This is why we can't have nice things!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

Growing up, I thought it was just my dysfunctional family.  Every now and then I or my brother or my sister, or two of us in a conspiracy against the other would end up doing something that would start a large argument among the Hosler children.  Screaming and name-calling ensued and eventually, something would end up getting broken because the argument would become physical.  At this point, my mom often would join the chorus of loud voices with her famous “THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS!” cry.  I think this was an unspoken code between us siblings that we had better knock it off or the next step would be my father walking into the room like Chuck Norris, belt in hand to bring peace and quiet back to his kingdom. Dad wasn’t concerned about justice, he just wanted quiet so he could hear his television program again.  It wasn’t until I grew up until I discovered that Mom’s famous chant was something every mother says.  (Maybe it is taught at mother’s school right before the “If your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump too?” nonsense.)

Not long ago I was on a flight from Anchorage, Alaska to Oklahoma City.  The flight was long and cramped.  I was bored so I decided to find something to pass the time.  While catching up with Twitter I saw a tweet and I began to smile.  I knew I shouldn’t do it but the devil sitting on my shoulder talked me into it.  (Maybe the little angel who should have been on the other shoulder was detained by TSA.  But he was definitely not on the job.)

The tweet was posted from the account of the United Grand Lodge of England.  The photo celebrates an open house that was held at the Grand temple in London.  Pictured in the photograph were Dr. David Staples, Grand Secretary of the UGLE and the Grand Secretary of the women’s Freemason Grand Lodge in the UK.  The tweet read: “It's Grand Secretary Central! The Grand Secretaries of both the United Grand Lodge of England and Freemasonry for Women are here at @FreemasonsHall for #OpenHouseLondon today to answer any questions you may have about #Freemasonry for both men and women.”

I could almost feel the moderators of The Winding Stairs Facebook Group cringe as I posted the photo.  I knew what was about to happen but since I am a moderator in the group myself with a lot of time on my hands, I thought I could keep the oncoming dumpster fire down to a smoldering campfire.

Before the flight attendants passed out the first package of peanuts the posts started.  Some from the “He-man woman-haters” branch of Freemasonry, who like to throw the word clandestine around and remind everyone they will never forget their obligations by never sitting in a lodge room with women and the usual posts that go with any picture of a person wearing an apron in a skirt.  Then the other side was defending the tweet.  How we need to get more progressive like our English Brethren I thought to myself.  However, my favorite comments are from the Brethren who have no clue and say “Well, if women want to be Masons they can join the Eastern Star” like it is the same thing. They also decide to throw a few SMIB’s into the mix for absolutely no reason and I saw things begin to slowly devolve.

As the conversation progressed, the dialogue started to become un-Masonic.  The Name-calling began.  Some actual threats were made.  I began to think this whole thing had gone too far.  Sadly, for the group and for Freemasonry, I had to ban some members from the group for their conduct.  In a way, I am not sorry because we were able to do what should have been done at their lodge’s West Gate.  If a man is going to threaten, harass, or generally treat a Masonic brother in such a manner he doesn’t deserve to be a member of The Winding Stairs group, or the Fraternity itself.  I can’t do anything about the latter, but I have the power to keep the integrity of the former.

The saddest part of this whole scene to me is all this snarling and gnashing was completely unnecessary.  If someone would do a bit of easy research beforehand instead of going off half-cocked, this wouldn’t be a thing at all.

The He-man woman haters continually say that the United Grand Lodge of England is rubbing shoulders with a clandestine organization.  That they have recognized them as Freemasons.  Allow me to let you in on a little secret: They haven’t.   The UGLE’s relationship with the two female grand lodges in the UK is like dealing with the Mafia: “It’s business, not personal.”.  The ladies help the Grand Lodge at fundraising for charity and they rent the building for their Grand Communication.  There is no Fraternal visitation between the groups.  In no way does the male Grand Lodge consider themselves to be in amity with either of the feminine organizations.  In simple terms it is like they are saying: “You ladies want to be Masons?  Cool! No skin off our noses.  Have fun!” They each do their thing, and everyone is happy. You can read more about it at these links:  http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2018/12/ugle-and-female-freemasonry.html

https://www.ugle.org.uk/become-freemason/women-freemasons

Another one of these misunderstood topics which is sure to destroy Freemasonry as we know it is the dreaded Chamber of Reflection.  Basically, the chamber of reflection is a room with no windows, usually painted black.  Before a petitioner is allowed to progress to the Entered Apprentice degree he is placed in the room of complete darkness.  He is given a match and instructed to light the candle before him.  Once the candle is lit, he sees several objects before him on a table with a paper and a pen.  

