’s weird, it seems like they arrive one day and then, BOOM, they're gone. It’s like they were never even here.” Pudge continued to roll up the string of Christmas lights. “I have been giving this a lot of thought, maybe it’s your influence on me, but the holiday season has made me think about Masonry.”

The 50 Year member chuckled. “So it’s my influence that makes you see the symbolism in things. I guess I should consider that a big honor!”, the old man said with a hint of sarcasm mixed with humor. “I guess that means you are listening to me and actually learning. So tell me how the holidays mix with Masonry. Is it the giving? The spirituality of these season?”

Pudge took in a deep, nervous breath, “Well, I’ve been thinking how the season is a lot like joining Lodge for a lot of guys. They petition a lodge and it seems like forever waiting for the news, the petition to be accepted, then for the interview process and then the ballot, until the day finally arrives. Your excitement continues to build with each passing day until the first holiday, or, well the day the degree arrives.All in a sudden there are celebrations, decorations hanging everywhere. You enjoy yourself and begin to prepare for the next one, then that day arrives and you begin to look to the last one, this time with a bit of trepidation because you aren’t sure what the new year or in this case the Master Mason degree will bring. Then the holiday arrives and the next day it’s all over! It’s been done and it’s time to return to normal life.”

“For some fellas it’s just like today. All of the decorations are gone. Gifts are put away and it’s like nothing ever happened. Not one sign of the holiday season is left, like it was a dream. They continue to live their normal lives with Masonry only just another memory. No more of an effect on their lives as a Christmas from years ago did. Or worse yet, something bad happens to them like bad degree work or becoming disillusioned with the Craft, and that bad moment makes them turn their back on the holiday celebration, never to celebrate it again. Like Scrooge in the old Dickens book."

The old man sat down the box of ornaments he was holding in his hands. He smiled as he looked at his young Brother. “Wow, I guess some of what I have said has been trapped between those ears. You really have given this subject some thought.” The 50 Year member stood erect. “My first thought, off the top of my head is, I think everyone has had a disappointing Christmas. I mean, think about when you were a kid and you didn’t get the present you wrote about in your letter to Santa. Or worse yet you told him about while you were sitting on his lap at the department store and he promised you that it would be under your tree. I think every person who has wanted something for a gift, Christmas or otherwise has been disappointed in something they have received. But then you move on hoping next year you will get what you want.”

Pudges breathing grew quicker and a sharpness appeared in his voice, “See! That’s it! These guys are walking because they don’t like the gift they are given. They realize that Santa isn’t real and then they quit celebrating all together. It is just sad.”

“It sure is sad, but let me ask you two things; One, are they sad about what they received, or two, are they disgusted that what they were searching for took longer than three days to magically appear? There is a big difference in the two.”

The old man continued, “Let me ask you this. If I were to buy you one of those plastic model kits of a car, would you prefer to receive it un-assembled in kit form or should I paint the car, add the decals and assemble it first?” Pudges brow furrowed. I guess I would want to put it together myself. It’s more fun that way.” “Okay." Replied the 50 Year member. “Lets say I went out and bought you a fancy tool box and filled it with every hand tool I could find. Would you expect me to come over to your apartment and use those tools to fix your car for you?” Pudge laughed and said “Are you kidding? Heck no! I might ask you to help but I want to do my own work!”

The old man smiled. ”I think you have answered your own questions. Freemasonry provides you the tools and the materials but you have to take what you are given and put it together yourself. What does it always say on a box with a new toy; Some Assembly required? We can be there for these men we can assist them, like the example about fixing your car, but we can’t do it for them. If that is what they are really looking for, to have the truth poured over their head like it’s a baptism, then sadly they will never be happy because they will continue to search but never find what they are looking for.”

Pudge picked up several boxes of decorations and started to the old mans garage. “I guess the best holiday gift I could give them is to be there and help them with their Assembly work.”

“Honestly Brother that’s the gift that keeps on giving for the entire year, or in your case youngster, a lifetime, or at least what is left of my lifetime.” The old man said with a laugh.

