Download PDF The Enigmatic Life of Major John Belli Merchant, Solider, Spy, and Freemason John W. Bizzack, Ph.D. The Enigmatic Life of Major John Belli is, in part, an excerpt from How and Why Freemasonry Came to Kentucky, Autumn House Publishing 2014, John W. Bizzack, and Notable Men in Kentucky Who Happened to be…
Read MoreDownload PDF Searching for the Intersecting Masonic and Political World of Henry Clay John W. Bizzack and Dan M. Kemble This research appears in The Rubicon Masonic Society Transactions, Volume 1, 2023. The research is a product of the collaborative work between Lexington Lodge No.1, the William O. Ware Lodge of Research, and the Rubicon…
Read MoreDownload PDF THE GREAT MASONIC CAN-KICKING: 1779-2024 John W. Bizzack, PM, Lexington, Lodge No. 1, Lexington, Kentucky A paper read at the 80th Annual Consistory of The Society of Blue Friars, Friday, February 9, 2024, Arlington, Virigina. On December 27, 1779, American Union Lodge 1, which was first chartered in Massachusetts in 1776 Oand functioned…
Read MoreDownload PDF The Steamboat Captain Who Changed the Course of Freemasonry in Kentucky John W. Bizzack PM, Lexington Lodge No. 1, Research Committee Chair, William O. Ware Lodge of Research ABSTRACT History does not give a us a clear account of what the man who, in August 1851 at the 51st Annual Communication of the…
Read MoreDownload PDF BURLESQUING FREEMASONRY THE WORKING JACKET OF A MASTER MASON AND THE AGE OF FRIVOLITY John W. Bizzack and Dan M. Kemble BURLESQUING FREEMASONRY The Working Jacket of a Master Mason and The Age of Frivolity Past Masters John W. Bizzack, Ph.D. and Dan M. Kemble, J.D. This research appears in Volume 1…
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Download PDF Unraveling Tall Tales A 21st Century Investigation into the Disputable Masonic Claims that Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett Were Freemasons John W. Bizzack, Ph.D.. PREFACE In matters of history, even a casual concern for accuracy can have staggering rippling effects. Unless proven otherwise, often what is continually reported will be taken…
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When we refer to the caliber of a good man’s character, his work ethic, resilience, decency, citizenship, faith, family values, and other aspects of what we commonly consider the measure of such a man, we say the man is of good timber.American poet and short-story writer, Douglas Malloch, is credited with bringing that term into popular usage in his 1922 poem, “Good Timber.” The significance of the poem is Malloch’s use of a sagely metaphor that reminds us that, like a tree, a man must consistently bear up against strong winds and other elements of his surroundings, and develop deep roots to nourish growth if he is to live an upright life of value, upon which a premium may be placed. Men who strive hard to surmount struggles of their sum and substance become, like trees, good timber. Some interpret Malloch’s work as a reminder that life without hardship is one of unfulfilled potential.
Read MoreFrom 1793-1805, England’s growing concern and fear of invasion by Napoleon’s enormous army and navy resulted in Parliament authorizing several watch stations to be built along the English coast and manned by civil servants. The purpose of these watch stations and duties of the lookouts was to serve as the early warning system to an invasion fully expected to arrive by way of the English Channel. Napoleon’s plan to invade England,however, was sidetracked in 1805 as he became more focused on his military campaigns in Austria and Egypt. In 1815, the English army defeated Napoleon once and for all at the Battle of Waterloo and the threat of an invasion completely disappeared.
Read MoreSurely the founders of Freemasonry and the authors and revisers of our ritual must have given due regard to this basic problem of life when they designed the ceremonies whereby candidates are inducted into our Craft. Certainly, the central theme of all our rituals is the leading of those blinded by the darkness of ignorance, and bound by the cords of superstition, out into the uplifting light of truth and knowledge. Who can justly deny the design of Freemasonry’s educational aims and activities; but some may doubt whether we are placing proper emphasis on the fundamental objectives of our Fraternity today?
Read MoreTo become a member of the Masonic Fraternity a man must meet the qualifications as established in his Masonic Jurisdiction, be unanimously approved by the body of the Lodge to which he applies, pay the fees required, and be initiated. If he proves proficient in the first two degrees, he may advance to the degree of Master Mason. Once made a Master Mason, he can call himself a Mason for the rest of his life, as long as he pays his annual dues and remains in good standing with his Lodge. He can, if he wishes, then apply for membership in appendant bodies, and, if admitted and advanced through their processes, pays his annual dues, and remains a member of a regularly chartered Masonic lodge, also remain a member of the appendant body for the rest of his life.
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