[Magdalen] History of Masonry in the United States

[Clarissa Canning]

Just wanted to say thanks, I enjoyed reading the History that some of you
shared about Masonary.

On Sun, Jan 17, 2016 at 12:41 AM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ah, the memories! We would often have the anniversary of a Mason's raising,
> and more often than not the fiftieth would find the person in Florida and
> in poor health, but usually a local lodge would get a committee together
> and go visit on behalf of our lodge and give the person the pin. They would
> report back to our secretary, who in turn would tell us all about it. For
> those guys, it meant a great deal.  At the time I was active, these guys
> would have been raised in the time after The Great War. No doubt they went
> through a lot as Masons. It really could mean a great deal back in those
> days. If you were not in need, you were quietly taking care of people who
> were, because there just wasn't anybody else a lot of the time.
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
>
> On Sun, Jan 17, 2016 at 2:20 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > One of my home health patients had been very active in Eastern Star, and
> > when her 50th anniversary came around, the ladies all came to her house
> and
> > had a little ceremony and presented her with a pin which she proudly wore
> > on her nightgown every day for the rest of her life. She was well into
> her
> > 90s and pretty much bedfast but still sharp, and that pin meant a great
> > deal to her.
> >
> > On Sunday, January 17, 2016, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> > oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > As I described earlier, Masonry sprang from a need to make honorable
> men
> > > better able to identify one another.
> > >
> > > Masons were quite influential in the past. For instance, most of those
> > > involved in the Declaration or the Constitution were Masons. A very
> large
> > > number of presidents were Masons. Masons apparently were involved in
> the
> > > Boston Tea Party.
> > >
> > > http://www.hbmasons.com/2011/06/22/masons-at-the-boston-tea-party/
> > >
> > > I was once visiting a lady who was a bit older than my parents, and had
> > > seen and knew about events from an earlier time. I had just been
> > initiated
> > > int Masonry, and she said that her father was a member of the local
> > lodge,
> > > and many things were decided in Masonic Hall. One day, she said, her
> > father
> > > came home to announce that at the lodge they had decided that evening
> "to
> > > pave Main Street." She affirmed that my great-grandfather had been one
> of
> > > those present. Today, oh how I wish I could sit with her and ask more
> > > questions.
> > >
> > > It would be unfair not to mention other organizations that have had an
> > > enormous beneficial effect on the USA. These would include the
> > Oddfellows,
> > > Kights of Pythias, the Grange, and, of course, the Knights of Columbus.
> > >
> > > So what happened?  I believe several things lead to the decline of all
> > > these organizations.
> > >
> > > The simplest thing is that the need for the organization is pretty much
> > > gone.
> > >
> > > Women got the vote, and demands for equality have curtailed men's night
> > > out.
> > >
> > > The concept of a club that only admits one gender is going by the
> boards.
> > >
> > > Television was a major factor. One could stay home and be entertained.
> > >
> > > Masons and similar organizations started many charitable organizations;
> > now
> > > we take it for granted that the Government bears responsibility for the
> > > health and welfare of the population, so these organizations are no
> > longer
> > > as needed as was the case.  Almost all of these organizations had
> > > orphanages dedicated to sheltering children of deceased Masons, and
> they
> > > also had homes for the older destitute Mason. In New York the orphans'
> > home
> > > was closing at the time I was Master of my lodge. the care of children
> > was
> > > better done in foster care, supervised by the Craft. It was felt that
> > this
> > > was a better way to deal with this. Of course, in both cases, these
> > people
> > > very seldom have to put themselves at the mercy of strangers, but just
> a
> > > fairly short time ago, welfare was a local patchwork of unreliable
> > efforts
> > > of varying degrees of success.
> > >
> > > Then, there is also the race issue.  At the time I was active, Masons
> in
> > > New York were under two (at least two) grand lodges: the one my lodge
> > > worked under was for Whites only, and then there was the Prince Hall
> > Grand
> > > Lodge for Masons of Color. More recently, our lodges have integrated.
> > This
> > > was one of the reasons I decided not to continue to be active, and I
> have
> > > little doubt that others felt as I did.
> > >
> > > When Masonry was started in London in 1717, its basic ideas were that
> all
> > > men could meet on the level, and there was no distinction among them.
> > This
> > > was radical then, but is reactionary now. An organization which
> excludes
> > > women is not going to do well, to say the least. In conservative areas,
> > > Masonry still functions. In other areas, not so much. Poughkeepsie used
> > to
> > > have five lodges (white) when I was active. I know of one today. I have
> > no
> > > information on the Prince Hall lodges. One friend told me that they too
> > are
