By The Grace Of God And Two Revolvers

John M. Chivington (1821-1894) was the first Master of the first Lodge in Kansas and also the first Grand Master of Colorado.  A Methodist minister, Brother Chivington was paradoxically both a missionary to Native American tribes and an Indian fighter.  He was such a staunch abolitionist his predominately pro-slavery Missouri congregation threatened to tar and feather him.  His reaction was to take the pulpit with a Bible and two pistols and announce, "By the grace of God and these two revolvers, I am going to preach here today."

Panty Raid

A Grand Lodge of California account from the mid-1960s describes a crime in which a Brother had been convicted of the theft of clothing, including 181 pairs of women's undergarments.  The official police report described the incident as a "panty raid," stemming from the popular (and self-explanatory) hi-jinx occurring on college campuses at the time.  The Brother came up on Masonic charges.  In order to distinguish his serious crime from some youthful indiscretion, the Grand Lodge of California Proceedings for that year included the following: "We do not wish to be misunderstood as overemphasizing the gravity of that specification against the accused in which he is charged with a 'panty raid.' Indulgence in such conduct by boys of college age for the purpose of displaying either skill or courage, if that be the purpose, differs from the conduct of the accused here, in that the theft of 181 pairs of ladies pants is not merely a playful prank."

The King Who Rewrote The Ritual

King Charles XIII of Sweden, prior to taking the throne, rewrote the entire Masonic ritual used in his country.  After his coronation, the King created the 11th degree of the Swedish Rite: the Civil Order of Charles XIII.

Club 33

Although many people have speculated about Walt Disney's Masonic ties, he was not a Freemason.  However, Disney was in fact a DeMolay and was always supportive of the Masonic fraternity. He even sponsored a Magic Kingdom Mason's club for the employees in his parks.  He also created the very exclusive Club 33 on his Magic Kingdom campus which caused further speculation about his Masonic status.  Membership in the lavish Club 33 is quite expensive and although some members are known (mainly corporate memberships) the roster is supposed to be "secret," which further fuels the crazed conspiracy theorist frenzy.  This week, Disney Corporation announced it would open membership to the mysterious club for the first time in a decade.  Reports say only 13 new spots are open.  If you're lucky enough to get one expect to pay a $25,000 initiation fee and annual dues of $10,000. A spot on the waiting list is free but, unfortunately the waiting list is full, too.  It's also a secret who's on the waiting list and should you get on it, your position on the list is secret, even to you.  It must be Masonic.

Frenzy Of Persecution

Aaron Burr was disgraced and politically ruined when, as Vice President of the US, he killed Alexander Hamilton in an illegal duel. Subsequently, Burr conspired to seize territory in the Southwest and declare himself Emperor of the country he planned to establish there.  Burr's co-conspirator, James Wilkinson, Governor of Northern Louisiana Territory and Commander-in-Chief of the US Army, betrayed him.  Authorities then captured Burr and tried him for treason.  Acquitted on a technicality, Burr Fled to Europe.  Burr was never a Freemason; however, in their frenzy of persecution following the Morgan Affair, anti-Masons not only claimed Burr was a member of the fraternity, but also insisted he used the Royal Arch cipher as a coded method of communicating with his co-conspirators.

The Brother Who Invaded Canada

Lucius V. Bierce was a member of Akron Lodge 83 and served as Grand Master of Ohio in 1854.  Sensing discord among Canadians manifested by scattered rebellions, and holding a strong belief in the interest of liberty he determined to help his neighbors to the north.  In 1838 he led a band of followers from Detroit into Windsor, Ontario, and attacked Canada!  His battle cry was, "Save Canadians from the Crown!"  Unfortunately for MWB Bierce, the vast majority of Canadians did not want to be saved, and they quickly defeated his well-intentioned militia.

A New Start

I have recently made this blog invitation only in order to eliminate some issues I was having.  Prior to doing that, in order to maintain the privacy of the blog, I saved many of the posts as drafts.  It will take a while to get them published again and to start publishing new posts as well.