Daniel Carter Beard

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Jim Stapleton

Daniel Carter Beard was born on June 21, 1850, in Cincinnati, OH, to May Caroline (Carter) and James Henry Beard. He was the youngest of four sons and the fourth of six children. When he was still quite young, his family moved from Ohio to Kentucky. Daniel Carter Beard spent a great deal of time exploring nature as he grew up, developing a love of the outdoors. He especially admired the stories of the pioneers, and how their knowledge of nature allowed them to push westward. It was during these formative years that he learned woodcraft, handicraft, and other outdoor skills.

When the Civil War began, Beard’s father, his uncle, and his older brothers joined the Union Army. In the years that followed, young men of fighting age signed up to join the War. While Daniel Carter Beard and his friends were too young to fight in the Civil War. They continued to expand their knowledge of the outdoors, while their elders were off fighting. The group even learned useful skills from troops stationed nearby, like setting up camping equipment and cooking. 

The Civil War inspired Daniel Carter Beard to apply to the US Naval Academy. However, he wasn’t admitted. Instead, he enrolled in Worrall’s Academy in Covington, KY, and studied civil engineering. After graduating in 1869, Beard went to work in the surveying field. He found that he didn’t enjoy the work. In 1878, he decided to leave surveying and pivoted to working as an illustrator. 

He moved to New York to begin his new career. It was then that he began to write books for boys, in addition to creating illustrations. One of his best-known books was The American Boys’ Handy Book, published in 1882. He wrote the book after observing children in New York that lacked the same outdoor skills he learned as a child. He also wrote books on a variety of topics such as building shelters, signs, and signals, etc. In addition to writing his own books, Beard also illustrated books for Mark Twain and other authors.

Around the beginning of the 20th Century, there was a growing interest in the United States to get back to nature. Local, state, and national parks were created. A number of organizations focused on connecting youth with the outdoors were also formed. In 1905, Beard started one such youth organization - The Sons of Daniel Boone. His goal was to improve the experiences of children in the country and also to keep frontier skills alive.

This back-to-nature phenomenon wasn’t limited to the United States. Lord Robert Baden-Powell also wanted to create a youth program in England to promote outdoor skills. Baden-Powell studied several existing youth organizations, including The Sons of Daniel Boone. He combined ideas from The Sons of Daniel Boone with elements of his own military experience. This led to the creation of the Boy Scouts in England in 1908. Subsequently, the Boy Scouts of America formed in 1910, when Beard and other US-based youth organization leaders combined efforts.

Beard stayed active in Scouting for decades and eventually became a National Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America. He conducted summer camp programs that incorporated woodcraft, handicraft, nature studies, and patriotic programs. Beard wrote regular columns in Boy’s Life magazine, where he communicated directly with the young men in the Scouting program. His dedication to the Scouting program led to him being referred to affectionately as “Uncle Dan.”

In addition to his affiliation with Scouting, Beard was also a Freemason. He was made a Mason in Mariner's Lodge No. 67 in New York City and later affiliated with Cornucopia Lodge No. 563 in Flushing, NY. Beard's involvement in Freemasonry had a significant impact on his work with the Boy Scouts of America. Many of the principles and values promoted by the Boy Scouts, like the importance of self-improvement, community service, moral and ethical behavior, are also core concepts of Freemasonry. Through Daniel Carter Beard’s efforts, these values have been instilled in young men for several generations.

To honor the work of Brother Beard, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania created the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award in 2001. The award is administered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, in coordination with Scouts BSA (formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America). The award recognizes Master Masons who are currently registered as Scouters and have strengthened the relationship between the two organizations.

As Freemasons, we should continue to foster the resilient mindset that Daniel Carter Beard brought to the Scouting movement over a century ago. This can be done by supporting local Scouting units, welcoming the opportunity to assist Scouts working on service projects, helping to host Scouting events, etc. Our organizations have an intertwined history, and we should build upon that connection to develop our country’s future generation of leaders.

