Paul Harvey: Freemason Or Not?

Paul Harvey 1918 - 2009

Hello, Americans!

There are few that don't remember that familiar greeting coming from our radio speakers. It was a voice we'd known for decades. Paul Harvey's distinct style became part of the American fabric, and although he passed back in 2009, America was reintroduced to the plain-speaking radio personality during the 2013 Superbowl, when Ram Trucks ran an ad celebrating not only the American farmer, but the memory of an American radio icon. It was considered by many to be the best of the Superbowl ads.

Paul Harvey got his first radio gig in 1933 while he was still in high school. He worked as a station manager, a director, a roving reporter. In 1940, he was covering the Navy which was building up the fleet in the Pacific. On his way home from that assignment, he heard the announcement that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served the United States until 1944.

In 1944, he moved to Chicago and began his broadcasting career in earnest. He became very successful. One of the most successful broadcasters in history. Paul Harvey News became the largest one-man network with more than 1,200 radio stations, 400 Armed Forces networks, and 300 newspapers. His best-known show was "The Rest of the Story."

Medal of Freedom recipient (2005)

Paul Harvey's name appears on many lists of famous Freemasons. In fact, I wrote a chapter about him when I was researching the first volume of my Famous American Freemasons series. In fact, I borrowed his style, and opened each chapter in my book with a story about the famous Freemason--without revealing at first who I was talking about. Classic Paul Harvey. However, that chapter never appeared in my book. His name appeared on so many lists of famous Freemasons, I assumed he was. When I finished my chapter and began researching the little section at the end of each of my chapters that detail the man's fraternal affiliations, I made a startling discovery.

Paul Harvey was not a Mason!

Paul Harvey, as a boy was a member of Demolay. Harvey was initiated into Delta Chapter in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1936 and is a Legion of Honor recipient. Harvey was inducted into the DeMolay Hall of Fame on June 25, 1993. But he never joined a Masonic Lodge.

As Paul himself always said, ". . . and now you know, the rest of the story."

~TEC

Todd E. Creason is an author and novelist whose work includes the award-winning non-fiction historical series Famous American Freemasons and the novels One Last Shot (2011) and A Shot After Midnight (2012). He's currently working on the third novel expected to be released in 2014. All of Todd E. Creason's books are sold at major online booksellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble and are available for both Nook and Kindle.

 

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Knocking On The Door

 

I heard three knocks on the Temple door,
and then it was opened wide:
I felt the grip of a Masons hand,
as I slowly passed inside.

 

I was lowered down on bended knees,
as a prayer was said for me:
And I was helped to pass around,
for the Brethren all to see.

And all to me was black as night,
as my leader took me round:
And my racing heart, I heard more clear,
than the solemn organ’s sound.

My faltering footsteps here and there,
were halted on the way;
And several questions were put to me,
as I struggled not to sway.

With my right hand resting on the ‘law’,
I took my obligation;
I swore I’d be a Mason true,
at my Initiation.

I shall not tell more what I saw,
or what to me was spoken;
But I saw the sign and heard the word,
and I felt the Mason’s token.

I’ll tell you this, that I heard a charge,
which I later learnt by heart;
and it told me all that a man should do,
as a Mason from the start.

It matters not if you pass the Chair,
or reach the highest station;
The best event of a Mason’s life,
is his initiation.

 

~Author Unknown

 

 

I saw this posted on the Eastern Illinois Freemasonry blog and thought it was worth sharing.

 

~TEC

 

Todd E. Creason is an author and novelist whose work includes the award-winning non-fiction historical series Famous American Freemasons and the novels One Last Shot (2011) and A Shot After Midnight (2012). He's currently working on the third novel expected to be released in 2014. All of Todd E. Creason's books are sold at major online booksellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble and are available for both Nook and Kindle.

Does Anyone Remember Truth, Justice, And The American Way?

"The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."

~Winston Churchill

We sure have come a long way in America from "truth, justice and the American way!" Sometimes I wonder if we even know what the truth is anymore.  Nobody seems very concerned about it.

When I was growing up, every kid knew what the truth was.  If you shoved little Johnnie down causing him to skin his knees all up, then deny it when questioned--that was a lie.  If you threw a baseball through the neighbors window, and didn't tell anybody--that was a lie of omission.  If you left out a few facts to protect yourself, or make your actions seem more honorable than they actually were--that was a half-truth.  That's also a lie.  