After some time of thinking about the step he is about to take and whether he wishes to progress he answers the questions on the paper.  If the petitioner answers correctly he is allowed to continue to the degree work.  The process is designed to make him really think about if he is truly serious about gaining membership and if he is truly willing to devote himself to the lifetime of work that lays before him.  The process isn’t that uncommon.  Many Grand Lodges around the world have this as part of their ritual and even the Knights Templar here in the United States uses it in their degree work.  

The "funny" thing is that nearly every time a group of Masons suggests they add this to their lodge ritual, the eyes of several Brethren will bug out and find it hard to breathe.  Without understanding, the reasoning for the room or the fact that is used the world over a knee will automatically jerk up and the brother whose face has now reddened and is close to hyperventilating will be strictly against it, threatening to call the Grand Lodge, then Grand Master, then The Grand Architect of the Universe…Etc. or any other Grand which can keep his lodge from falling down into the rabbit hole of clandestine Freemasonry. 

I heard a tale about one Brother who while in lodge, decided to jump up and compare the Chamber as a place to give a candidate hallucinogenic drug and perform Satan worship.  (I hope that sound I hear is your eyes rolling from here). As silly as it sounds, it is such things that keep our numbers from growing and our retention numbers from free falling.   (Even sillier, I wonder how many of these Brethren whose aprons end up in a wad sat in a similar room before they became Sir Knights of the Knights Templar.  Probably the same number who amount had zero problems drinking libations with real wine during Templar ceremonies but object to having alcohol inside a Masonic temple.)

This brings me to the next item on my rant list: Demon rum.  This may shock none of you, but Grand Lodge Freemasonry began in rooms above taverns.  (I will wait for all of you to regain your composure.). In fact, throughout the eighteenth century and much of the nineteenth century, it was commonplace for beer, ale and hard liquor to be consumed before and after lodge meetings. Wine was also served at dinners and feasts.

It wasn’t until the mid-to-late nineteenth when the Temperance zealots began their assault on American society.  Churches became involved in the movement and eventually, legislation began to come before Grand Lodges asking for the complete prohibition of alcohol within the walls of Masonic temples (It has been my own theory for years this was brought on by Brothers whose wives were members of the Anti-Saloon league or other such groups.) Eventually, most of our Grand lodges became as dry as one of our business meetings.

If you broach the subject of repealing these laws to one of the stalwarts of Masonic tradition, they will almost always parrot the exact same arguments against it. I know this because I have heard these feeble arguments many times in Grand Lodge discussions. Excuses such as: “What if a Brother drinks too much and gets pulled over on the way home from Lodge?”, “What about our Brothers with issues with alcoholism?”, “This would be terrible! The public would drive by our building and see drunken Masons passed out on the sidewalk in front of our building!” These may sound silly, but they work in getting the old guard to vote no to allow us to move forward.

First of all, If we all follow the teachings of Freemasonry like we say we do we will counsel a good Brother a keep him from turning refreshment into intemperance or excess? If by chance, he were to drink a bit too much, I would hope a fellow Brother would drive his Brother home and ensure he gets inside OK. I think I may remember something of an obligation for that sort of thing.

 I don’t know about your Grand Lodge, but my mother Grand Lodge actually has rules against allowing felons, addicts, and alcoholics into the Craft.  However, the only one people seem to dwell on is the felon one. So, the “Brother with drinking issues” should be a non-starter, to begin with, assuming you follow the letter of Masonic law like you want to do on all the things you are against.  

Any the one that gets my goat (pun intended), is the idea of drunken Masons passed out in front of the building.  Tell me, how many times have you seen those same drunken Masons passed out in front of a Shrine temple? Seems to me if a Brother is going to drink himself silly in front of one Masonic edifice a Noble would do the same thing in front of another building.  

