Redefining the Three Great Pillars

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Thomas J. Williams

As an Entered Apprentice, we learn that a Lodge's supports are the Three Great Pillars: Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. The lecture states:

"Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty are said to support a Lodge because it is necessary there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings."

While I agree these are the Lodge supports, what if we were to redefine and give the pillars further meaning?

A reflection of my time in the Craft, traveling experiences, and exploring more light on my own, I've attributed other things to these three pillars to support a Lodge: Education, Fellowship, and Ritual.

Education - We should always be in pursuit of more light in Masonry. Over and over again, I've seen lodges confer degrees and continue business without spending a bit of time sharing knowledge amongst the Brethren. If we're a fraternity that is taking good men and making them better, how is it happening? It doesn't need to be rigid like a college course; it should be fun and beneficial! Listening to a podcast episode, reading a paper related to a Masonic topic, or just gathering to have a free-flowing discussion about thoughts behind our symbols and ceremonies can invigorate a lodge. This is an opportunity to reach out to our Brothers we haven't seen in a while and keep the new Brothers who are eager to learn more. Education should NEVER be discounted.

Fellowship - We are the world's oldest Fraternity, connecting men of different backgrounds and cultures. Whether inside or outside of the Lodge, there should be an opportunity to build and expand these connections. I don't know about you, but I didn't join to only confer degrees, read minutes, and pay bills. I want to feel genuine relations built with the men around me and the community we live in. Fellowship can take different forms: going out to a pub with Brothers and their families, an intellectual evening exploring the esoteric concepts of the world, rehearsing for degrees, and participating in community events. There are plenty of ways to get the ball rolling. At the end of the day, one should feel comfortable enough to approach someone else without anxiety about how the conversation may go because there's little relationship there.

Ritual - The ceremonies to bring candidates into the Craft are beautiful. We should strive to provide the best to our new brothers. While word-for-word presentations of the ritual are great, it's not about reciting a novel to the new initiate. There should be meaning behind the presentation. Bringing it back to education, it's also essential to understand the ritual and not recite it.

While these are just my own musings on supports of a lodge, I think an honest reflection on these three areas within your Lodge may prompt a discussion on how to adjust how things have always been done to how things could be to make the Masonic experience better.

~TJW

Bro. Thomas “TJ” Williams, is a member of Triangle Lodge #1 in Portland, Maine, and King Hiram Lodge #57 in Mexico, Maine. Currently, he is serving as Wor. Grand Pursuivant to the Grand Lodge of Maine. Among his Blue Lodge membership, he is actively involved with the Valley of the Androscoggin, Scottish Rite NMJ, and started his journey through the York Rite bodies. Though he only joined the Craft in 2018, he is actively working to enrich the experience through his service on the Member Education and Lodge Services Committee. He is well known amongst Maine’s Grand Jurisdiction as a “The Traveling T”, a nickname given by the current Grand Master, as he finds himself in lodges several nights a week.

The World's Smallest Presidential Library – A Pictorial

 by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FML

Out in my neck o’ the woods, nestled between two iconic presidential libraries – Truman’s in Independence and Eisenhower’s in Abilene – is a third presidential library you may not be familiar with. It is the world’s smallest presidential library.

As you, the reader, skim through your mental database of American presidents and come up empty, let me suggest you may have overlooked the presidential term and accomplishments of Brother David Rice Atchison. That's right. President David Rice Atchison; the man for whom Atchison, Kansas and the Atchison-Topeka-Santa Fe railroad are named.

                        

The account of his presidency goes like this: In 1849, inauguration day, March 4, fell on a Sunday. President-elect Zachary Taylor refused to be inaugurated on the Lord's day of rest and Vice-President-elect Millard Fillmore followed suit, both delaying their inauguration until Monday, March 5. Constitutionally, this left the presidency vacant on March 4. Back then, second in line of succession fell to the Senate President Pro-Temporary, the position Atchison held. Realizing there was technically no president, North Carolina Senator Willie Magum and a group of Atchison's friends descended on his house and woke him up in the early hours of March 4. Magum administered the oath of office and asked Atchison to name him Secretary of State. With that the crowd left and "President" Atchison went back to bed. Later, Atchison reported he spent the bulk of his presidency napping and reading.

To commemorate this auspicious event, Atchison, Kansas, his namesake, has established the "world's smallest presidential library" in his honor. Located in a former AT&SF terminal, the Atchison Library shares space with another Atchison historical figure, Amelia Earhart. Also featured in the museum are Brothers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who set up a base camp in the area.

Upon entering the museum a visitor first encounters a model of a statue commemorating Lewis and Clark's 1804 Voyage of Discovery. The full-size statue sits on the banks of the Missouri River down in Kansas City.

A little farther in, the visitor can see the Amelia Earhart display featuring pictures and artifacts of the aviatrix' life.

