Masonic Life

02/05/2026

James Naismith. The inventor of Basketball & freemason

01/24/2026

Grand Lodge of Florida visit.
https://www.grandlodgefl.com/

01/22/2026

No man is free who can not control himself.

01/19/2026

I recently had the privilege of fellowshipping with fellow Masonic Brothers on the island of St. Thomas, USVI. My wife surprised me with a wedding anniversary cruise, which she had meticulously planned months in advance, arranging meetings and visits with the local lodge.
The brothers at the St. Thomas lodge extended a warm welcome, providing a comprehensive tour and sharing the rich history of Masonry on the island. We were also invited to join them for lunch, and several brothers took time off to give us a tour of the island.
Having traveled extensively throughout the United States and internationally, I have had the opportunity to connect with numerous Masonic brothers. However, the exceptional hospitality displayed by the brothers in St. Thomas was truly remarkable, and I feel grateful to have experienced it.

https://www.facebook.com/share/14WfAXtjdTV/

01/17/2026

Robert Macoy (1815 – 1895)

Brother Macoy was instrumental in the founding of the Order of the Amaranth.
http://www.amaranth.org/NewHistory.asp

He also founded what may be the largest Masonic publishing, regalia, and supply house, Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Company.
http://www.macoy.com/

1866 to 1876 OES was under the leadership of Brother Macoy
http://www.easternstar.org/

Brother Macoy was initiated in Lebanon Lodge No. 191 in New York City, January 20, 1848, passed, January 27, and Raised February 3 of that year.
On August 15, 1855, he withdrew to affiliate with Adelphic Lodge No. 348.

He was elected Deputy Grand Master of New York in June, 1856 and reelected in 1857.

He was exalted in Orient Chapter No. 138, Royal Arch Masons, September 5, 1849 and became a member of Adelphic Chapter No. 150 on December 24, 1855. He was also affiliated with Union Chapter No. 180, Americas Chapter No. 215, and De Witt Clinton Chapter No. 142.

He also received the Cryptic degrees and was a charter member of Adelphic Council No. 7, Royal and Select Masters. He was elected Grand Recorder of the Grand Council on June 4, 1855.

Knighted in Palestine Encampment No. 18 of New York City, in February, 1851, and in March withdrew to join Morton Encampment No. 4. On April 28, 1874, he affiliated with DeWitt Clinton Commandery No. 27 Knights Templar, where his membership continued for 20 years.

He received the Scottish Rite degrees sometime prior to December 9, 1850, for on that date he received the 33rd Degree, Sovereign Grand Inspector General.

In 1866 Brother Macoy published A Dictionary of Freemasonry, which comprised his own work ("General History of Freemasonry" and "Cyclopaedia of Freemasonry") as well as George Oliver's Dictionary of Symbolical Masonry of 1853.

As a publisher. He published (and oftentimes either edited or helped to write) a long list of Masonic books, among them The Master Workmen, 1849- The Masonic Manual 1852; The Book of the Lodge, 1855, a work of immense national influence which American Masonic historians have overlooked- Vocal Manual, 1853- Masonic Minstrel, 1857; Worshipful Master Assistant, 1885; Rise of Adoption, 1868, and in 1890- and the General History, Cyclopedia, and Dictionary of Freemasonry which is described under ENCYCLOPEDIA, Mackey's etc., elsewhere in this Supplement.

01/15/2026

Buffalo Bill was Raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason on January 10th 1871.

Masonic Life official info:

Brother, William Frederick Cody. "Buffalo Bill" (1846-1917)

Platte Valley Lodge No. 32, North Platte, Nebraska
Entered Apprentice: March 5, 1870
Fellowcraft: April 2 1870
Master Mason: January 10, 1871

1887 member of Euphrates Chapter No. 15, Royal Arch Masons, of North Platt, Nebraska

1889 member of Palestine Commandery No. 13. North Platt, Nebraska

1892 Tangier Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of Omaha, Nebraska.

1894 He became a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States of America in the Valley of New York City.

In the American Civil War (1861–65), he worked for the U.S. Army as a civilian scout.
In 1867–68 he hunted buffalo to feed construction crews on the Union Pacific Railroad.

Cody acquired a reputation not only for accurate marksmanship but also for total recall of the vast terrain he had traversed, knowledge of Indian ways, courage, and endurance. He was in demand as a scout and guide.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1872, but the award was revoked in 1916 on the ground that he was not an officer or an enlisted man in the army (scouts were classified as civilians). The U.S. Army restored the Medal of Honor to Cody posthumously in 1989.