Pudge retorted, "If you keep working so slow that won’t be long, as cold as it is out here.” with a smile on his face, "Lets get done. I’m ready for those cookies and cocoa your wife mentioned.”

~BH

From The Archives: The 50 Year Member: The West Gate

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

The 50 year member was getting excited. Today was going to be a monumental day in his life. (Well, okay, not like the day he got married or the birth of his children, but still life changing). Today was the day he was going to purchase his first smart phone. Not just a flip phone like most of the guys in the lodge have but a real, up to date smart phone!

For years, the old man had resisted becoming like everyone else, walking around with a phone stuck in their ear, unaware of their surroundings. It had seemed silly to him; why couldn’t a call wait until you got home? If it was that important just drop a dime into a payphone and call them!

Then the 50 year member had started looking around as he was out in the world. The pay phones were gone! He realized it had been a long time since he carried a dime or any other form of currency, just money on a plastic card he carry in his wallet. He also watched Pudge, and his ability to answer any question or perform a multitude of tasks just by looking at the phone he carried in his pocket! After noticing this, the 50 year member decided having a cellphone could be a benefit and not just an “electronic leash” as he used to think of it.

This was a day for firsts. Not only was he going to buy a mobile phone he was going to try his first “fancy coffee”! The old man had been drinking coffee all his life. Black, no sugar. His father had always said “If you are going to drink coffee, you better learn to drink it black. There will be places you go that won’t have cream and sugar.” Dad had learned that in the army during the war. The 50 year member hadn’t ever encountered issues like that, but he guessed his dad was right.

The 50 year member was standing in the coffee shop staring at the menu board trying to decide what kind of coffee to try. There were so many choices! Most of them he couldn’t pronounce let alone figure out what was in them. You couldn’t even ask for a large! "What is a venti?"

As he is trying to decipher what to try, Pudge walks in and slaps him on the back. “You order yet?”, Pudge asked. “Are you kidding?” The 50 year member said with laughter in his voice. “People talk about Masons and their secret codes! I think I am going to need a translator just to order .” Pudge laughed and volunteered to pick a coffee for him if he would grab a table for them. The old man gratefully agreed.

As they sat down and waited for their coffees to cool, the two started discussing which phone would be the best for him. Pudge said “I have been dealing with this salesman for a while. I have been thinking about talking to him about our lodge and see if he would be interesting in joining. He seems like a decent guy.”

The old man was staring at his coffee cup. “What is in this? It’s so hot I can’t taste it! I hope I don't scald my tongue! I never had a coffee with whipped cream. Is this coffee or dessert?” He asked aloud while trying to blow into the cup to cool it down. “I don’t understand the chocolate sprinkles on top.”

Pudge was laughing. “Did you even hear what I said?” The old man said “I understand why they put the little cardboard sleeve around the cup now. I have never seen coffee this hot before!” Pudge was laughing “John, are you still here?” The old man looked up and said “Sorry, maybe it’s all the caffeine. I did hear you. Do you know this fella outside of his job?” “No” Pudge said “But I know we need members. The representative from the Grand Lodge who visited us recently said so, and this guy seems ok, so I thought it was a good idea.”

“He might be a wonderful person” The old man said “He might make the perfect Mason, but you can’t tell about a man’s character just by a few interactions. You know he will be friendly and a perfect gentleman while he is at work - his job depends on it. You need to get to know the man. Find out what he is like when he is out in the world. Maybe after a while, say after a few months, if you deem him to be worthy, bring up the subject. If he seems interested, maybe give him one of those pamphlets we produce.”

The old man blew on his coffee again, hoping it was finally cool enough to drink. “We don’t need more men. We have plenty of them on the books now. Members go through the degrees and then never return. Instead of just running men through the lodge room like cattle at an auction, collecting initiation fees, just to see them walk back out the door with a new apron and a Dues card in their hands, never to hear from them again until we hear their name read in lodge for suspension of non payment of dues, we need to figure out why they don't come back and keep them interested in coming back every week.”