~JS

Sources:

“Daniel Carter Beard Scouter Award.” Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation, 2 Mar. 2023, https://pmyf.org/masonic-youth/scouts/daniel-carter-beard-scouter-award/. Kahler, William V. An 

Historical Analysis Of The Professional Career Of Daniel Carter Beard, 1850-1941, Texas A&M University, United States -- Texas, 1975.

McKeown, Trevor W. Daniel Carter Beard, https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/beard_d/beard_d.html. 

Jim Stapleton is the Senior Warden of USS New Jersey Lodge No. 62. He is also a member of the New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786. Jim received the Distinguished White Apron Award from the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. He was awarded the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award. Jim is also a member of the Society of King Solomon.

From the Archives: The 50 Year Member - Masonry: A Cut Above

by Midinght Freemason Conributor

Bill Hosler, PM

The little shop on Main Street seemed to be lost in time. The place hadn't changed since it was opened in 1946. The turquoise colored walls which were adorned with photographs, stuffed animal heads, and fish from various hunting and fishing trips had watched thousands of customers walk through the glass door over the decades. Each one with a smile and a greeting on their lips to the barber who was busy cutting the hair of another customer.

After he placed his hat on the rack near the door and took his place in one of the chairs in the waiting area. Some of the men would have a good chat with the other waiting customers or read the paper or an old fishing magazine lying next to the ashtray on the end table. They would laugh and joke and talk about their day to the nearby sound of the hair clippers. Once the customer paid for the cut to the tune of the bell ringing in an ancient cash register, the barber would sweep up the clippings of hair. After he put his broom and dustpan away, he would yell "NEXT," and the next man would step up while the barber cleans off his leather and chrome chair, each man knowing his place in the first-come, first-served line. Once the man had taken his seat in the old weathered barber chair, the barber would snap his cloth before draping over the customer and would start the process all over again.

Many times the barber wouldn't have to ask his customer how he wanted his hair cut. Chances are the man had been coming to the shop for decades and each time he got his haircut the same way he always had. It was sort of an unspoken agreement between the two men of "If it ain't broke don't fix it." As the barber picked up his clippers the conversation began. Usually about a recent ball game or a vacation or sometimes the discussion of current events. It is believed by man men who patronized this shop over the years that if the politicians had any sense they would come by and listen to what was said here since they had solved all over the world's problems many times over.

The turn of the doorknob sounded a bell on the door as the 50-year member opened the door of this time capsule to the past. The aging barber was alone in the shop and had fallen asleep in his barber chair while reading the newspaper. The peeling of the bell awakened him with a startle.

"Well, Hello, John! Come on in. Today's your lucky day, no wait today. Come on in and have a seat!" as he vacated his chair and motioned to him to come in.

As the old man made his way into the shop, he began to smile. The smell of hot shaving cream and hair tonics took him back to his childhood as he walked across the old creaking linoleum floor. If you tried hard, you could still detect the faint smell of the cigars that used to be smoked by the waiting customers. The old familiar smells of this place never failed his mind back to his childhood when his father took him into the shop for his first haircut.

After placing his hat on the metal hat rack, the old man took his place in the barber chair. He smiled, thinking about when he was a small boy, and the barber would place a wooden board across the armrests of the chair for the boy to sit on to be high enough to get his haircut.

The 50-year member knew the barber, Norm Becker, his whole life. The two men had gone to school together and after graduation both went their separate ways. Norm went to barber college and began to work with his father, who had started the shop after he returned from the war. Norm worked with his dad until the end of the 1980s when the elder barber passed away. Then the shop became Norms shop. The 50 year member went off to college and upon graduation came home and started a family. The two men joined the local lodge about the same time, and thanks to their time at the lodge together had rekindled their life long friendship.

Over the years, both men were active in Masonry. Both went through the chairs of the lodge and served "their year" as the lodge's Master". Since they left the East, both men continued to be active in the blue lodge and various other Masonic bodies. The two men could now joke how once they were once the young kids the old Past Masters would complain about and in a blink of an eye now they were the old crotchety ones sitting in the North of the lodge during the meetings.

