Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a very active and prominent Freemason in colonial America. He was initiated in February 1731 at St John’s Lodge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He became the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1734. He also printed and published the first masonic book in America “The Constitutions of the Freemasons“. In 1777 he became a member of the “Loge des Neuf Soeurs” of Paris, where he helped initiate the famous French philosopher Voltaire. He also met many famous and influential European Freemasons through this particular lodge. Including members of the Prussian military and nobility, who helped connect George Washington and King Frederick the Great. Who in turn supported the American Revolution financially and militarily.

More Info:
https://www.freemason.com/benjamin-franklin-freemason-founding-father/

Freemasons use a lot of old-English in their rituals and conversations. One example of this is the term profane that is used when referring to someone who is not a mason. Unfortunately the use of the word by the average English-speaker has changed over the years. Today it is considered by non-masons to be derogatory. It is commonly understood to mean disrespectful, irreverent,  obscene or vulgar.

Clearly though that is not the intended meaning as it is understood by Freemasons. The word is derived from the Latin “pro” meaning before, and “fanum” which means temple. Thus, someone profane is one who is “outside the temple”, or uninitiated.

It might be reasonable for Masons today to only use this term exclusively inside their own lodges, or when conversing with other Freemasons, in order to avoid unintended potential offense of non-Masons. Therefore, caution is advised.

The Knights of St Andrew (KSA) are a Masonic service group. It is specifically part of the Scottish Rite. It was founded in 1993 in the Valley of Tulsa, Oklahoma, by the late, Ill. Weldon Good, 33. The by-laws stated that the Knights of St. Andrew are a “Black Cap” group. A member who receives the honor of KCCH – Knights Commander of the Court of Honor – can not hold an office or vote but they can continue to work and assist. The main duties of the Knights of St. Andrew were and are, to assist, as needed, during a reunion and to be available to the Valley’s General Secretary for any assigned duties.

Initially there were chapters only in Oklahoma, in Tulsa, Guthrie and McAllister. Later on it kept growing and additional chapters were founded throughout the Southern and Northern jurisdictions of the Scottish Rite. There are now chapters in over 180 valleys. Some Chapters have elected to use the names, Order of the Thistle, or Scots Guards. Not only the names and the logos, but also the dress differs from valley to valley. Some use kilts and Glen Gharry caps, while others prefer the black Scottish Rite caps and suits or tuxedos.

One thing all Knights of St Andrew chapters have in common is that it is an organization of and for Black Cap Scottish Rite Masons designed to assist with and give service to their Valley. It is mostly joined by members who go beyond simply attending meetings but are deeply involved and happy to serve.

More Info:
https://www.knightsofstandrew.info

DeMolay is a Masonic youth organization that was founded in Kansas City, MO in 1919 and is named in honor of Jaques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. DeMolay is open for membership to all young men between the ages of 12 and 21 who acknowledge a higher spiritual power. There are currently about 15,000 members worldwide. Each chapter is sponsored by a local Masonic lodge. Their members then provide adult supervisors and leadership for that particular chapter.

The organization offers a two degree system. The first one is for the initiation of new members, and the second for members who become officers. Participating in the degrees and becoming an officer allow members to develop leadership, organizational and public speaking skills. It fosters self confidence and surrounds the members with a group of supportive and like-minded people.

DeMolay teaches seven core values, which are called cardinal virtues, as the basis of good character. They are: Filial Love, Reverence for Sacred Things, Courtesy, Comradeship, Fidelity, Cleanliness and Patriotism.

Famous alumni of the organization include: Walt Disney, Mel Blanc, Bill Clinton, John Wayne, John Steinbeck, Pete Rose, Fran Tarkenton and Burl Ives.

More Info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeMolay_International
https://demolay.org

The cable-tow is a length of rope that was used by our operative Masonic forefathers for a multitude of purposes. They used it to bind together heavy objects on floats or rafts, to ensure safe transport to the worksite. It was also used to secure the workers at the job sites. The longer the rope, the higher the worker was able to stand at the building site. This indicated a more advanced and experienced workman.

