An Old Friend Returns

by Midnight Freemason Managing Editor

Robert H. Johnson

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

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

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

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

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

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

~RHJ

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

The Impact of Taking Your Values to Work - Updated

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RWB Robert H. Johnson

*Note from the Editor: When I first wrote this it was true. And four years later, it's still true. The end. 

Image Credit: Zeta Group

I sometimes wonder how different my work ethic would be if I did not take the values of Freemasonry to work with me. I look back to before I was a Brother, a mere ten years ago and ask myself, do I like who I remember? Probably not as much as I would hope to. 

The values I took and continue to take from the Craft are seemingly infinite. When you think about it, there really is not one choice I make in a day that Freemasonry doesn’t impact in some way. It’s like a little reminder in the back of my brain, always there, always poking me and saying, “Hey, are you sure you want to go about it that way?” whenever I have to make a questionable judgment call. It’s like a mother-in-law guilt trip, joking of course. 

But in all seriousness, when a difficult situation arises those values just seem to come through and it shows. You see, my “day job” at the time of me writing this was in "Safety" in the workplace. Although I was not a manager, I seemed to receive more respect from employees than many others. Those same employees come to talk to me in place of the human resources department for advice, family issues and anything else and I believe its because I am able to keep secrets and offer advice which is safe, truthful and meaningful. Fast forward a few years to now. Currently I am in the executive medical industry, and guess what? Nothing has changed!

Where did I learn to do this? Well, in the place all Masons are first prepared to become  a Mason. In my heart, but those qualities were absolutely refined in the lodge rooms and anytime I opened a Masonic text.
 

My supervisors all know my lodge schedule, they don't interfere with it either. They know, that to me, it’s my “church”. They know that I am a charitable man, a good man, a powerful man (in the sense of the examples I set in honesty and integrity in the work place), and above all a rich man, not with money of course. The richness that comes from family, friends, neighbors, Brothers, Fellows and life itself. 

There are times I catch co-workers staring when I have a conversation with a well off client. They see me talking and laughing with them, shaking hands and even hugging some of them. After the client leaves my supervisors would say, “How do you know that guy?” And I simply say “He’s one of my Brothers” or more often, "I don't know them, I just met them." In the case of the later, Masonry teaches us to treat everyone like brothers and sisters, and in that, what is fostered is a genuineness that is ever growing.
   

At the end of the day, I can say that Freemasonry lends itself to a professional and meaningful experience in the work place. There is an  an excerpt, the phrase “...Plain dealings distinguish us...” which shows that we are men of truth, that there are no hidden objectives, in other words, no manure (BS), or whatever other colorful word you choose to use in our days to day dealings.

These virtues which we are taught and employ don’t stop at the threshold of ANY door, especially the work place. Freemasonry is not just a weekly meeting, it’s a way of life, and so you should employ it in everything you do in your life.

~RHJ

Robert H Johnson, 32° is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He currently serves as the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 where he is a Past Master. He also serves as the District Deputy for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry and is also an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon



The Owl and Freemasony

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson, PM

So I love owls. I always have and I have owl knickknacks all around the house. It doesn't take brothers long to ask about them when they visit. Fraternally, owls have been associated with countless groups; the Minerval Owl in the Bavarian Illuminati, Sophia, Columbia, a representation of general knowledge and even used in place of the Great Lights as a symbol in different countries. There are innumerable other references and meanings We won't get into those right now, there just isn't the time. 

When brothers ask about my fascination, they always beat around the bush a few minutes before they ask me if I have some tie to a secret Masonic organization, which is both interesting and funny. One thing that you all may find interesting is that there actually once was a Masonic order called the Independent International Order of Owls. 

It was founded in St. Louis Missouri in 1890 for the purpose of recreation and sociability among Master Masons. Its lodges were called "Nests", it's national body was called "The Supreme Nest of the World" and believe it or not, the Worshipful Master was styled a "Sapient Screecher". 

The ritual of the IIOO is published on the web (1st˚) and is an interesting read. "In its native haunts the Owl is noted as being ever the enemy of the vermin and rodents that prey on the fruits of the soil. In emulation of the Owl we would have you ever be a foe of those evils which may prey on the character and fortunes of our members."

Want a petition? Sure you do. Go ahead and fill it out, although, I have no idea where you'd have to mail it. 