"Same old cut as always, John, or are you going to mix things up a bit?" Norm said with a smirk. "Nah. Like you always say Norm. If it ain't broke don't fix it." "Well I wasn't sure." Norm said "Probably not a good idea anyway. You start changing your looks, the missus is gonna think you are like a Tomcat out on the prowl." They both laughed. Norm continued: "And we both know your heart or the rest of your body couldn't handle that." The old man smiled. "I think you are just trying to show me some of those fancy new haircuts you have been learning about for the kids that are coming in."

Norm continued to cut the silver hair of the 50-year member. "It's amazing isn't it! A few years ago I was thinking about retiring. The shop was getting just like lodge. I had fewer and fewer customers each year as they began to pass away. Then all of a sudden. These young kids.. well, I shouldn't call them kids. I remember how mad it used to make me when my dad used to do that when I was younger. But all of a sudden, these younger fellas started leaving the beauty shops and started to look for barbershops. They wanted to learn thing like their grandfathers did. That's about the same time the lodge started to get busy." The 50-year member smoked and was genuinely glad for his Brother's good fortune. "I have been surprised at how much these young men have enriched my life since they started joining the lodge. I have begun fond of several of them. They have taught me so much. They even make me feel a bit younger." Norm laughed, "Lord knows you needed that, you old fuddy-duddy." "Just by using the term fuddy-duddy shows you aren't no spring chicken yourself." The 50-year member said, with that type of sarcasm, that one can only get away with when talking with an old friend.

Norm continued, "They have really made me step up my game. I've had to start looking at all the barber magazines and learn all the new and trendy haircuts. I even started giving shaves again! I hadn't given a man an actual shave since the seventies. And they want it done with a straight razor, not a throwaway razor. I was scared to death the first couple of times. I really had to sharpen my skills again. Only one thing troubles me about the whole thing." "What's that?" The 50-year member asked.

Norm said, "Well like you said, I ain't no spring chicken. There is a young fella starting here next month when he finishes barber college. If he does a good job and he likes the work in a couple of years, I'm going to sell the shop to him and retire. So I'm set financially. But what I'm worried about is the lodge."

Norm continued, "For a long time, I have worried whether Masonry was gonna die with us. When these young fellas began joining a few years back, I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought for sure Masonry was gonna be fine, and the lodge and all the other groups were going to be fine, so fellas like you and I could take a step back and let them have their turn. But it seems like after we raise them, they never come back."

The barber further explained, "I'm working harder for the lodge than ever, but it doesn't seem like we are getting anywhere. I'm still worried about the Fraternity."

The 50-year member listened to his friend's concerns and asked him "Norm if one of those young men walked into this shop and asked for a certain type of haircut, and you told him the only haircuts you give was the cuts the guys liked in the '50s when your dad ran the shop, like flat tops and crew cuts, would they come back here?" Norm laughed. "I doubt it. Shoot I wouldn't even come in!"

The 50-year member then asked Norm "Well, if the guy came in and wanted a straight razor shave, would you tell him you wouldn't do it because you used to do it in the old days and then stopped and you won't do it now, even though so many guys came in and asked for it?"

" That would be financial suicide."

The 50-year member said: "Well, if it doesn't make sense here in your place of business, then why in the devil's name do we do it in Freemasonry? These young men come into the lodge and ask, or better yet beg for what we say in public Freemasonry delivers, and we either tell them no. We don't do that anymore, or we have been doing it this way since Brother Harry Truman was president. It doesn't matter what you want; it's what you're gonna get. Sit down and be quiet."

The 50-year member continued, "If we want Freemasonry to continue on after we're gone, we need to deliver what these young men expect and are begging for, or better yet what we tell these young people what Freemasonry does. If we do that, we're gonna be fine."

