A Little Get-Together

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Left to right; Steve Harrison, Greg Knott, Todd Creason, Darin Lahners

Each year in May when I make my annual pilgrimage to the Indianapolis 500 – a near-religious experience – my journey takes me through the Champagne-Urbana, Illinois region. There, in recent years, I've taken that opportunity to meet with friends from the area. We have lunch, share the experiences of the past year, exchange ideas and maybe even tell a tall tale or two. Freemasons all, the conversation usually has a lot to do with the state of the Craft, whether in our local lodges or with other Masonic issues in general.

Our small group consists of Todd Creason, Greg Knott, yours truly and this year, for the first time, Darrin Lahners joined us. While Freemasonry struggles with membership issues, our exclusive “order” has grown by 33%.

Todd is the founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He has written a slew of books on Freemasonry including three novels where some of the characters are Brothers, and has been named a Fellow in the Missouri Lodge of Research. Greg is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge 970 in St. Joseph, Illinois and is a director of the prestigious Masonic Society. Darrin just served as Master of St. Joseph Lodge 970 and this coming year will be Master of Homer Lodge 199. Darrin has written about some tough issues he faced as Master this year and the fact he's out to do it again at Homer emphasizes his dedication to the fraternity. That doesn't even serve as a “Reader's Digest” version of what these men have accomplished. Their full biographies can be found at www.midnightfreemasons.org/.

These Brothers are so dynamic, enthusiastic and have had so many successes I'm sometimes surprised to find they run into the same issues I encounter; but they do. We share those issues and try to work out what solutions and suggestions we can in the space of an hour or so.

I really look forward to this little get-together. It's nothing earthshaking. We're not going to solve the problems of the world in the small amount of time we have. Maybe its greatest significance is there are three – make that four guys – different ages, different backgrounds, different geographical regions getting together. If not for the bond of Freemasonry this wouldn't happen. I wouldn't know any of them and, although Darrin, Greg and Todd work at the same place they wouldn't know each other as well or perhaps at all.

I've seen this kind of thing happen a lot. We are a band of Brothers with common experiences and obligations. Knowing we share the tenets of Freemasonry brings us together like magnets. Just seeing that square and compasses pin on a lapel makes us want to know more about the man wearing it. It's not just a conversation piece; it represents the strong bond of Brotherhood.

This year's meeting came and went all too quickly. We finished our meal, posed for our mandatory photo and went our separate ways. Across the parking lot from the others, I barely could hear one of them say, “Meeting adjourned.”

That is until next year, God willing.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33° , is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships are the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also 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. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35 year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

Exercising Self-Discipline

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Just like any muscle in the human body, character traits also grow stronger when they are exercised.  Of these, I think most will agree that self-discipline is key to many of those most desirable traits. It’s also the most difficult to master—if we ever really do master it. If you look at just a few of the virtues a Mason strives towards, temperance, fortitude, and prudence, you’ll realize that without self-discipline there is little hope of making progress in any of those virtues.

Temperance is not about abstinence as many believe today, it’s about moderation. It’s about maintaining a balance, and applying due restraint to our passions so that we aren’t tempted by the allurements of excess. Masons are taught to avoid excess in all things, and temperance is that virtue that reminds us to practice all things in moderation. That requires a level of self-discipline.

Fortitude is that virtue that provides us with strength. As we’re taught, fortitude is that steady purpose of mind that enables us to withstand any pain, peril or danger. It allows us to stand strong in our words and deeds and not stray off the noble path. Again, this requires a mastery of self-discipline because standing strong in the face of danger or even criticism is a very difficult thing to do.

Prudence is a virtue closely related to both temperance and virtue. It is a virtue that helps us regulate our lives by applying reason and wisdom to any given situation to help to determine the proper path. It is the wisdom to know when to act, and when not to act. It is the wisdom to know when it is best to speak, and when it is best to remain silent. It is the wisdom to know when to fight, and when to flee. Prudence is the balance between temperance and fortitude. And without question, prudence requires a great deal of self-discipline.