In speculative Freemasonry the cable-tow is used to dress a candidate during the initiative degrees. It symbolizes several different and unrelated meanings. One thought is that the degrees represent a symbolical rebirth of the man into a Mason, the rope therefore represents an  umbilical cord that binds the candidate to the fraternity.

Another way to interpret it is to look at the rope as a physical bond or shackle that the candidate throws off once he becomes a Mason by completing the obligation and pledging on his honor to uphold the principal tenants of Freemasonry. Brotherly love being stronger than any physical restraint.

This physical bond can also be viewed as the tyranny of passions, ignorance and spiritual slavery that man suffers under before being liberated by becoming enlightened through Freemasonry.

These are just some of the many possible interpretations of this ancient symbol.

English football’s association with Freemasonry goes back to 1863 when the Football Association was formed at the Freemasons’ Tavern in London – on Great Queen Street in London, now the New Connaught Rooms next door to Freemasons’ Hall.

After the very first match under the new football governing rules way back in January 1864, a toast was drunk – how very Masonic in itself – to ‘success to football, irrespective of class or creed’.

There are a number of Masonic Lodges named after their famous teams – Anfield Lodge, No. 2215, Everton Lodge No. 823 and more recently the Football Lodge No.9921.

There have long been myths about the colors, or rather colours, of the professional soccer team “Machester City FC” of the English Premier League. In 1894 the club was in a financial crisis and was bailed out by Masons, who asked that in return the team wear the Masonic colour of blue.

“Sidney Rose was a medical doctor and a Mancunian(Manchester) Freemason, he had been a supporter of Manchester City since the 1920s. He was appointed the Director of the club from 1966 to 1986, after resigning as director he was given the prestigious position of life Vice President until his dead in 2014. He revealed that: “The real founders of the Club became involved in 1894 when there was sort of financial crisis, and that they were Masons, or certainly had close Masonic connection…that was why they started playing in pale blue, the colours of the freemasonry.” Although there were no corroborative documents to support his claims, his reputation makes his claim hard to be dismissed.”

More Info:
https://ng.opera.news/ng/en/sports/72a054dc10d18defdb6d913f91579a8d
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3308796/Freemasons-Utd.html
https://surreyfreemasons.org.uk/football-and-it-connections-with-freemasonry/

Many people have been members of the fraternity of Freemasons over the years. That includes people from all walks of life, including professional athletes. These men became brothers and shining examples of the positive impact that Freemasonry has on each member.

Famous Athletes who are Freemasons:

Arnold Palmer – Golf
1929 – 2016
Is a 33′ Mason who joined Loyalhanna Lodge No. 275 F&AM in Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Ty Cobb – MLB Baseball
1886 – 1961
Was a member of Royston Lodge No. 426 F&AM in Detroit, Michigan

Honus Wagner – MLB baseball
1874 – 1955
Became a Freemason at Centennial Lodge No. 544 F&AM in Carnegie, Pennsylvania

Shaquille O’Neal – NBA Basketball
Born 1972
Is a member of Widow’s Son Lodge No.28 PHA in Boston, Massachusetts

Scottie Pippen – NBA Basketball
Born 1965
Is a member of Unity Lodge No.454 PHA in Arkansas

James Naismith – Inventor of the Sport of Basketball
1861 – 1939
Became a Freemason at Russell Lee Lodge in Springfield, Massachusetts

Tim Horton – NHL Hockey
1930 – 1974
Was a member of Kroy Lodge No. 676 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

John Elway Jr. – NFL Football
Born 1960
Became a Freemason in January 2002 at South Denver Masonic Lodge No. 93 F&AM in Denver, Colorado

Sugar Ray Robinson – Boxing
1921 – 1989
Was a member of Joppa Lodge #55 PHA in New York City, New York

Manny Pacquiao – Boxing
Born 1978
Has been initiated as an Entered Apprentice in March, 2021 at Mamamayang Pilipino Lodge in the Philippines.

