Download PDF Searching for the Intersecting Masonic and Political World of Henry Clay John W. Bizzack, Ph.D. 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…
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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 MoreFollowing his installation as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky on October 17, 1957, M. W. Grand Master William O. Ware posed three questions to the Craft assembled: What is Freemasonry? What does Freemasonry mean to me? What do I mean to Freemasonry? All Masons engaged in a serious pursuit of Masonic light will address each of these questions at some point in their Masonic journey. Right now, we will consider the first of Grand Master Ware’s questions: What is Freemasonry?
Read MoreCivil War historians generally agree that the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, although being a relatively small affair in terms of the total number of men engaged on both sides, was fought as fiercely as any of the larger and better-known battles of that war. Soldiers in both armies recognized the strategic importance of Kentucky and, indeed, Union President Abraham Lincoln remarked, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game.” Metaphorically, an equally fierce battle is being waged for the heart and soul of American Freemasonry. While relatively few men are engaged on either side, the struggle is a bitter one and the outcome will determine the direction of Freemasonry in this country for the next several
decades.
You may know the saying, Reading is sowing. Rereading is the harvest. If you were not familiar with the saying, you are now, because you read it. Chances are you read it twice, harvested the truth of the saying and further advanced your skill in conceptualizing concepts and ideas – all by reading. We are in our sixth decade of swimming in reports, independent and government studies, surveys, editorials, writings from educators, social science researchers, and an inexhaustible list of opinion offered by pundits, all trying to explain why people do not read books anymore. There is something fascinating about trying to find the logic in the expectation that books and other writings about why people do not read anymore may be widely read by people who do not read books or writings anymore.
Read MoreThe immediate aftermath of the death of Governor William Goebel in Frankfort, Kentucky on February 3, 1900 brought Kentucky to the brink of civil war within the borders of the Commonwealth. But for the intervention of two prominent Kentuckians, John Breckinridge Castleman and Daniel R. Collier, each of whom were Freemasons, it is likely that armed conflict would have occurred. How these two men, who came from very different backgrounds, helped defuse such a volatile situation, is a story largely lost to history. To understand how matters in early 1900 reached a boiling point, it is necessary to understand post-Civil War politics in Kentucky. Following the Civil War, Kentucky was politically dominated by the conservative wing of the Democratic Party, known as the “Bourbon Democrats.” Many of the Bourbon leaders were ex-Confederates. As the 19th century neared an end, and the Bourbons Democrats grew older, their grip on political power weakened and in 1895, Kentucky elected its first Republican governor, William O. Bradley.
Read MoreIf you are currently a regularly made Mason in good standing in a subordinate Lodge of your Grand Jurisdiction, you are invited to imagine the following: On any given night, within the borders of your jurisdiction, three separate Lodges are holding their stated meetings. In the first Lodge, the Senior Warden rises to address the Master. After a brief preamble, he proposes that the Lodge begin to set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at each of its meetings for the purpose of Masonic education. His proposal finds support among the Brothers of the Lodge, and the Master, in turn, appoints a committee to prepare Masonic education subjects for the Lodge to consider.
Read MoreHow does a person or organization begin to successfully address and resolve an issue if they do not know what caused it to become an issue and when? Root Cause Analysis is a useful process for understanding, as well as solving, a problem. It is a useful tool to answer those questions when something goes badly but can also be used when something goes well. There are only three questions to research and ponder: What is the problem? Why did it happen? and What can or will be done to prevent it from happening again? Figuring out what negative (or positive) events are occurring answers the first question. Looking at and understanding the complex systems that surround those events answers the second. Identifying the key points of failure (or success) answers the third. The answers, when properly researched and analyzed, reveal the root cause. As simple as it may sound, and sometimes as simple as it is to do, the evidence is scant that American Freemasonry has regularly used root cause analysis when it comes to the issue of public image and awareness of the idea of Freemasonry.
Read MoreAs children, many of us played a game in school called, “Pass It On.” Some of us knew the game by different names. Some of us knew it as, “Gossip,” while others of us knew it as, “Chinese Whispers.” Regardless of the name, the game was almost always played in the same way. Children would arrange themselves in rows or lines, and the first would whisper something to the next person in line, then say, “pass it on!” By the time whatever it was that was being “passed on” reached the last person in line, it was generally something quite different than the original statement uttered by the first person in line. The amusement of the game was to see just to what extent the original message became distorted as it reached its final destination.
Read MoreEvery Masonic Lodge conducts a ritualistic opening ceremony before transacting any business. The opening ceremony is actually quite brief – usually just about ten minutes long. Because of its brevity, its importance is often overlooked. Many times the ritual opening is viewed as an annoyance, to be hurried through as quickly as possible, or, in some cases, reduced to an abbreviated set of declarations, after which we can get down to the business of reading minutes and paying bills.
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