I’m an impulsive person by nature—self-discipline is not something that has come easy to me. It’s something I’ve worked very hard on since I’ve become a Mason, and I’ve made tremendous progress over the last thirteen years. Much of the progress I’ve made is because I practice self-discipline every day.

I discovered early on, that I do great at self-discipline until I’m tempted, or I was put under stress, or I was challenged in some way—then my self-discipline vanished in an instant. That’s because I had self-discipline in theory only, but not in practice. I’d have a great day and meet all my diet and exercise goals, and then I’d drive by the Dairy Queen on the way home, and suddenly I’d be eating a peanut buster parfait. I’d stop by the tavern on the way home at 5 o’clock for “one beer” and I’d still be there at 10 o’clock (or later). I’d make an effort to control my temper, until somebody said something I didn’t like and in a flash . . . well, you get the idea. So I decided to teach myself self-discipline the same way I learned how to write books and play the piano. I practice it over and over again every day, and over time it becomes easier to apply in those situations when I’m tested.

I have a number of daily exercises I use. The purpose of these exercises is to challenge myself, and make myself pay particular attention to my words, my actions, and my attitudes in an area that I feel I need improvement in. I intentionally make myself live outside my comfort zone in different areas so that I can better handle myself in a proper manner when real challenges present themselves. Some of the daily challenges are fairly easy, but require me to think about one particular area for a day. Other challenges are very difficult for me, and I’ll often have to repeat them for a few days in a row until I move on—and I’ll go back to those again and again until they get easier to accomplish. Some of my challenges I’ll set up to last a week. Some of my challenges involve diet and exercise. Some involve my interactions with other people. Some involve distractions that I need eliminate. Some involve productivity. Some involve getting out of a rut I’ve found myself in. Some involve changing the way I think about things that repeatedly seem to irritate me. Patience is something I’m particularly challenged with at times, so those are exercises I go back to time and again. One thing you can be sure of, is that I’m working on something every day.

And it works. The more you exercise something, the stronger it gets—makes no difference if it’s a muscle or a trait. And just like with athletes, the time they spend training and working out off the field prepares them for the challenges they face on the field. As I’ve said many times before, it’s not just about doing Freemasonry, it’s about living Freemasonry. A big part of Freemasonry is that idea of personal growth and self-improvement. You can learn the principles of Freemasonry from books, but you can only apply the principles of Freemasonry through practice in your daily life.

Freemasonry isn’t three degrees and done. It’s a lifetime commitment to keep chipping away throughout our entire lives on that rough ashlar.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is an award winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series.  He is the author of the the From Labor To Refreshment blog.  He is a Past Master of Homer Lodge No. 199 and Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary.  He is a 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) and a charter member of a new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282.  He is also a member of Tuscola Odd Fellows Lodge No. 316.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

The 24 Inch Gauge

How Can I Divide My Time To Meet My Obligation?

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Michael Arce

Within each degree, the instruction on the Working Tools is one of the most beautifully written parts of ritual. In the first degree the use of the 24-inch gauge continues to fascinate me. Every time I hear the breakdown of the twenty four inches into 24 hours, further divided into 3 equal parts of 8 hours, which are to be allocated for serving God, a worthy distressed Brother, our work, and refreshment and sleep — I always think, “How is that literally possible?” At some point in the history of our Craft there must have been a time when men had time in their day to live like this, right?

Those words were created back when we didn’t sleep in one eight hour chunk but in two shorter periods, overnight. Dating back to medieval times two-piece sleeping as it was called, was standard practice. Chaucer tells of a character in the Canterbury Tales that goes to bed following her “firste sleep.” And what did people do between their first and second sleep? Everything from reading a book (most likely their Bible), talk, or go for a walk in the countryside to visit with their neighbors.