The world's smallest presidential library lies beyond those exhibits. One first encounters the "Hall of Presidents." Over the years the Marx Toy Company has produced a miniature statue of American Presidents in which it has included Atchison, who stands directly in front of George Washington in the display.

A Daily National Intelligencer article from March 10, 1849 told the story of his presidency. The museum has an article from another paper which recaps the Intelligencer account and notes Atchison's Salary for that day was $68.50.

Regrettably, Atchison was a supporter of slavery and, in fact, a slave owner himself. When Kansas came into the Union as a free state, Atchison led a pro-slavery militia into the state and was present at a battle that resulted in the burning of the Free State Hotel. A display in the museum offers both sides of the story speculating on Atchison's role in the uprising, showing conflicting accounts and wondering if he was an instigator or a peacemaker.

Among the artifacts of his life, the museum displays Atchison's Whitney Navy, six-shot .36 caliber revolver, which he most likely had with him during the Kansas Raid.

A gargantuan Atchison-Topeka-Santa Fe locomotive sits outside the museum.

David Rice Atchison was a member of Platte Lodge 56, now defunct, and his grave marker in Plattsburg proclaims his status as president. Most historians agree Atchison was not President of the United States. Perhaps agreeing he was the ex-officio president can serve as a compromise as to his status.

Or, perhaps, given today's growing sentiment against those who supported the United States' ghastly "original sin" – slavery, it is best to mark Atchison's auspicious day as an interesting story and otherwise let sleeping dogs lie.

~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.

Don't Fake It Until You Make It

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

Recently I was asked to watch a video for school. It was a twenty-minute TED Talk featuring Dr. Amy Cudder. Her specialty? Non-verbal body mechanics and their effect on others and ourselves. There was a lot in her talk in regards to what our body language tells others. However, that wasn't what this talk was about.

Her team of experts asked a question--Does our body language have an effect on our own minds? In short, the answer is yes. For instance, holding a pencil in your mouth, imitates a smiling face. The mere use of those muscles in this way for two minutes floods the brain with chemicals that elicit happy feelings.

Yep--Want to feel happy? Hold a pencil in your mouth for two minutes. But more importantly, they found that certain "power poses" like sitting openly, upright and bold for periods of just two minutes resulted in a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol. This means more control and less stress--a critical psychological factor in the world's top leaders of companies.

All this was certainly interesting, but what caught my eye/ear more than anything else was her message about practicing these things to give yourself a confident edge. For instance, before a job interview, most people sit hunched over and staring at their phones. This is the opposite of a "power pose" and leads to reduced testosterone and an increase in cortisol. This put's you in a place that gives you significantly less of an edge in your interview.

If we practice these "power poses," these small tricks--there could be significant changes to your psyche, and the result could mean a more successful life.

How does this relate to the Craft? Well, indeed, you could put this into practice in leadership. But more than that, Dr. Cuddy's message was that you don't have to "Fake it until you make it." You can instead, "Fake it until you become it." Let me explain. For her studies, they attempted to get people with low self-esteem to change it by trying these "power poses." But not to just temporarily increase the self-esteem--to fake it for the current situation. A permanent change--a life-changing one.

In Freemasonry, we consistently remind ourselves of the virtues and values we hold dear. Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Even if we aren't great at practicing these virtues, talking about them--pretending we're good at them...over time might result in the effect we're looking for.

As we consistently expose ourselves to these tenets, we necessarily change the way our behaviors are exhibited. We talk more about prudent action, we become more circumspect in our decision making. If we converse about Justice, our thoughts and actions become more equitable to our fellows. If we speak of Temperance often enough, we might avoid that extra drink at the office party. If we keep the idea of Fortitude in our minds, we begin to overcome adversity and stand for the right things.

To sum all this up, it seems like what Dr. Cuddy offers to the profane world is something we've been doing for a long time. I do like her twist on the saying--"Fake it until we become it." Because it gives us hope that we will, in fact, become better people.

Finally, I wish to direct anyone who wishes to view her TED Talk to do so. And also, anyone who thinks they've made the transition already to read Ill. Bro. Brian Pettice's latest work by clicking HERE. As for me, I'm still working on it.

Signed,
A Big Ol' Faker
~RHJ

Is 2020 a throw-away year?

 by Midnight Freemason Contributor
Bro. Michael Arce

Now that we have returned to Lodge for a new year, I'm sure we have all shared this experience: it's awkward. That's quite a statement in a year that has been difficult and inconvenient. From watching games with cardboard cutouts of fans and crowd noise played over the speakers, to virtual meetings for everything, this year has been socially distanced. It appears that we have collectively written off 2020. I don't want to suggest this is a throwaway year; that would be an insult to the memories of those we have lost during the pandemic. But you can feel it. Even those with strong will are coping with some form of stress or anxiety over the uncertainty ahead.