The old man lowered his head and began to stir his coffee with the little green stick the barista gave him “The fellas who wear the gold collars can't seem to understand this. They just keep hoping if we keep adding names to the books, some of them will stay. I guess in a way they were right; I stayed and Pudge you stayed, but how neat would it be if the majority we brought in would hang around?” Pudge sitting in deep thought, unfurrowed his brow. “I know you are right. We stayed and kept coming. I think fellas like you and I need to keep working on our lodge, and maybe we can figure out ways that may encourage other new guys to return to lodge or newly obligated Brothers to continue coming back.”

“Exactly!” The 50 year member stated as he took the top off his coffee cup. “Maybe I'd I take the top off this thing it will cool off. It's like mixing strong coffee with ice cream. It's weird but I think I could get addicted to this.” the old man said. Pudge laughed.

The old man continued “Masonry is kinda like this coffee shop. They have to make coffee that people will like. If they don't, it won't be long and they will be out of business. If they just serve strong black coffee that the old men drink and tell customers "We know this is really what you want and we have served it that way since 1945", folks might buy one cup to try it, but they'd never come back. We need to start giving young men the ingredients they want in their coffee so they will keep coming back and getting their coffee from us!”

“You’ve got a point John” Pudge said “Businesses have to keep up with the times to keep customers coming in. We have to give the people what they want without ruining the original product. Just like this coffee shop.”

The 50 year member had a big grin on his face as he jumped up from his chair “Well! I think we solved that problem! I say we get out of here and look at these phones! It might be the caffeine talking but I have had this much energy in years!” the old timer said with a laugh in his voice “I feel like I could run to the phone store! Say, I think after we buy this phone we should stop at a kitchen supply store and buy one of these fancy coffee machines for the lodge! Just imagine if we give a cup or two of this stuff to the Past Masters before we open lodge; they might actually stay awake for degree work!”

Pudge got up from his chair laughing “Maybe. Or maybe I can get you home and get your new phone charging so it will be fully charged when you wake up from your nap after this caffeine buzz wears off and you crash.”

~BH

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member: A Dirty Shame

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

“I’m telling you this whole thing is a downright dirty shame!” Pudge said loudly as he picked up a box, his deep voice sounding God-like with the reverberation coming from the marble walls of the large, empty lodge room. “There has to be a way to stop this!” The 50-year member slowly standing upright and wiping his face with a handkerchief from his back pocket. “I wish there was too, but after all these years it can’t be stopped. I'm afraid it's a done deal,” The old man said sadly.

It was a sad day for our two friends as they were helping the Brethren of a nearby lodge remove the last of the items they had been storing in their former temple. It had become a familiar story. The building which had been erected at the turn of the 20^th century had fallen on hard times. This edifice which had once been the pride of the city had begun to crumble in a derelict section of downtown. Once the site of chauffeur driven limousines bringing ladies dressed in their finest evening gowns on the arms of gentlemen in white tie and tails walking up the grand staircase of the temple to attend the opera or the symphony, sadly these days the steps are now covered in trash in a building which has become a shelter to homeless people trying to find a place to get out of the elements.

After many years of struggling with the cost of maintenance and trying to come up with ways to pay for the monthly utilities the Brethren decided to sell their home and look for smaller, more affordable quarters. It was a sad day for them but they took consolation in the fact that they had done everything they could. For many years the Brethren tried having fundraisers. A fish fry in the fall and a pancake breakfast in the spring. Both events were sparsely attended. The members counted on word of mouth advertising to bring in customers. Rarely did the people come since the events were held on Saturdays when downtown was like a ghost town. Most people didn't want to drive into the city center from the suburbs when they could have breakfast at a chain restaurant down the road.