There was since in the shop. The background sound of a Frank Sinatra was almost drowned out by the buzz of the building's fluorescent lightning was almost deafening as the barber's hands dropped to his side as a stunned look came across his face. Norm, in astonishment said in a quiet voice, "You know. I never thought of it that way. We keep hearing them going on about how they want education or how they want fancy dinners or an elegant lodge room. I thought they were kinda like my kids were in their teens when they were always bellyaching about something. I never thought of them like young men who were voting with their feet, or like you said with their wallets. Why hasn't anyone else ever thought of this before?"

The 50-year member explained, "Oh, some have. There was even a book written by some young Masons who explained how if the Craft was run more like a business, we might be better off. But most of us old guys and many of us who wear the gold collars hear business and the automatic thing "profit" and think we are talking about running the Masons like General Motors and they shut their minds off. If they would bother to listen to their "customers," which are the due paying members

We wouldn't have a membership shortage. As a matter of fact, the numbers might even look like when we were youngsters."

Norm smiled as he looks the began to take the drape from his customer. "Well John, you convinced me. Well your done. That will be fifteen bucks please." The 50 year member looked at Norm "Fifteen? It's been ten bucks for years." Norm laughed. "Yep, and it's like you said we have to keep up with the times. Oh yeah, these young fellas tend to tip me along with the payment these days. "

The 50-year member reached into his wallet and handed Norm the money. As for your tip, How about I buy you a beer after lodge next week? I figure that's a safe bet. At your age you will have forgotten all about it but then." Norm laughed "Or you will and I will remind you that you said you would buy me two of them! Get out of here you tightwad!" The men were laughing as the 50-year member took his hat from the rack and walked into the street.

~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.

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My Brother, The Illinois Lodge of Research has a long history of providing unique learning events. On April 15th, 2023--we will have one such event. This event is free and will include presentations and a unique tour of one of the most iconic Scottish Rite Valleys in America. We're proud to announce the first event of the year, The ILOR Traveling Symposium. Our speakers for the day will include: WB:. Greg Knott, 33˚ Greg is one of the founding contributors to the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL), and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754, Homer Lodge No. 199, and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, D.C. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star, and is the Charter-Secretary of the Illinois High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philalethes Society.He is a charter member of the new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 (IL) and serves as its Secretary. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts–an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters. RWB:. Robert H. Johnson (RJ Johnson) Philosophy is at the core of what Robert is after. Having grown up in Italy and being exposed to the culture and much of the renaissance art and literature, Freemasonry became a natural place for him to gravitate toward. He is an avid musician and writer. He’s written for several print magazines and blogs on subjects ranging from Firearms and Medical Ethics to Theology and Comparative Religions. Robert's primary studies are in philosophy and mathematics. He also holds an honorary Doctorate Degree in Philosophy in Religion. Currently, Robert works as an executive in the medical industry. He received his degrees from Waukegan Lodge No. 78, becoming Worshipful Master in 2014. He’s since served as both a District Education Officer and a District Deputy Grand Master. He currently serves on the Grand Lodge of Illinois' Education Committee and is the Grand Superintendant for the Allied Masonic Degrees for Illinois. He is a member of the S.C.R.I.F. Prairieland College in Illinois. He is also the author of How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide and co-author of It's Business Time: Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry, and The Master's Word, A Short Treatise on the Light, the Word and the Self. He has also republished other various works. 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 the Area Education Officer for the Eastern Masonic Area. 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. About the Venue - The Valley of Danville - Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite The cornerstone for the building was laid on April 26, 1916, by Grand Master Ralph H. Wheeler. It was Dedicated on April 10, 1917, again by MWB Wheeler. The Architect, LFW Steube, was a Past Master of Olive Branch Lodge 38 and a prolific architect of buildings in Illinois and Indiana early in the 20th century. In addition to this Masonic Temple, he was the architect of the "old" Masonic Temple in Mattoon, the Vermilion County Courthouse, and Ashmore Estates in Coles County. Over the years, the building has housed several Masonic Bodies and Organizations, including multiple Blue Lodges, the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, various Orders of the Eastern Star, The White Shrine of Jerusalem, Jobs, Daughters, and the Order of DeMolay for Boys. Currently, the building is occupied by the Valley of Danville AASR-- the building owner-- and its Eastern Illinois Children's Learning Center for Dyslexia, Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 AF & A.M., Corinthian Lodge No. 31 F&AM PHA, Iris Chapter No. 307 Order of the Eastern Star, L.L. Lockard Chapter Order of DeMolay for Boys, and Mimi's Kitchen, an on-site caterer. The Valley's Board of Directors recently approved the creation of a group called Valley productions, whose purpose is to bring entertainment acts to the building to help the building sustain itself and entertain the local community. Tours of the iconic building will be available to all attendees! Click Here To Get Your Free Tickets!