Keep in mind this is back when time was still kept by burning a candle. Your day began, literally, at daybreak and you were in bed by sundown. Dividing your time into three equal parts wasn’t hard when your day was made up of eat, sleep, work, and repeat. Church wasn’t just something you did on Sunday morning: it was your Sunday. Take away my Netflix binging on Sunday afternoon when I finally get to watch TV for a few uninterrupted hours, and instead,  give me a few hours every night between Midnight at 2AM for reading and I would have that service to God box checked!

Fast forward to 2018
If I was to compare dividing my time to the Activity Rings on my Apple Watch, the large ring would definitely be my work hours, the medium ring my sleep, and the smaller ring the time invested in the service to God or my Brothers. I’m being very generous here with my math. I pulled up a random day on my calendar this month… Wednesday, April 11th. Workday for job #1 started at 8AM (up for work by 6:45AM). Work schedule has a couple conference calls, a meeting, lunch, and time at my desk to work on my daily task list. End of workday for job #1 is at 4:30PM. Job #2 starts at 5PM and goes until 11PM. Home by 11:30PM and in bed (hopefully) before Midnight.

My “Work” ring is dominating my life
And this isn’t just happening on Wednesday of last week, this is pretty much every weekday. The more I investigate the breakdown of my time, the only time I really dedicate to “Masonic” service are my nights at Lodge. Hmm. That’s like four hours a week.

I’m being literal on purpose because it’s impossible to literally divide your time into 8 hour parts every day. It is also important to remember that the working tools of an EA are the 24-inch gauge AND the common gavel. One to divide your time, the other to clear your life of distractions. That’s the important part of the Working Tools lesson: do you examine how you spend your time? If your time is not prioritized, how can you fix the areas that are lacking?

There is an advantage to living in 2018 versus 1518
Besides the warm shower to start my day or the fresh, brewed cup of coffee that is set to go off at 7:15AM, I also have this little blue book that was given to me when I was raised as a Master Mason that contains ALL of the standard work and lectures from the degrees I took. I carry this little blue book to work to read during my lunch break or downtime. On my drive to and from work I listen to my favorite masonic podcast (Whence Came You?) to get my weekly dose of masonic education and discussion. I also have a cell phone in my pocket and strapped to my wrist as a watch, which allows me to text or call my Brothers throughout the day. It might seem trivial but when I ask them how their day is going or converse with them about their daily dilemma, isn’t that service to a distressed worthy Brother?

When I re-evaluate my day through the lens of present day, yes, work still dominates my life (for now) but I can “steal” a few hours here and there to meet my masonic obligations. Instead of literally dividing my time into 3 “start/stop” parts I use a combined/running clock. Really what depresses me now is the fact that my sleep circle is pretty much non-existent. Until I start taking naps under my desk or retire, I don’t see how I’m going to catch up in that area. Perhaps that’s why we call them the “Working Tools.”

~MA

Michael Arce is JW of St. George’s #6, Schenectady and a member of Mt. Zion #311, Troy New York. When not in Lodge, Bro. Arce is the Marketing Manager for Capital Cardiology Associates in Albany, New York. He enjoys meeting new Brothers and hearing how the Craft has enriched their lives. He can be reached at michael.arce@me.com

Remembering our Past Masters - Revisited

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Adam Thayer

Last year at this time, I was lucky enough to receive permission to share my lodge’s Past Master’s Remembrance ceremony with you HERE. At the time, I wrote it from the viewpoint of the Master of the lodge, with more of a cold, analytical point of view, so that I could provide you with the script and staging instructions to hold your own ceremony. Now I’m the junior Past Master in my lodge, and would like to discuss the why, instead of the how.

As you read in the linked article, the junior Past Master is responsible for the planning and execution of the Past Master’s Remembrance ceremony. They arrange the dinner, manage the printing and mailing of the invitations, the programs, and present the speech given. This is considered their last official act as Worshipful Master, and to say that a lot is riding on it is an understatement.