The IIOO had no relation to the OOO (Order of Owls), which was a benefit society that used some Masonic Symbolism. 

~RHJ

Bro. Robert Johnson, PM is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the First North-East District of Illinois. He is the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 and Education officer for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois as well as a member on the Grand Lodge Education Committee. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies, AMD, The Illinois Lodge of Research and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago as well as a charter member of the Society of King Solomon, a charity organization run by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatrewhich focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. In addition, he produces video shorts focusing on driving interest in the Fraternity and writes original Masonic papers from time to time. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four. He works full time in the executive medical industry and is also a photographer on the side as well as an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays.

Another "Secret Society"?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Robert H. Johnson, PM

As I do from time to time, flipping through conspiracy, occult, religious and other texts, I always find myself reading my 1908 copy of Mackey's Masonic Encyclopedia. In my readings I have come across several odd societies, rites and "clubs".

One you may remember from a while back was the "Gormogons". Follow the link for a good read. This time though, I came across another one, this time it was called "The Anonymous Society". This isn't the famed society of hackers who are fighting with terrorists either. The Anonymous Society existed in Germany and was limited to having just 24 Entered Apprentices, 24 Fellowcrafts and 24 Masters. A total of 72 in all. One wonders how advancement worked. Did a Master have to die off before a Fellow was allowed to advance and then an Apprentice to follow?

I was curious about the number 72. Was there a gematria tie? In any case, the Anonymous Society is gone (or is it) and it seems their true focus was two fold; distributing charity and their primary which was cultivation of the occult sciences. Mackey's claims that the members openly pretended that their Grand Master was a man named Tajo and who lived in Spain.

Pretending is fun I guess.

~RHJ

Bro. Robert Johnson, PM is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the First North-East District of Illinois. He is the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 and Education officer for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois as well as a member on the Grand Lodge Education Committee. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies, AMD, The Illinois Lodge of Research and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago as well as a charter member of the Society of King Solomon, a charity organization run by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. In addition, he produces video shorts focusing on driving interest in the Fraternity and writes original Masonic papers from time to time. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four. He works full time in the executive medical industry and is also a photographer on the side as well as an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays.

Survey Says? Part One

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Robert H. Johnson 

So it's no secret that Masonry has it's secrets--A bad joke. A while back I became interested in something which I thought was a real problem within Masonry, not the Symbolic Lodge (Blue Lodge) but within the confines of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. As a District Education Officer, I take education of the brothers pretty seriously.

To be sure, our official duty as education professionals is to see that the Grand Lodge's goals are met as well as the Area Deputies (Inspectors). But, many of us look into all facets and look for patterns of things that worked and things that didn't. Some of us, myself included are obsessed with data or analytics. 


About a year ago I became interested in the differences between the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, specifically the conveyance of the "Royal Secret" to the class of candidates. In the NMJ the 32nd degree is titled "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret" and in the SJ it is titled "Master of the Royal Secret". There are actually two different "Royal Secrets" and I was finding that there was much confusion among the brothers as to what their respective jurisdictions secret was. So I did the only thing I could do, I ran an anonymous survey. Here, compiled for your convenience are the results of that survey I ran just a short while ago. We had over one-hundred responses to the question "What is the Royal Secret?", prefaced with the question "What jurisdiction do you belong to?" As you can see from the results, the SJ did a little better than the NMJ, but one thing is for sure, it looks like we have some confusion. Feel free to discuss. My one observation that I will offer up here is that you would be hard pressed to find a Freemason who doesn't remember the password of the Master Mason Degree, and to that end, if the AASR was as proficient as a blue lodge, these graphs would show the only acceptable number, 100%.

I plan on running more short surveys in the future to gain insight into this great fraternity and you can expect more posts like this from me in the future. I hope you find the results as interesting as I do. 

~RHJ

Bro. Robert Johnson, 32° is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the First North-East District of Illinois. He is the Master of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 and Education officer for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies Royal Arch, Cryptic Council, Knights Templar, AMD, The Illinois Lodge of Research and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago as well as a charter member of the Society of King Solomon, a charity organization run by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. In addition, he produces video shorts focusing on driving interest in the Fraternity and writes original Masonic papers from time to time. He is also a cohost of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of three. He works full time in the safety industry and is also a photographer on the side as well as an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays.