The oldest fraternal organization in Bartholomew County will commemorate two significant milestones this weekend.
The Free and Accepted Masons (F&AM) of St. Johns Masonic Lodge, located at 4131 Rocky Ford Road, will host a rededication ceremony Saturday to mark the 175th anniversary of its founding in Columbus.
The 11 a.m. rededication ceremony is open to family members, friends of the lodge and invited local officials and dignitaries.
As the nearly 300 St. Johns members prepare to observe the landmark, as well as the 200th anniversary of Freemasonry in Indiana, a few members took time to separate fact and fiction, while explaining what the city’s oldest fraternal organization means to them and the community.
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“Freemasons don’t control everything, only the things that matter.”
That was a tagline for the 2013 film, “The Freemason,” one of many fictional works containing references to Freemasonry that St. Johns members say ranges from harmlessly amusing to conspiratorial.
“We’ve cornered the market on the $1 bill,” said former Lodge Master Don Abernathy with a laugh, in reference to printed currency symbols associated with his organization.
While popular films such as “National Treasure” contain what most Masons consider misinformed allusions, the make-believe is helpful to the extent that it gets young people talking about the organization, said Andrew Sypula, 26, one of the youngest St. Johns members.
Besides fictional novels and movies, several conspiracy books dating back to the 18th Century claim the fraternity is plotting a new world order in collaboration with groups ranging from the Illuminati to the Ku Klux Klan.
The fact that some of the country’s powerful Americans leaders have been Masons (George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman) has only added fuel to the conspiracy fires.
While St. Johns members shrug off unsubstantiated theories, it is true that the development of St. Johns and the city of Columbus go hand in hand, lodge historian Barry White said.
Of the past 37 mayors of Columbus, at least 16 — including the late Bob Stewart, who served three terms from 1984 to 1995 — were members of St. Johns, White said.
In its most basic form, Freemasonry is the world’s oldest networking organization that operates as a fraternity for men, St. Johns trustee Dennis Anness said.
But it’s not like a college fraternity. For example, no alcohol is allowed in the lodge, Anness said. In fact, the building is never open on a Sunday to avoid any appearance of interfering with local church services, he said.
While Masons do require some belief in a higher power, there is no advocacy for a particular form of religion, Anness said. In fact, no religious or political discussions are allowed in the lodge, he said.
Instead of networking and socialization, the primary purpose of Freemasonry is building men of character through teaching respect for all others, Anness said.
“But the most important thing is that we have to respect ourselves,” Anness said.
For those who successfully complete the first three steps of Freemasonry and reach Master status, there’s an option of following the York Rite in Freemasonry that confers a total of 10 steps or degrees.
But for Masons who follow the different path of the Scottish Rite, there are 33 steps or degrees undertaken for self-improvement. For example, the fourth step emphasizes duty and fidelity. The fifth focuses on ridding oneself of impure thoughts and selfish motives, and the sixth promotes devotion and a passion for work.
“Freemasonry is an incredible opportunity that can be life-changing, empowering, and an amazing way to learn more about yourself and help your community,” Sypula said.
For another of the lodge’s youngest members, Columbus’ oldest fraternal organization is all about personal integrity.
“There is a certain pride in having integrity in everything I do,” said Zach Hanley, 28. “When you hold yourself up to that standard, people can see that about you. And I couldn’t have learned that anywhere else than Freemasonry.”
While the Masonic lodge is for male adults only, efforts to pass the same principles down to all members of a family are made through associated organizations such as the Order of the Eastern Star for women, Rainbow Girls for young females, and the Order of DeMolay for young males.
People affiliated with St. Johns are also regularly involved in charity. Regular Masons, also known as Blue Lodge members, contribute to the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin, while others assist organizations that fight diabetes, blindness and promote medical research, Abernathy said.
It’s estimated that Masonic organizations provide $1.4 million to charities every day, or just over $500 million annually.
With all the good being done, the Masons’ reluctance to tout themselves may have allowed rumors to linger.
“Masons have always been silent,” Anness said. “People have taken all types of shots at us, but we never responded.”
The fact that Masonic temples didn’t start hosting public open houses until about 12 years ago also contributed to the mystery, Anness said.
But changing times are motivating members of St. Johns to become more open. After membership in Columbus peaked at about 1,200 in 1980, it has dropped to less than 300 today, Grand Master Dirk Rader said.
St. Johns is not alone from that standpoint. Many fraternal organizations, churches, service clubs and community organizations across the nation have also faced declining membership.
But it hasn’t been lost on a number of St. Johns members that their drop in members coincides with a rise in polarization of people by economic class and political stance in America.
During such times, moderate voices such as the Masons often lose influence in society, according to the American Journal of Sociology.
“The society we live in today is in so much need of a structured organization like ours that teaches morality, friendship, brotherly love, and caring for our neighbors,” Rader said.
But don’t expect the Masons to start publicly preaching or holding membership campaigns, Anness said. The only way a person can join the fraternal organization is by requesting membership from an existing member, he said.
And the only way to attract new members is by lodge members making themselves examples of integrity and tolerance, with the hope of inspiring others to follow in their footsteps, he said.
“We hope to live our life in such a way that somebody will say ‘I like that. There’s something there I want,’” Anness said.
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Officers of the Grand Lodge of Indiana will be in Columbus Saturday to rededicate St. Johns Masonic Lodge, 4131 Rocky Ford Road, to mark its 175th anniversary.
While there will be some presentations made between St. Johns and Grand Lodge officials after the formal part of the ceremony has concluded, no parts of the ceremony are strictly for members.
Although the ceremony does not start until 11 a.m., guests are asked to arrive by 10:30 a.m. to ensure everyone is in place by the time the event begins.
The celebration will be open to all Masons, family, friends and other invited local officials.
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