Over the years as the older members passed away and the pool of volunteers willing to work the events got smaller. Younger members said they didn't want to give up their weekends working making food when the profit would net around a hundred dollars (If they were lucky to make a profit). To pay a monthly heating bill of over four thousand a month. Not to mention the cost of maintaining a 90 year old 78 thousand square foot building. The younger members offered several alternative fundraisers which required less labor and produced more revenue but the board voted them down mostly because “We have never done anything like that before.”

Several years after voting to put their temple on the market the board decided to remove their listing. In that time the Brethren received one offer which was so low they considered an insult. It was pennies on the dollar and much less than what they thought their property was worth and much less than what they needed to buy another property.

Finally after nearly a decade of struggle an exhausted temple board threw in the towel and signed away the ownership of the building to the city and the members of the several lodges which met in the building either found a new venue in which to meet, consolidated with another lodge or turned their charter into the Grand Lodge.

The city tried to find alternate uses for the building. They tried to make it into an art gallery and then a fine arts studio and several other ideas. None of the plans could be fulfilled either because of lack of funding or because the building wasn't suited for the purpose. After nearly a decade of being abandoned the city decided to tear down this once magnificent edifice. The building had become, in the mind of the government, a health and safety hazard. Rodents ran rampant through the building while evidence of prostitution and drug paraphernalia were discovered scattered across the floor of the grand ballroom which once hosted presidents and governors. The place became the focus of several newspaper articles and TV reports showing the decay and the hazards caused growing pressure on the city council to eliminate what had begun to be called a symptom of "urban blight". Sadly the city council voted to have the building torn down and a parking lot put in its place.

“What would it take to change this?” Pudge asked in desperation. “Well. First you would have to get the city council to change their minds. You would have to come up with a viable plan quickly to save this building and then you would need the money to restore it. Probably between two to four million dollars to fix everything and bring it to current codes and standards.” Pudge’s brow furrowed as his heart sank. The young man began to feel helpless.

"I understand. It's just such a shame. Such a beautiful building. It's just horrible that it's going to become a parking lot! How does something like this happen?” Pudge asked. The old man took a deep breath and slowly lowered the box he was holding to the ground.

“Well” the old man started “I can't speak about this particular building but sadly I've seen this happen too many times.” The 50 year member continued. “One building I'm thinking of had over one-thousand members in the 1950’s. Each one of them paid, I'm guessing, around twenty five dollars a year in per capita to the building every year. In those days twenty five bucks was a lot of money. Especially when you had that many men paying that amount. The money was rolling in. The leaders never gave a second thought to the fact that those numbers wouldn’t stay the same. They spent money like there was no tomorrow. Sadly there wasn’t. They put some money away but not enough. They also used the money to buy land surrounding the building. They paid a premium for that property thinking they would have enough members continue to pay dues. A few years later the real estate market downtown plunged and their investment was worthless.

Around the same time membership began to drop. You already know that story Pudge. The numbers kept dropping and the lodge wasn't bringing in new membership to replace those that we lost.

After several decades the membership had dwindled down to less than 500 members. It was the beginning of the end. The temple tried to rent out their beautifully ornate ballroom for weddings. There was a lot of interest at first until the customers discovered that, thanks to the temperance zealots a century and half before, the Grand lodge would not allow alcohol in the building. Once potential customers discovered this you never heard from them again. In desperation the board had no choice but to raise per capita on the members of the building. At first the leadership thought this would solve all their problems but they neglected to consider two things. One an increase of only ten dollars really didn't keep up with the inflation of the past fifty years and two, the worst of it was not everyone would have to pay the increase.”

The 50 year member elaborated “Out of the one 500 members in the building two thirds of them had been Masons for over fifty years. By Grand lodge law these Brethren did not have to pay anything. Including the per capita. The members were asked, (I'm thinking 'begged' might be a better word) to pay the thirty five dollars but nearly all declined with the rationale they had paid their dues for fifty years so they had done their part. So what you were looking at was around one hundred fifty men trying to take care of the expenses of the entire building. To make it worse the older men who had to pay nothing ran the building, so if the young men tried to come up with a way to make up for the shortfall they were voted down.”