Joe Frazier – Boxing
1944 – 2011
Became a Freemason in March 2009 at M.B. Taylor Lodge No. 141 F&AM in Hammonton, New Jersey

Jack Dempsey – World Heavyweight Champion
1895 – 1983
Was a member of Kenwood Lodge No. 800 AF&AM in Chicago, Illinois

More Info:
https://scottishritenmj.org/blog/sporting-gold-masonic-athletes

This is an appendant body, or side degree, of Freemasonry. It devotes itself to friendship and brotherly love towards fellow Masons and all mankind. They are currently over 10,000 members strong and their chapters are mostly located in the Northeast of the United States. The individual members are called cedars, who in turn meet in chapters called forests. The national body is named the Supreme Forest.

“It all started in 1843 with some very energetic and imaginative Master Masons who dreamed up the idea of a Tall Cedar Degree, and in those days the degree was called ” The Ancient and Honorable Rite of Humility.” The name “Tall Cedar Degree” does not reveal itself other than the possibility of a somewhat shorter title than the aforementioned, and this was to remain as such until we adopted the title of ” Tall Cedars of Lebanon of the United States of America” upon incorporation in 1902.”

The official creed is: ” Fun Frolic & Fellowship”

Like most appendant bodies in Freemasonry, there is a designated charity for this organization. The Tall Cedars support research into Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. It is estimated that the Tall Cedars have raised over $14-million for Muscular Dystrophy research. Each year, the Supreme Forest presents a check at the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.

More Info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_Cedars_of_Lebanon
https://www.tallcedars.org

The tiler is an officer of the Masonic lodge. His duty is to guard the closed doors of the lodge room from the approach and attempted entry of all non-approved individuals. This constitutes mostly non-Masons. But it can also mean Masons that are not in good standing, or who are not of the appropriate degree. Not in good standing means that their dues are not current. Being of the wrong degree means that the lodge has been opened in a higher degree, such as Master Mason, and the person trying to enter not having attained that level yet.

One hypothesis of the origin of the word tiler is that it derives from the tiles used in operative Masonry, that were used to seal the structural masonry, whether they be on floors, walls or roofs. Likewise, the tiler seals the activities of the lodge.

The tiler uses a drawn sword to represent his office. This sword can not be in a scabbard. He proceeds at the beginning of the lodge meeting from the altar to his station outside the doors brandishing this weapon. Once outside he sets up, ready to defend the lodge.

Traditionally the tiler’s sword used to be a flamberge, a large bladed sword, also known as a flaming sword.
This is in allusion of the flaming sword that was placed at the East side of the Garden of Eden, which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life. Genesis (iii, 4): “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim’s and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life;” or, as Raphael has translated it, “the flaming sword which revolveth, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Today most lodge use a regular straight bladed sword instead.

More Info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame-bladed_sword
https://thecraftsman.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DONE-The-Tyler-JB.pdf
https://www.masonicworld.com/education/files/artnov01/The%20Sword%20in%20the%20Craft.htm

Why do Masons wear white gloves? This question leads to a lot of symbolism, a lot of which most Masons might not be aware of either. At first glance the gloves might appear to be very elitist and snobbish. However, instead of being a source of separation where the wearer uses them to indicate a higher station in life, Masonic gloves are intended to do the opposite.

Freemasons are a fraternity that invites men from all walks of life. The ranks include physical laborers such as farmers, car mechanics and construction workers, as well as white color jobs such as bankers, teachers, entrepreneurs and scientists. Freemasonry teaches us that it is the internal and not the external qualities that make a Mason. By wearing gloves it disguises whether or not the hands of a particular brother might be smooth or rough. The brethren strive for brotherly love and equality.

It also adds a certain atmosphere of dignity and decorum.

The color white itself symbolizes innocence and purity of heart and mind. It reminds the Masons to always do what is moral and right.

In early Christian churches the clergy wore gloves to indicate that their hands were clean and devoid of bribery. To this day the pope and his dignitaries still wear white gloves during official ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church.

The washing of hands as a ritual of purification has a long tradition and can be found as far back as ancient Greece in the story of Midas and the golden touch. Where Dionysus orders King Midas to wash his hands in the river Pactolus to reverse the curse. The white gloves are a symbolic representation of such a purification.

More Info:
https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/masonic_bulletin/66/lxvi03.pdf