> > > having difficulty attracting new members.
> > >
> > > One thing I noticed, which I have never heard mentioned elsewhere, is
> the
> > > basic failure to adhere to the idea of all men meeting on the level.
> > Higher
> > > Masonic organizations were set up in order that the more affluent would
> > be
> > > able to meet among their "peers," and not have to socialize with the
> > lower
> > > classes.  Watching the displays of groups such as the Shriners, this is
> > > very apparent. However, within the Blue Lodges (the basic lodges of the
> > > first three degrees), the trappings of elitism were everywhere. Some
> > lodges
> > > in New York meet in formal wear.
> > >
> > > Combined with the fact that women are excluded, many folks just have no
> > > interest in this organization.
> > >
> > > It served a very important purpose, but its time has gone. I suspect
> that
> > > most of the organizations would say the same.
> > >
> > > Masonry has given us some figures of speech.
> > >
> > > Asking if someone is truthful, one may well ask, "Is he on the level?"
> > > "His story doesn't square with what I have been told."
> > > "They suspected his motives. They asked a lot of penetrating questions,
> > > really gave him the third degree about so-and-so."
> > > Eavesdroppers were folks who secretly stood right by a building, hoping
> > to
> > > hear what was being said inside; it's from our ritual.
> > >
> > > Masonry is certainly declining in numbers, although in some areas it
> > > continues to flourish after a fashion.
> > > Things do not generally change suddenly, but gradually over a period of
> > > decades. Like the Church, many folks seem to have gradually moved on to
> > > other things, decided that they have more important things to do with
> > their
> > > time.
> > >
> > > One must avoid thinking about what used to be, or what "ought to be,"
> and
> > > focus on making the best of what IS.
> > >
> > > James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> > > *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not
> preserved,
> > > except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> > >
> > > On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 9:40 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> > > oppenheimerjw at gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > >
> > > > It's intriguing how involved Masonry has been in this country.
> British
> > > > military brought their traveling lodges with them, of course, and
> they
> > > > welcomed others into those lodges.  Much of the early history stems
> > from
> > > > military lodges which spun off Masonic activity which eventually
> would
> > > > solidify into some of the early Grand lodges.
> > > >
> > > > While it is certainly true that the military has been a springboard
> for
> > > > much of Masonry (much is made of Washington being raised in a
> military
> > > > lodge) there was another compelling purpose for Masonry.  In a time
> > when
> > > we
> > > > could not do a background search on a new person in town, we wanted
> > some
> > > > means of showing the person of honorable.  Masonry (and other secret
> > > > societies as well) provided a sort of reference for a person
> travelling
> > > > from town to town.
> > > >
> > > > Coming to a town, one could seek out other "brothers of Hiram" in the
> > > > town, using a series of secret signs and references.  When he found
> > these
> > > > folks, he could demonstrate to them that he was in fact a Mason.
> > > >
> > > > Nobody is ever asked to be a Mason; one must ask a Mason to recommend
> > > him.
> > > > If such happens, a committee forms to investigate the man, and they
> > make
> > > a
> > > > report: They state that they are able to report favorably, or that
> they
> > > are
> > > > not able to.  The local lodge to which the man petitions must vote
> > > > (secretly) on the candidate. The vote has to be unanimous; One vote
> > > against
> > > > defeats the petition. This assures that if a person becomes a Mason
> at
> > > all,
> > > > there was not one person in the lodge who objected.
> > > >
> > > > Obviously this is not the character attestation one can imagine in
> this
> > > > day, but back in that time, when there was not even a central police
> > > force,
> > > > and no identity database at all, for the person travelling, being
> able
> > to
> > > > show you were a Mason opened doors. If businessmen all knew each of
> > them
> > > > were masons, they could make deals with confidence even when they
> > didn't
> > > > know each other at all.
> > > >
> > > > My great grandfather was an oil man in the early days, and also a
> > Mason.
> > > I
> > > > found a document in a leather wallet obviously designed to keep it
> > intact
> > > > while travelling. It was a masonic document (beautifully engraved)
> > > > attesting to the fact that the bearer was a member of a particular
> > > Masonic
> > > > rite (been a while, so I'm not sure which one). It had a picture of
> my
> > > > great grandfather embossed into it. In those days, oil men were
> > > travelling
> > > > all over, and had to be able to make deals quickly, on the run.
> > > >
> > > > Nowadays, there is not a need for this sort of thing, but then, it
> was
> > > the
> > > > best they could do.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> > > > *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not
> > preserved,
> > > > except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> > > >
> > >
> >
>