Moments That Matter - Mentoring

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

One of my guilty pleasures is the pride that comes from helping others succeed.  In this, I specifically mean mentoring in Masonic, professional career, and even friends and family mentoring.  I am blessed to continue benefiting from mentors and guides throughout my life, and when I finally got it through my thick skull I could and should give back?  The joy and gratitude doubled, maybe tripled.  Mentoring others may not be your strong suit, but I learned listening deeply and quietly without interrupting or just asking for additional detail brings depth and contemplation in all participants in any conversation.

I learned a valuable lesson from my studies in the Scottish Rite’s Academy Of Reflection: sometimes it is just listening and letting the person express their thoughts.  Other times it is asking a gentle question to explore something they said.  I personally benefited much from analogy and allegory when my own mentors would relate a story back to me, and I appreciate the nuance of a well-placed question such as “what were you experiencing at that moment” or something as simple as “how did that make you feel?”  

Giving advice seems appropriate as we tend to want to “fix” the situation presented to us, but good listening takes that conversation to a deeper level.  I learned that I wanted to express my own thoughts and experiences along with the person speaking, and I learned often my own experiences were best kept to myself until the conversation was at a long pause or stopping point.  Only after the whole picture could be expressed did anything I might offer be relevant.

Then, after fully exploring the situation or experience, the solution or path forward often manifested for the individual.  Mentoring became a challenge to me to simply sit in mostly silence as the person saw my perspective through a few questions, and they often found their own solutions without any guidance from me.  This was a moment that mattered.  This self-discovery of an idea or direction that I helped guide often paralleled my own advice, yet all I did was encourage the person to explore their own thoughts.  We all benefit when we discover moments that matter.

Occasionally my own experiences came into play with a related story of how I approached a similar issue, and I tried to relate experiences in a manner that could draw a parallel analogy.  That didn’t always work.  What did work was honesty in describing my own situational failures and how I learned overcoming mistakes helped make me who I am today.  I make plenty of mistakes that turn into lessons both embarrassing and not.

Ego wants us to tell our own story.  The lessons of the Entered Apprentice include the silence and patience with which we can listen with quiet intention, not interrupting others while they tell their story.  Ego can be difficult to overcome, and direct practice in listening turned out to be a skill I developed with some rough edges still poking through.  I continue to find myself talking more than listening at times, and my own lessons become my own moments that matter to me.

We as Masons should focus on these moments that matter to us, to our Brothers, and to friends and family.  To strangers, simply giving someone a compliment may be the moment that mattered to them.  Asking strangers to pass along the good to someone else may brighten someone else’s day.  That moment mattered to someone downstream, and the beauty of giving a stranger a good moment never gets old.  You may never realize how much a compliment mattered in that moment to others, but if you don’t give it you will never manifest that kindness.

Our challenge remains to recognize moments that matter.  We influence people around us, and we affect them with our attitude.  Are you approaching people with gratitude and love, or are you hauling the heavy load of ego into your conversations and encounters?  Are you taking time to find the moments that matter to you through contemplation and reflection?  Are you helping others with moments that matter?

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a bachelor's 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 of 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, a 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.