Since the United States is one of the few if only Masonic country to have a prohibition against alcohol I’m sure drunken Masons must be a worldwide phenomenon, right?   If it, is I haven’t heard about it in my nearly two decades as a Mason?  

There are so many things in the craft we tend to dismiss or decide about with a knee-jerk reaction. It is almost like we are allowing our Fraternity to die an unnecessary death because an unruly mob carrying torches wish it to be governed by superstition and legend instead of science and facts.   

I bet if we were to sit down and make a list many of Freemasonry’s hot button topics could be put to bed if both sides actually knew the facts and made a plan on the subject instead of believing something told him based on urban legend or what a Past Master believed to be true sixty years ago.  Even if they don’t agree, they can at least have an intelligent discussion and perhaps come to some agreeable solution. 

Like so many things in Freemasonry (and in life itself) a little research on a subject will help you sound more intelligent but will also provide you with the information, you need to make an informed decision or opinion. Who knows? Knowing more about the Craft besides how to hold a rod during degree word or that George Washington and John Wayne were members might even enhance your love for the Fraternity. It might even allow people who were ignorant on a subject to discover that they might actually agree on the topic if they knew the facts. 

I understand that not everyone is a Masonic nerd like I am.  They don’t spend hours researching Masonic topics and history.  They have actual lives with jobs and families. They go to the lodge a few nights a month. They study the ritual and floor work and if they have a question, they might ask a Past Master who, sadly after nearly a century without Masonic education in lodges is probably as clueless as the Brother is. I can think of no other environment or in no other group where someone can argue an opinion with zero facts and not have their argument called into question with a demand that the person produces evidence in order to be believed. Except on social media, especially when talking about those subjects forbidden for us to discuss in Lodge, but that’s a different article. 

Brethren, I know this is a lot to ask.  But if we really want to make our Fraternity relevant again, we must actually embrace the forbidden Masonic “C-word”. That word is change for those of you who have tried to repress it from your memory. The various generations of members must learn to work together and accept both sides may have some ideas that have value.  In other writings, I have laid out how what I believe a lodge can do bring this about and be successful. The only things preventing them are open minds and a willingness to try new things.  I think these things will bring actual “Harmony” to a lodge instead of appeasing one side of an argument over another.  

This all really makes me wonder.  I wonder if my brother, sister, and I would have actually gotten along and worked together instead of constantly arguing and fighting if my mom could have actually have had nice things?

~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.

Fair and Fowl Correspondences

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

RW Spencer A. Hamann

The thoughtful pupil of Freemasonry cannot help but be pleasantly astounded by the various correspondences, both designed and serendipitous, which permeate our Craft. These corollaries irrevocably link the philosophy of the Craft with the whole of the human experience, if one only deems to pull the thread.

Consider the origin and formation of the first Grand Lodge. There is hardly a Mason who has not read or been told the anecdote: four early 18th Century Lodges in London, England decided that in the interest of unity they ought form a “Grand Lodge” or central regulatory body. On Saint John the Baptist’s day in June of 1717, the very first Grand Master (one Anthony Sayer) was duly installed at the Goose and Gridiron Ale House in Saint Paul’s Church Yard.

For many, the story ends here, relocated to little more than a piece of trivia or a few sentences within a handbook. In truth, there is not a great deal on the written record about this event, save for some accounts both before and after the formation, and a few paragraphs in Anderson’s Constitutions. Besides additional research that can be done upon the climate of early Freemasonry, geography, and some of the men present, there appears to be little more to consider about the event.

Let us momentarily take a step back from this topic, and instead turn our attention to a figure of classical Greek Mythology. Orpheus, son of the musical muse Calliope and Oeagrus, King of Thrace, is particularly noted as a musician of exceptional skill. The music he plays on his lyre (an ancient stringed instrument somewhat akin to a small harp, and a thread which itself leads to fascinating occult musical and mathematical correspondences with Pythagoras) has supernatural abilities to charm humans and nature itself, even overpowering the spell of the Siren’s song.

As the myth goes, Orpheus marries the beautiful Eurydice, who not long after their marriage is bitten by a snake and perishes. Overcome with grief, Orpheus journeys into the underworld where he is met with numerous challenges and obstacles in his attempt to bring back his love. So great is his resolve and skill that he uses his music to persuade Hades to allow him to retrieve Eurydice. However, Hades sets one stipulation: Eurydice may follow Orpheus out of the Underworld, but Orpheus is not to look back or Eurydice will remain in the Underworld forever. Orpheus and Eurydice journey out of the Underworld, but as they are on the brink of escape, Orpheus is overcome with a terrible fear that his wife may not be following him. He turns to see if she is still behind him, and in doing so, both sees her faithfully there and loses her forever.

After Orpheus returns to the world of the living alone, he spends the rest of his days in quiet worship of the Sun (Apollo). There are multiple versions of how Orpheus died, but one widely recounted version expounds that he is murdered, playing his music until the very end. He is then transformed into a swan (a possible corollary to the concept of a “swan song”), and the muses place him and his lyre amongst the stars in the heavens.

Interestingly, in classical Astronomy, the 2nd Century AD astronomer Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy) included the constellation Cygnus, the swan, amongst his 48 recognized constellations. Ptolemy also lists the constellation Lyra, the lyre, which closely neighbors Cygnus. These constellations both in name and proximity can be viewed as an astronomical representation of the Orpheus myth, and are still visible and recognized today in modern Astronomy.

Further tracing the Liberal Arts, as Western Art Music and specifically opera developed, the Orpheus myth was a favorite of early narratives. It is not difficult to see the appeal: the protagonist is a musician who uses music to supernatural effect during the story, and essentially “dies” and returns from death (the underworld) during the story. In fact the earliest surviving opera, written by Italian composer Jacopo Peri (1561 – 1633) and premiered in 1600, was titled Euridice and is essentially a telling of the Orpheus myth.

Whether fans of the form or not, most of us are already very familiar with a part of an Orpheus-inspired opera: the theme “Galop Infernal” from 19th Century French composer Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus opera Orphée aux Enfers, which is more lovingly known as a tune and dance craze by the name of the “Can-Can”.

The mythical, astrological, and musical associations with Orpheus have made him a popular figurehead for performing arts troupes over the centuries. Indeed there have been numerous societies and guilds which have taken up the moniker over the centuries, including the Swan & Lyre Musical Society, which has been active for over 500 years in England.

What does any of this have to do with Freemasonry, or the founding of the first Grand Lodge? As many a philosopher and Mason have asserted over the centuries: the answer lies in the pub. The Goose and Gridiron Ale House, a seemingly nonsensical name, is in actuality a parody of Swan and Lyre, the name of a musician’s guild which also met at the public house. Upon examination, the parody name makes perfect sense: a goose is a bird similar in build to a swan, and a lyre with its many strings, when turned sideways does indeed resemble an iron cooking grate (gridiron). While it is unclear if the pub was named Goose and Gridiron from the start, or if it was actually first named Swan and Lyre and became lovingly referred to as the Goose and Gridiron (in a similar way as one may acknowledge a certain global hamburger proprietor as “the golden arches”), by 1717 the pub was widely known as the Goose and Gridiron, and had a prominent sign hung above its facade with the image of a long necked bird and many slatted rectangular shape.

What becomes additionally interesting is the parallel between the myth of Orpheus and the Craft Lodge Masonic legend of Hiram Abiff. While specifics of each story vary, both tell of an extraordinary individual who leaves the realm of the living and rises back up from the realm of the dead to an ultimately higher realm. This transformation and transmutation through death can also be found in the doctrines of many religions and philosophies, including as Christianity and Alchemy.

Whether our early Brethern made a conscious choice based on symbolic correspondences when they chose the Goose and Gridiron Ale House as the birthplace for the first Grand Lodge is a matter of speculation: there has been no known documentation to surface with any evidence to confirm such a claim. However there need not to have been a deliberate and philosophical decision made to bring this together satisfactorily: even coincidences, by definition, are remarkable events, and whether wrought by the hearts and minds of men or drawn on a far greater trestleboard than they can comprehend, the universe is found to be a remarkable place when one only deems to pull the thread.

~SAH

RW Brother Spencer has a vast and varied set of skills and interests, and boundless curiosity. Drawing inspiration from his love of music and engineering at an early age, Spencer began apprenticing to learn the luthier’s art as a high school freshman in 2003. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2011 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Musicology, focused on Organology. He now works professionally as a luthier, managing workshops in Illinois and Wisconsin, completing repairs and restorations of fine string instruments, and providing education on instrument history and maintenance. Spencer also enjoys performing music on a variety of instruments, is an avid collector of fine tools, frequently takes commissions for custom work within woodworking, and restores typewriters and bicycles among other antiques. Curatorship and adding value are core to his personal philosophies. Spencer was Raised in 2013, served Libertyville Lodge No. 492 as Worshipful Master from 2017-2018, and currently serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois as their Grand Representative to Wisconsin, District Education officer for the 1st NE District, and is a Certified Lodge Instructor (CLI).

A Look at Inside the Freemasons

Inside the TV series that goes inside the United Grand Lodge of England

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Sitting with me at lunch as we were planning a Masonic project, a Brother pulled something out of his briefcase and handed it to me, “Here… take a look at this and tell me what you think of it.”  I took it and found myself looking at a DVD case — Inside the Freemasons.  I almost felt as if I was holding contraband; and in a sense I was.  This was the much-ballyhooed Sky TV production about the United Grand Lodge of England not intended, initially at least, to air in the US.

Sky TV billed the series as a documentary to “discover the truth behind the ancient rituals and closely-guarded practices of the world’s oldest social network, taking viewers exclusively behind the scenes in the run up to its 300th anniversary in 2017.”

Excited about the prospect of possessing this forbidden fruit, I scampered back home and popped it in my DVD player only to get the message, “Can’t Operate Disc.”  Uh-oh.  Not only is it not meant to play in the US, it’s coded so it won’t play here.  Contraband, indeed.  Well, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.  When I tried this in my computer’s DVD drive, it played (caveat emptor – in case you’re thinking of purchasing the DVD, this doesn’t always work).

Well, problem solved, popcorn popped, easy chair reclined, I was ready for the adventure.

The pre-release buzz about this five-part series indicated it was going to be a classier, more accurate assessment of Freemasonry than the run-of-the-mill sensationalism we usually see about the Brotherhood.  Unquestionably, it was.  However, the producers still could not resist claiming they would “lift the veil of secrecy” and “reveal what really goes on behind closed doors.”  Not so much — If anything the producers went out of their way to respect the privacy of the degrees, visibly closing the doors on the viewer more than once.  I’m no expert on UGLE Freemasonry but for ceremonies they show – installations, dinners and other meetings – corresponding events are open or not considered “secret” in my jurisdiction. 

The show also promises “to reveal what it means to be a modern day Freemason.”  In this vein as we watch Brothers in pursuit of various aspects of Freemasonry, from being initiated to attaining high office, we also see them interacting with their families, jobs and hobbies.  The show contrasts the “stuffed shirt” aspect of Freemasonry with Brothers engaged in farming, sky-diving, motorcycling, boxing and such.  We even see the consecration of a Lodge exclusively for footballers (you know, the thing we in the US call “soccer”) — again, an open ceremony over here.

Mainly recorded at Freemasons Hall in London (Covent Garden), headquarters of UGLE and the “spiritual home of Freemasonry,” the series is peppered with Masonic tidbits, mostly light-hearted, where a narrator asks something about the fraternity and a Brother responds.  As an example, in one of these scenes (which almost look like outtakes) the narrator asks, “Tell me a surprising Masonic fact.” A chuckling Brother responds, “There are no goats involved.”

There are poignant moments as well.  In one such scene a Brother shows a picture of himself and his wife smiling arm-in-arm at a Masonic function.  Just seconds after the photographer snapped the picture, his wife collapsed and died of a heart-attack.  The Brother talks about the support he and his daughter have received from the Masons after the devastating event.

While watching, US Brothers can’t help but compare US customs to those in the UGLE.  Most notable to some may be the formality of dress in England compared to the ultra-casual attire one finds in the US.  The impeccably-dressed UGLE Masons somehow exude an air of courtesy and respect for each other that jeans and T-shirts can’t match. To others, the biggest contrast may be the free-flowing alcohol at UGLE Lodge functions.

