I’ve always had a curious clambering interest in the Freemasons. Of course, a Freemason is a member of an international order “established for mutual help and fellowship, which holds elaborate secret ceremonies.” This, according to Webster. When I first heard about Freemasons, I thought they were bricklayers who worked pro bono. But they are not. Well, maybe some are, but not most.
They are, however, all over the world. There are at least 14 presidents who were Masons, or Freemasons. That we know of. And the list of those presidents includes the likes of George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt. Even falling-down Gerald Ford was one.
It is hard to tell anything about them. They keep things so secretive. But, Harry S Truman was one of two presidents to achieve the rank of grandmaster. I am assuming it is akin to Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble when they would go to the “lodge” and the Grand Poo-Bah would preside over things. In the same way, the grandmaster is the highest-ranking position in a Masonic lodge jurisdiction. I wonder if they have a special hat, like Fred’s Poo-Bah. Anyway, the other Grandmaster president was Andrew Jackson.
I have a couple of friends, a Freemason husband, and a non-Freemason wife. I asked her one day if “Jim” ever told her any of the Freemason secrets. She quickly gave a simple and polite, “No.” I’m telling you. This thing is under wraps.
Maybe that is why I am slightly fascinated, and ultimately “bothered” by the group. They keep it all cloak and dagger. And bigger than that? No women. It started when I was a little girl, this dislike of being excluded. Whenever I would see a clubhouse or anything with a “Boys Only” sign, I would first knock politely. And then I would enter, asking “Boys only do what?” I know I’ve recounted the story here before. But my sister and I were under protest that boys could go shirtless in the summertime. In fact, at first, we just didn’t know. So we’d run around with our shirts off. That was until one of the neighbor ladies knocked on the front screen door, and informed my mother of the situation. Mom strongly explained that we had to keep our shirts on, no matter what, no arguing. So would pull them up behind our heads, so that our arms were still in, but our chests were as bare as could be. This stopped too, shortly thereafter.
Anyway, we didn’t have any Freemasons in the neighborhood. At least, none that I was aware of. But back to our presidents. They were among many of the nation’s most powerful men who were members of the Freemasons. And early on in the scheme of things, during the 1700s, it was seen as a rite of passage, or even a civic duty.
Here is a complete list of presidents who were Masons, drawn from the organization’s own records (History Channel article).
George Washington
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
James K. Polk
James Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
James A. Garfield
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Warren G. Harding
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Gerald R. Ford
There was a notion, a conspiracy, going for some time, which suggested that Freemasons ran the world. I think at certain points in history, this may have been true, but these days, I guess one never knows.
I’ve read articles, too, which suggest that things aren’t as secret as everyone makes it out to be. They have secret words and handshakes. Me too. In fact, they are so secret, I’m the only one who knows them. But it is hard to shake your own hand.
Anyway. It is said that they do good work for communities. Freemasons start with the individual when they help. They believe that by “improving and educating our members, they will become better citizens, which will naturally lead to them wanting to take an active part in improving themselves and their communities.”
So there’s part of their secret sauce.
As to the rest? Who knows. But the “Boys Only” bothers me.
No matter where it is, or who they help.
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“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”
― Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack
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“Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.”
― André Malraux
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“I never understood why Clark Kent was so hell bent on keeping Lois Lane in the dark.”
― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife
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