In 1883 Cody organized his first Wild West exhibition—a spectacular featuring fancy shooting, a buffalo hunt, capture of the Deadwood (S.D.) stagecoach, a Pony Express ride, hard-riding cowboys, and yelling Indians. His stars included Annie Oakley, the famous rifle shot, and, in 1885, Chief Sitting Bull.

His Wild West show so popular that by 1883 it appeared at the Chicago World's Fair and four years later was presented to Queen Victoria during her Golden Jubilee.

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Buffalo Bill Historical Center
720 Sheridan Avenue Cody, Wyoming.

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The Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Road, Golden, CO

website: http://www.buffalobill.org/

01/14/2026

The Ringling Brothers:

They were born in McGregor, Iowa, in the family of a German harness maker. The brothers saw their first circus performance in their hometown when a steam-boat circus unloaded at McGregor's docks. They fell in love with the art and started their own show, five of the seven brothers formed a song-and-dance troupe (1882),

In 1884 the family moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin they began to add circus acts to their show. In 1884 they organized their first small circus in their hometown, Baraboo, Wis., and toured the Midwest in circus wagons. In 1890 they began moving their wagons by railway. They acquired smaller circuses from 1900, and in 1907 they bought the Barnum & Bailey Circus, thus becoming the leading U.S. circus. The guiding managers were Charles Ringling and later John Ringling whose acquisition of American Circus Corp. in 1929 brought 11 major circuses under Ringling control. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus continues to perform, though it passed out of Ringling family hands in 1967.

The same year the brothers founded The Ringling Bros. circus they joined Baraboo Masonic Lodge No. 34 in Baraboo Wisconsin.
They were all members of Baraboo Lodge No. 34. The minutes of a special meeting on April 8, 1891 show the regular officers opening the lodge then the following taking the chairs: WM: Af T. Ringling, SW: August, JW: Al, SD: Charles, JD: Otto, SS: Henry. Their father (d. 1898) was Raised on August 19, 1891.
Alfred T. 1861-1919 r. January 22, 1890
John Nicholas 1866 - 1936 r. March 1, 1890
Albert Charles 1852-1916 r. March 29, 1890
Charles Edward 1866-1926 r. April 9, 1890
William H. Otto 1858-1911 r. April 9, 1890
August George 1854-1907 r. February 4, 1891
Henry William George 1868-1918 r. March 18, 1891

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* Ringlingville
In 1954, John M. Kelley, a former attorney for the Ringling Brothers, incorporated Circus World Museum with the intent of forming a museum of the Ringling Brothers Circus and circus history in general. After an initial period of organization and fundraising, the museum acquired a large site in Baraboo that included the former wintering grounds of the Ringling Brothers Circus. This site was deeded to the Wisconsin Historical Society to be used as the museum's location, and Circus World Museum opened to the public on July 1, 1959.
The museum sits on some of the land owned by the Ringlings, and includes eight of the ten remaining Ringling buildings on the grounds. Circus World Museum holds one of the largest collections of circus materials in the world, including circus wagons, posters, photography, and artifacts used by shows from all over the United States. The museum also has smaller collections of Wild West shows and carnival materials.

Click on the link for more information: http://circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org/

* The Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin is an active landmark in the city.
This grand scale movie palace is larger and more elaborate than one would normally find in a town the size of Baraboo, owing to the financial assistance of the Ringling family. The Al Ringling home still exists and is maintained in good condition.
Click on the link below for more information:

Website: http://www.alringling.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Al-Ringling-Theatre/288077417647

* John and Mable Ringling's winter home in Sarasota, Florida is open to the public.
In 1924, construction began on Ca' d’Zan, which means “House of John” in Venetian dialect. The house was completed just before Christmas 1925, at a cost of $1.5 million.
The Mansion Ca' d’Zan is 200-foot long encompassing approximately 36,000 square feet with 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms. The structure is five stories and has a full basement. The pinnacle of the structure is the 81-foot Belvedere tower with an open-air overlook and a high domed ceiling.

Click on the link for more information: http://www.ringling.org/cadmansion.aspx

01/14/2026

12/14/2024

A raffle Palmetto Masonic Lodge members are having to benefit Laurens Chapter, Order of Demolay

03/06/2024

Enjoyed a great fellowcraft degree the other night. Also enjoyed trying to get the South Carolina AFM traveling gavel for our lodge.