The last thing you wanted to be branded was a liar.  It was important to be trustworthy.  And when you got caught lying, you were often punished.  But the really bad part of being caught in a lie was the humiliation--having other people know you told a lie.  And people remembered it, and it took a long time after being caught in a whopper to redeem your tarnished reputation.  I know, the truth of the matter is, I've been there. 

These days, nobody cares much about the truth.  And why should we?  We don't seem to value it anymore.  For those who have forgotten, the truth is based on facts--it is an honest telling of things that have transpired.  It is an honest representation of facts.  But society doesn't punish those who lie anymore.  In fact, we often find ourselves making excuses for the liars.

But it doesn't change things--when you claim you did something you didn't do, or didn't do something you did--that's a lie.  When you decide to alter the facts as they are, you aren't "misspeaking" you are lying.  When I ask you if you did something, and you tell me you have, and you really haven't.  You didn't "misunderstand the question" you decided to lie.  

Perhaps it's just me, and a shrinking group of Americans that still believe that values are important--that character is important.  But those things are important.  If more people don't begin to see this, we are truly in trouble.  History is full of examples of what happens to great societies when they drift away from those basic fundamentals that made them great.

They fall.

~TEC

Todd E. Creason is an author and novelist whose work includes the award-winning non-fiction historical series Famous American Freemasons and the novels One Last Shot (2011) and A Shot After Midnight (2012). He's currently working on the third novel expected to be released in 2014. All of Todd E. Creason's books are sold at major online booksellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble and are available for both Nook and Kindle.

Masons On Motorcycles: Who Are The Widows Sons?

It's that time of year.  The weather is warming up and there are a lot of bikes on the road.  I thought I'd repost this story about the Widows Sons.  This was a very popular post when I originally put it up.  And I'd also like to remind everyone--watch out for motorcycles.

(originally posted 1/13/13)

 I wrote a piece earlier in the week about the Allied Masonic Degrees, and I got a few emails asking me why I've never written a single word about the Widows Sons...  I think it may have been a concerted effort to encourage me to do so.  It worked.  I'm going to tell you a little bit about one of the most unique groups you'll find in the Masonic Fraternity--our leather-clad Brothers of the open road.  The Widows Sons.

Actually, I met a number of Widows Sons a few years ago in Chicago and learned quite a bit about the group at the time--like I was going to have to get something a little bigger than a scooter to join.  But they told me about some of the events they organize, and some of the Masonic causes they support.  I was really impressed at how this group had taken something they all loved a great deal--riding motorcycles--and found a way to turn it into a means of doing good in the world.  I shouldn't have been surprised--that's what Masons have been doing for hundreds of years.

The Widows Sons is not a gang or a 1% Club--they are an appendant body of Freemasonry whose membership is made of Master Masons who share a love of riding motorcycles.  Founded in 1998 right here in Illinois, they began with a single purpose in mind--to come to the aid of the widows and orphans of Master Masons.  And while they have expanded their purpose as their group has grown and chapters have been formed in countries around the world, they still consider offering aid and assistance to widows and orphans as their primary purpose.  Some of their other goals include raising Masonic awareness in the motorcycling community, and supporting Masonic Lodges through regular lodge attendance and supporting Lodge events.  Some chapters even have degree teams that travel to different lodges and do degree work.

Alaska Grand Chapter of the Widows Sons after a ride

The Widows Sons have proven to be an asset everywhere they are, and have served as a booster club for Masonry.  They've taken their passion for riding, and turned it into a force of good in the world.  Many chapters even boast that they have Past or Current Grand Masters as members.  You'll find chapters all over the United States, and in several other countries as well, like Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Scotland, and even Japan.

During their relatively short existence, they have done a great job of promoting our Masonic Fraternity, raising money for important causes, supporting Blue Lodges and other Masonic groups, and providing a positive image of Freemasonry to the public.  If you're a Master Mason, with a love of motorcycles (500cc or more), you can find out more about them, or find a chapter near you at the Widows Sons Website. 

So keep your eyes open for them.  Next time you see a Widows Sons jacket at a bike show or a rally, go up and talk to them--better yet, give them a donation.  I guarantee they'll do some good with it.

And please remember one thing as your traveling this summer:

 ~TEC

Todd E. Creason is an author and novelist whose work includes the award-winning non-fiction historical series Famous American Freemasons and the novels One Last Shot (2011) and A Shot After Midnight (2012). He's currently working on the third novel expected to be released in 2014. All of Todd E. Creason's books are sold at major online booksellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble and are available for both Nook and Kindle.