Instead of a throwaway, a year meant to be discarded, 2020 is shaping up to be more of a year that deserves an asterisk. We had goals. We had plans, events, and moments that were canceled, delayed, or forfeited. Yet, when we look back on the year 2020, time did pass every day, and history was recorded. To be fair, if there is something worthy of an asterisk, it would be 2020. That mark would be an appropriate symbol for anyone who felt like something was taken from them this year. We could offer it as a consolation for those ready to write off the remaining three months remaining on the calendar.

The one thing I was looking forward to this fall was going back to Lodge. For those who haven't been allowed to meet since March, this meeting had a homecoming feel. Freemasonry is the one institution the provides many levels of support in our daily lives. We seek that sense of normalcy and familiarity that comes when gathering with our Brothers. That evening under new health guidelines, now part of our everyday life, my Lodge came together to elect and install our new officers for the ensuing year. We watched our Master be re-installed for an additional second year, an unexpected break from recent tradition. I thought of the asterisk that would be applied to so many Worshipful Brothers this season; either their year in the East was extended or their term shortened due to the pandemic. 

The discussion during the business of the evening was to determine an amended Trestleboard. We would be moving from two regularly scheduled meetings a month in our building to one for the remainder of 2020. Our first meeting of the month would be tiled, in Lodge. Our Master suggested that the second meeting be reserved for gathering socially for dinner at a restaurant that could accommodate our group. Time being a great thickener of things, the hope is that we can assess and make changes accordingly in the new year. I could almost see the asterisk appearing as I updated the meeting dates on my iPhone's calendar.

Freemasonry was going to be different this year, for sure.

But I wasn't going to let this be a throwaway year.

I shared this thought with a colleague during our daily lunch break walk. Not the Lodge meeting experience, but the business concept of a "write-off" applied to 2020. We discussed pandemic fatigue, a persistent low-grade form of depression attached to the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared a new trend, "doomscrolling," which is constantly checking your phone for the latest bad news on social media. No surprise, this habit has significantly increased in recent weeks. Then she laughed and said, "this is something you should ask a therapist." So, I did.

Bro. Erik Marks, a Midnight Freemason contributor, is a clinical social worker. He's also a friend who is now used to getting my unsolicited phone calls that often become the fodder for late-night talks. As I recapped what I have shared with you, Dear Reader, I included a point that Bro. Marks made during his appearance on the https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/meetactpart/episodes/2020-05-02T15_06_04-07_00. In May, he was a guest on an episode discussing mental health and Freemasonry. At that time, Bro. Marks outlined how some of the things we have learned during the shutdown could be beneficial when Lodges reopened. "It's actually effective to meet once a month online," he suggested. He recounted a virtual gathering he attended where he reunited with three Brothers online who had moved out of state. These Brothers were able to connect thanks to technology. "To me, that was incredibly valuable because it wasn't Lodge; it wasn't ritual... In an odd way, I was grateful." 

Fast forward five months to our after-hours phone call at the end of September, and Bro. Marks still held the same feelings. Yes, this is going to be a different year. But to those Master Masons recently raised, it is on the rest of us to continue our time-honored traditions and create value in their experience. A newly made Mason should not know the difference in their Entered Apprentice degree conferred under COVID guidelines; the ritual must be the focus. Perhaps focusing on personal development, an internal assessment of our own improvement is most needed during this time of social distancing. For Brothers who have moved into leadership roles, now is the time we can work with new line officers on the details of their chair. Yes, this year is one that can be productive, investing in making good men better.

As our conversation progressed through the evening, I connected a Masonic lesson to the times. There is a line of ritual that http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2019/02/having-been-tried-never-denied.html. I have previously explored on the Midnight Freemasons blog,We don't have to know how to navigate through each situation or lesson - we must trust "someone who has." Having been tried, never denied, and ready to be tried again prepares one for the lifetime of learning as a Freemason. I've often searched for a practical application of the deeper meaning of being tried. There is no doubt an example was produced when our life suddenly changed in mid-March. Although the universe has presented this pandemic to all of us, a singular event has generated multiple experiences and outcomes. We are being tried. And honestly, it's a daily occurrence. As my teenagers say, "the struggle is real," because it is. Every day brings a new change that probes the boundaries of our acceptance and understanding. This can be personal, professional, or something larger than ourselves --- a movement, world event, or natural disaster. There is no asterisk next to 2020, rather an ever-present test, one that will not be simply dismissed on January 1, 2021.

Our task as Freemasons must be to remain upright men. To continue to employ the Working Tools in our everyday interactions. Most importantly, we must accept and embrace that we are being tried by internal and external forces. Instead of discouraging a Mason, these trials breed confidence deeper than any challenge dares to cross. We have the familiarity of never being denied. And, the perseverance to be tried again.

~MA

Brother Michael Arce is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge #3 in Albany, 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