A scene that is sure to send many US Brethren reeling is one in which a Mason explains expenses to a prospective candidate.  “So,” he explains, “our subscription per year is £215.  There is also a Provencal Grand Lodge Registration fee of £25, and then there’s a Grand Lodge Fee which will be £31.  There is a one-off fee of £111 plus the subscription of £190.  As a Mason we expect some monetary contribution to our charities and also then the dining cost;  We don’t eat for free, unfortunately…  so the dining meal is generally £24… £23… depends on the menu.  If you want wine on top, that’s generally about £5 or £6;”  And all this was said to a prospect who, as a student, was getting a discount.  So just to get in, not counting meals and donations, that’s a total of £572 or about $750.  It is unclear if the £190 subscription is annual but the subscription of £215 amounts to a minimum annual dues of $282.  My Lodge dues are $46 and that comes with the right to gripe about them being too high.

Viewers will also notice scenes where some Brother’s faces are blurred so they will not be recognized as Masons.  Things aren’t so open in England as they are in the US.

For the record, here is a brief description of what is in each episode:

Episode 1: A Quarterly Communication; a candidate preparing for his initiation and Brothers practicing for the degree; installation of a Provincial Grand Master; a festive board.

Episode 2: A candidate preparing for the Fellowcraft Degree;  snippets of the candidate being questioned in the Second Degree (something akin to our proficiencies), with the unprepared candidate stumbling through his responses; a Lodge-sponsored boxing event which raises £8,000 ($10,500) for charity.

Episode 3: Planning for a Quarterly Communication; a candidate preparing for his Master Mason Degree;  a Masonic Ladies’ Night including a traditional “grand march”; a look at the Widow’s Sons motorcycle club led by Peter Younger, whose wife recently passed away at a Masonic event; a Quarterly Communication and festive board.

Episode 4: On-the-street interviews garnering public comments such as, “I can’t imagine what crazy things happen behind those doors”; the issue of Freemasonry as a men-only fraternity; a Masonic ladies’ event with the Lodge’s “First Lady” as the featured speaker; scenes from a well-known rapper’s second degree at Chelsea Lodge for entertainers; the Consecration of a new music-themed Lodge.

Episode 5:  Freemasonry’s “battle plan” to attract younger members; preparation for and the Annual Investiture; events leading up to the consecration of a Lodge themed for football players and enthusiasts; the grand entrance of the Grand Master (Duke of Kent) at the Annual Investiture for which doors are closed “out of respect for the Duke of Kent.”

There is much more to see in this series which, in my opinion, will be enjoyable and educational for Masons and non-Masons alike.  Freemasons will find many of the scenes familiar and very much like Masonic activities in the US.  Other scenes will be a learning opportunity as we experience the light by which other Brothers work.

If you’re interested in purchasing the two-DVD set, it’s available for about $20 (US) here: http://bit.ly/2v4ejbL (Don’t forget, if you purchase it the discs may not work in your DVD player).  If you live in a region eligible for Sky TV and are a subscriber, you may watch online here: http://bit.ly/2teEhMs .

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33° is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Worshipful Master. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. His latest book, Freemasons: Tales From the Craft & Freemasons at Oak Island. Both are available on amazon.com.

300 Years of Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RWB Robert H. Johnson

300 years! Or  almost, maybe. The year of the founding of the United Grand Lodge of England or UGLE as we say, was supposedly 300 years ago to the day, June 24th (St. John's Day) 1717. New evidence however might point to a later date of 1721. Regardless of this, the UGLE has decided to have a celebration albeit a bit more private. They have limited space etc. You can find out what they have in store by clicking HERE.

We here in the United States can trace our charters back to the UGLE, so it's kind of our celebration as well. What are we doing to celebrate here in the USA? Well, nothing, as far as I know. So, about a year ago, myself as well as the other brothers from The Masonic Roundtable decided to start planning a 300 party, and we released the plans yesterday. This. Is. Happening. Imagine the biggest Masonic celebration ever, education, forums, vendors and all happening at a highly significant place for all Masons. The George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

You're invited. No exclusivity, no invite only bodies, just Freemasons from around the country, meeting on the level for a wonderful experience.

When: June, 23rd and 24th, 2017
Where: George Washington Masonic National Memorial
Tickets: Click here for ticket information and additional details.

I promise you this will be the biggest most amazing time you will have this year. I know I'll be there, how about you?

~RJ