The 50 year member summed up his thoughts. “I guess Pudge, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Some of us want to live in the past while not planning for the future. I am just glad our temple thought ahead and tried to make sure we planned for the rainy days we all know will come.” The men picked up their cardboard boxes and slowly started carrying them to the truck.

“I'm glad we are in better shape. Even though I would hate to see this building demolished I understand. Still a shame.” Pudge said. “I know, I hate to see it too, but I heard a very wise Brother once ask the question “Are we a Brotherhood of men or real estate speculators?” He was right. Friendship, Morality and Brotherly love can prevail in any building we meet in. No matter how expensive or ornate a building, it isn't a lodge without the charter and the brothers. Just like the old saying “ Iron bars do not a prison make.” Neither do marble walls and ornate columns a Freemason make.”

~BH

From The Archives: The 50 Year Member - Rest and Reflection

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

The air was crisp and cold as the fifty-year member locked his car. Slowly the old man walked down the sidewalk of his house to the front door, fumbling for his house keys in the moonlight.

The front door of the house opened into darkness with a squeak, the old mans footsteps echoed through the home as he found a light switch. “The place feels so empty” he thought as he removed his shoes. His wife was visiting their grandchildren on their Christmas vacation. The old man poured himself a glass of egg nog and quietly sat down in his study.

As the fifty year member slowly slipped into his overstuffed leather chair a smile crossed his face. It had been quite an exciting evening. Tonight was the annual Feast of the Saints Johns and the lodge's installation of officers. It made the old man's heart feel good to see such a large crowd at the dinner. Lots of the elder Brethren who rarely attend stated meetings came and broke bread with the lodge's newer Brethren. All of the generations seemed to enjoy the interaction with each other.

It had been such a long time since he had seen that many men attend the feast. The old man reminisced, “The last few decades we considered the event to be successful if we had a dozen brothers there. This year we had to add more tables!” The old man beamed with pride as they called the caterer to ask them to increase their head count. “ the caterer was probably as surprised as we were.” the old man laughed to himself.

When the time came to open lodge for the officer installation it seemed so shocking. For the first time he could remember not a single office, with the exception of the Secretary and Treasurer, was going to be held by a Past Master. The lodge was going to be in the hands of some very competent young men. The future of the lodge was never brighter.

Even the installation itself had a different vibe. The incoming Master decided he wanted the public section of the ceremony to be streamed live on the Internet. Who would believe people from all over the world would be watching the officers of our little lodge receive their jewels!

For many years the officers were installed to an empty room. After so many years of attending lodge functions the wives found reasons why they couldn't be present. The children of the Brethren had grown up and moved away. They were leading their own lives and didn't have the time to see the same old tired ceremony they were forced to attend all through their childhood.

When the Tyler opened the door to the lodge the room began to fill with young wives holding their children's hands as they were seated on the north and south sides of the lodge room. All the children looked so cute. The boys with their hair slicked back in their little suits complete with ties and the girls in pretty little dresses clutching their purses trying to look grown up just like their mummy. It brought a tear to the old man's eyes looking back to his childhood when he attended his fathers installations.

As the old man rested in his easy chair his mind started to wander in the silence of his empty house. “Tonight was the end of the previous year and the beginning of a new Masonic year. Upon reflection, last year was amazing but how can we make this new year better than the last? There is no reason each year the lodge cannot progress and be a little better than the last.”

The fifty year member yawned and slowly arose from his chair. “We as members are the lodge” he thought to himself. “We are the reason a lodge thrives or it dies. We have a brand new year to make our lodges and ourselves better than we left them in the previous year. Making our lodges better WILL help us become better men and isn't that the purpose of Freemasonry?”

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco,Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member: Part Fifteen - Masonic Memes

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB. Bill Hosler

It was a typical evening meal in the lodge's dining hall. Frozen lasagna purchased from the local big box store was served on paper plates and eaten with clear plastic forks. The bag of salad was sitting on the counter, uneaten and unopened, next to the store-brand ranch dressing. Some members have often joked that the salad was bought during the first year the lodge had been chartered.