Heading into the day of the event, I worked hard (under the direction of our long-suffering Tiler) to get the room set up properly and test the projector to be certain that all of the deceased PM pictures would appear in the proper order. We also arranged to have an Oriental Chair draped at the entrance, to further drive home our reason for being there. Before walking out of the lodge, we cranked the air conditioner to as low as it would go, in the hopes that the room would be cooled off in time for the ceremony. (Author’s note, this is called foreshadowing, don’t forget that we did this)

I mailed the invitations at the end of April, which should have provided plenty of time for them to arrive, however a number of people still haven’t received them as of writing this article. We are experiencing a similar issue with donation requests that are being sent out from one of the foundations that I work with. As an aside, if anyone knows a solution to getting first class mail delivered reliably, please email me at adam@wcypodcast.com and let me know!

Because many people didn’t receive the invite, turnout was significantly lower than expected, especially among the Past Masters. Out of the 31 living Past Masters in our lodge, there were only 7 in attendance (including myself), and attendance rates among the members and the widows was very similar. Very important lesson learned: while mail is good, you can’t put your entire hopes on it arriving. If I could advise future junior Past Masters planning this event, I would tell them to take a multi prong approach, by mailing the invite, then following up via email or phone.

The dinner itself was good, if a bit overpriced by the caterer, and I fear I may have driven our secretary into a minor mental breakdown when he saw the bill. One of the only positives that came from such a low turnout is that we’ve enough leftovers for our business meeting next week, and so one meal was stretched into two. I know, I’m stretching a bit to justify the cost. Very important lesson learned: try not to spring a large surprise bill on the person who will be writing the check.

After dinner, we retired to our lodge room for the ceremony itself, and I have to say that after having been out of the East for so many months it was a bit nerve-wracking being back up there. Even though I had practiced, and checked to make sure that everything would run smoothly, I was still back to being as nervous as I was at my first meeting as Master.

Ten minutes before the start of the ceremony, I returned to the lodge room, and turned the air conditioner off. Our air conditioner is an older system, and in addition to being slow to respond to changes, it is incredibly noisy. It is also incredibly complicated, as it has independent controls in three different rooms, and if they aren’t all set correctly it won’t turn on… or, as the case was last night, turn back off! Even though I was nearly shouting through most of the ceremony, part of the room couldn’t hear a word I said (except, of course, for when I mispronounced a name). Very important lesson learned: no matter how hard you try, some things will always be outside of your control, and you just have to learn to live with that.

The ceremony itself was as beautiful as always, as the original author had a way with words that I can only aspire to. I have been lucky that, through my Masonic journey, I have been forced into public speaking at every turn, and so I was able to actually look at the people gathered there instead of “talking to the podium” as I’ve seen done so often. More importantly, for me, is that I was able to watch as each of the 104 carnations was laid, one for each deceased Past Master, and so able to honor them by remembering them, and in this I learned the most important lesson: never forget the people behind the ceremony. It’s so easy to get caught up in worrying about all of the details that we forget the reason we hold the ceremony to begin with.

After the ceremony it was time for tearing down and cleaning up, presenting carnations to the widows, and thanking the current Worshipful Master for allowing me to have his lodge for the evening. Of course, we also had to go out for pie afterwards (for more information on the importance of pie, see my article HERE), and everyone talked about how great the evening was, but for me nothing will top the honor of getting to honor the 104 men who faithfully served our lodge in life before laying down their working tools and attaining peace at the last.

~AT

WB Adam Thayer is a grumpy-ish past master of Oliver #38 in Seward, NE and Lancaster #54 in Lincoln, NE. He continues to be reappointed to the Grand Lodge of Nebraska Education Committee, as well as being an occasional host on the Whence Came You Podcast. He may be reached directly at adam@wcypodcast.com or summoned by placing a certain number of lapel pins in a special pattern around a petition for an appendant body.