The conversation at the tables was pretty much the same conversation that had been going on for decades. The same old jokes and memories from years gone by. It was pleasant dinner talk by friends who, over the years, had become brothers - as sure as if by birth.

The quiet, polite talk was stifled by the sound of the front door of the temple being loudly slammed. Heavy footsteps coming down the hall revealed that the noise was coming from Worshipful Brother Carl Bauer. His face was red with anger as he stomped into the dining room waving several sheets of paper in his hand. Carl walked past the counter, and the lasagna, directly to the diners sitting at his normal table.

“Well hi, Carl! How has your day been?” another past master asked while the whole table erupted in laughter, which only further infuriated Carl.

“How am I doing? How am I doing, you ask?” Carl said in a high-pitched, angry voice, “I'll tell you how I am doing. I am beside myself with anger!!”

“Well, I'll be darned!” the Past Master said as the laughter got even louder, matching the rise in Carl's blood pressure. “What's got you upset, brother?”

“My Grandson was over and brought his computer with him so he could do some school work. We got talking about how to search for things on the internet. To practice, I asked him to look up Freemasonry. His search brought up a lot of pictures. Some were very nice: Photos of lodge rooms, Brethren in their aprons. Things like that.”

“Then he showed me this website that got my dander up. There were these pictures of various things with words written across them making fun of Freemasonry. I had him print these for me. Here, look at these!”

Carl threw the printed pages in his hand onto the dining room table and spread them all out to be seen. Upon the pages were photos, some with still photos from movies or photographs from various pages of the Internet. Various words were superimposed on the photos, much like word balloons on the frame of a comic strip. These pictures were making fun of masons, ranging from what we wear to how we wear it, even insulting pancake fundraisers and past masters.

“I think these are created by anti-Masons.” Carl snorted in frustration. “Who else would say such vile things about the Craft!”

Pudge dropped his plastic fork and picked up one of the photos.

“Oh, these.” Pudge said as he chuckled a bit, “These are called memes. I don't think these are the work of “antis”. “Antis” would be disparaging all of Freemasonry. Most of these talk only about the way Grand Lodges operate, one-day classes, and things. Usually, they are created by younger Masons to make each other laugh and to display their frustrations. Some of them are very funny.”

Carl's eye widened as the vein in his neck bulged out “You are telling me MASONS create these things?” They say a such vile things about our leadership and our Grand Lodges! I refuse to believe a member of our Fraternity would stoop so low. They should be found out and be thrown out of the Fraternity! Why this is unmasonic! It is blasphemy!”

The 50-year member placed the last bite of the toasted hot dog bun in his mouth. thinking to himself that hot dog buns which have been brushed with garlic butter make a terrible replacement for actual garlic bread, then looked Carl in the eyes.

“You know Carl, it is said for something to be funny it must contain a certain amount of truth. These young brothers are frustrated. They join our lodges looking for the thing we say we provide: Self-improvement and a way of making themselves better men. They come in excited and full of hope then to have their hopes dashed by us older members with the usual clichés like 'We have never done that before' or 'Grand Lodge won't allow us to do that.' We tell them we provide one thing and then provide another. How can they not feel bitter?”

“To be honest, I am surprised any of them stick around long enough to vent their frustration. Honestly, Carl, instead of cursing these young men you should be thanking them for making these, what are they called?” the 50-year member looked to Pudge, “Memes?”

Pudge nodded to the old man with a little grin. Carl’s reaction, however, was that his blood pressure nearly reached the point of having a stroke.

“Thank them? You have got to be kidding, John! Thank these kids for making a mockery of the Fraternity I have loved and served for so many years? What’s next? Give them a medal for their heresy?”

The 50-year member laughed with a sly smile and said “Well, for one thing, for saving the Fraternity you have loved all these decades.”

The old man continued “Carl, you, me, and every one of us sitting here has been saying for years that Masonry is dying. The young people aren’t joining the lodge like they did when we were youngsters. We went a few years without a single candidate and we were worried this lodge wouldn’t be around much longer. Then, all of a sudden, those movies came out that made Freemasonry look cool, like something that young pups like Pudge and the others would want to belong to. They put in a petition to join and then, once they are raised, Freemasonry isn’t like the movie made it out to be.”

The 50-year member looked Carl in the eye and said “The Grand Lodge and leadership of every other Masonic body have been racking their brains with ways to make the young men want to stay around. They have tried everything: low dues, one-day classes, and loosening requirements to join. All done in hopes of bringing the youth in. Nothing has worked; in fact, it made the situation worse. They have done everything they can think of to bring these young men in except for one thing: Ask these men what they want out of the lodge.”

The 50-year member continued “We need to take these... memes... and read them, study them, and analyze them. If we look past the jokes and the sarcasm we will see what these men want out of Freemasonry and, better yet, what they don’t want. From what I read here they spell it out. They don’t want long-winded meetings with arguments and the reading of minutes.”

“They want Freemasonry: To make themselves better men. You ask yourself, Carl, are we giving them that? How would you feel if you were sold something, and paid your hard-earned money for it to find out it was nothing like you were told it was going to be? I bet you would be sore and complaining to high Heaven and everyone else who would listen that you had been ripped off. These young fellas are doing the same thing, just in a different way.”

Carl stood still for a moment, staring at the floor. The color in his face began to return to normal as he cleared his throat and quietly said “I must look like an old fool. I see what you mean, John. If I was their age and felt like I had been cheated, or my opinion disregarded, or worse yet, if I thought I was disrespected, I would have done things a lot worse than drawn cartoons with word balloons. I guess if I were to think about it, these young fellas have a lot more reserve than I would have had.”

The 50-year member rose from his chair and placed his hand on Carl’s shoulder. “They are good kids. I guess I mean 'young men.' They are just looking for that which is lost in their generation. Maybe once you get to know some of them You can help them work through their frustrations about Freemasonry and make this an organization we all will love. As I have heard many times, 'Harmony being the strength and support of all societies, especially ours.' Why don’t you sit here with us have some supper and we can all discuss what things we would like to see in our Fraternity. Who knows, you might find some common ground.”

Disclaimer and Copyright

Freemasonry is the oldest and the largest fraternal order in the world. It is a universal brotherhood of men dedicated to serving God, family, mankind and country. The focus of The Midnight Freemasons is primarily on subjects relating to Freemasons and Freemasonry.

However, any opinion expressed are those of the contributor alone, and are not meant to reflect in any way, shape, or form, implied or otherwise, the opinions or beliefs of the fraternity of Freemasonry as a whole.

All content, unless othewise attributed, is copyrighted © by The Midnight Freemasons. All rights reserved. We encourage you to share our work, but due to previous abuses, we ask that if you reprint anything you find here, please send us a link so that we can be certain that the piece is posted in its entirity and that the authorship is properly attributed. You'll find our email address in our contact information.

Thank you,
The Midnight Freemasons

WB Darin A. Lahners

WB Darin A. Lahners is our Managing Editor. He is a host and producer of the "Meet, Act and Part" podcast as well as a co-host of an all-things-paranormal podcast, "Beyond the 4th Veil." He is currently serving the Grand Lodge of Illinois Ancient Free and Accepted Masons as a member of the Committee on Masonic Education 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 also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, Salt Fork Shrine Club under the Ansar Shrine, and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Prairieland College in Illinois. He is also a Fellow of the Illinois Lodge of Research. He was presented with the Torok Award from the Illinois Lodge of Research in 2021.

RWB Robert H. Johnson

RWB Johnson is an Emeritus managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses 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. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry", “The Master’s Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self – Annotated Edition” and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog, and an award-winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. Todd started the Midnight Freemason blog in 2006, and in 2012 he opened it up as a contributor blog The Midnight Freemasons (plural). Todd has written more than 1,000 pieces for the blog since it began. He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary. 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). He is a charter member of Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is a Past EHP. You can contact him at webmaster@toddcreason.org

Gregory J. Knott, 33°

Greg is a founding member and Senior Contributor of the Midnight Freemasons. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and Past Master and 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 Valley of Danville Scottish Rite, a charter member of Admiration Chapter No. 282, Eastern Star and GAO Grotto. He is also a President of the Salt Fork Shrine Club of ANSAR Shrine (IL), serves as Secretary of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Greg serves as a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters.

Bro. Randy Sanders

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

Ken JP Stuczynski

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and Master of the Western New York Lodge of Research No.9007. Hew currently serves his district as Assistant Grand Lecturer. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org, he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Past High Priest in Royal Arch Masonry, Past Sovereign Prince of the Scottish Rite, and a Cryptic Mason. He and his wife are serving again as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considers himself a “Masonic Feminist”. As a masonic speaker throughout New York State, he primarily speaks regarding the use of technology in the Craft. Some of his numerous Empire State Mason articles have been republished in Arizona and New Jersey. To aid in his outreach on these topics, he authored “Webmastering the Craft: Fraternity in a Digital World”, available worldwide in softcover and eBook. He also regularly gives his "Astronomical Tour of the Lodge" at various Lodges. Having lifelong interests in world religions, science, and other fields, his degree is in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and a minor In Psychology. He has written articles and essays on the topics of science and religion, culture and politics, business and economics, technology and futurism, as well as various aspects of social psychology. Usually, with interdisciplinary contexts, many of these focus on the ideals of intellectual honesty and tolerance in all forms. Having edited and contributed to Books of Transactions as a member of the Western New York Lodge of Research, he is writing a book on Masonic research bodies. Slowly transitioning to writing and publishing, he continues working on his primary business, Kentropolis Web Development, and Design. He works from home, living in Buffalo, New York with his wife and numerous pets. In addition to various community service projects, he is also an independent interfaith minister with hospital chaplain credentials which aid him in visiting Brethren at health facilities. He also enjoys carpentry, martial arts, and beekeeping.

Patrick Dey

Patrick M. Dey is a Past Master of Nevada Lodge No. 4 in the ghost town of Nevadaville, Colorado, and currently serves as their Secretary, and is also a Past Master of Research Lodge of Colorado. He is a Past High Priest of Keystone Chapter No. 8, Past Illustrious Master of Hiram Council No. 7, Past Commander of Flatirons Commandery No. 7. He currently serves as the Exponent (Suffragan) of Colorado College, SRICF of which he is VIII Grade (Magister). He is the Editor of the Rocky Mountain Mason magazine, serves on the Board of Directors of the Grand Lodge of Colorado’s Library and Museum Association, and is the Deputy Grand Bartender of the Grand Lodge of Colorado (an ad hoc, joke position he is very proud to hold). He holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Colorado, Denver, and works in the field of architecture in Denver, where he resides with wife and son.

Phillip Welshans

Phillip Welshans is Senior Warden of Palestine Lodge #189 in Catonsville, MD under the Grand Lodge of Maryland A.F. & A.M. He is also a member of the Maryland Masonic Lodge of Research #239, and the Hiram Guild of the Maryland Masonic Academy. As a member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, S.J. in the Valley of Baltimore, he has completed the Master Craftsman programs and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society. His interests are primarily in Masonic education, particularly the history of the Craft, esotericism, and the philosophy of Masonry.

Erik M. Geehern

Bro. Erik M. Geehern is currently Master of Goshen Masonic Lodge #365 in Goshen, NY under the Grand Lodge of New York. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in October of 2019 and since then has served in various progressive chairs along the road to the east. He writes and curates a newsletter for his Lodge quarterly which disseminates education, history, and esoterics. He is also a member of the Grand College of Rites, the American Lodge of Research and the Kansas Lodge of Research. He works in restaurant operations; consulting, and when not engaged in his usual vocation, or laboring in the Craft, he loves spending time with his wife and two children.

Pages