A protractor and a square with the letter G in the middle is much more than a symbol — it’s a way of life for many.
“It’s really about friendship — being around guys you don’t mind being around and the friendship,” Dave Trobaugh said of the Freemasons.
While its emblem symbolizes construction and geometry, the organization is much like an industry, the treasurer of the Howard Masonic Lodge No. 93 explained.
“The masons are all about the numbers,” he said. “There are three degrees of masons: apprentice, fellowship craft and master craft.”
He describes it as “similar to an industry where you have the apprentice, the worker and the supervisor.”
“There are five orders of architecture, five senses of human nature, and seven liberal arts and sciences.”
Trobaugh, who has been involved in the Masons since 1963, became a member to follow in his family’s footsteps.
“It isn’t a cult or anything, and we don’t have any secrets,” he said of the rumors and tales of the Masons being a secret society.
“The only secrets of the Masons are like other organizations whether it’s a secret handshake or grip — there just aren’t any secrets to it.”
He added that anybody who knows a Freemason can petition to be a member. A three-man committee then reviews your petition and background before deciding on membership.
Some of the sacred rules of the Freemasons include no alcohol in a Mason lodge, no gambling and you have to believe in God or a supreme being, he said.
Whether Freemasonry originated from Megalithic times, King Solomon, Athelstan, the Knights Templars, Medieval Stone Masons, Schaw, Box charities, the Invisible College or the Rosicrucians, one thing is for sure — they are everywhere.
For more than three centuries, the
Masons have inspired millions of people across the world and have attracted famous personalities from Europe, the United States and other continents.
“From George Washington to Franklin Roosevelt to [Winston] Churchill, many famous people have been a Freemason,” Trobaugh said.
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January 25, 2010
Freemasons have long history
Kokomo lodge looking to regain membership
- Howard County Living Magazine
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HCL EXTRA: Kokomo Parks info and locations map
The Kokomo area has its fair share of recreational facilities. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing nature walk or a turn at the world class skate park, the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department has you covered.
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Couple enjoys progressive dinner in Kokomo
The evening began with tender, marinated grilled beef skewers on a bed of onion curls, progressed to a cup of mushroom and brie soup, followed by a hearty “farmhouse” salad, and concluded with broiled salmon and hollandaise sauce.
The brownie á la mode with hot fudge sauce? Well, perhaps that was a bridge too far. -
Freemasons have long history
A protractor and a square with the letter G in the middle is much more than a symbol — it’s a way of life for many.
“It’s really about friendship — being around guys you don’t mind being around and the friendship,” Dave Trobaugh said of the Freemasons. -
Bavarian Inn offers unique experience
Entering the Bavarian Inn Bed & Breakfast, visitors are welcomed with a warm, friendly greeting from innkeeper Roswitha Wesson.
The 72-year-old native of Germany is queen of the inn that sits atop a hill overlooking Dixon Road.
She greets everyone with a big smile and a hearty welcome thick with her German accent. -
Crossing the generations
Cadillac introduced its revamped SRX Crossover for 2010 after replacing the larger 2004-09 generation.
After circuiting the car shows in 2009, the kid brother has won over auto buyers, said Travis Shedron, new car sales manager at HE McGonigal Inc. in Kokomo. -
HCL: The finishing touch
When most people purchase a new house, they fill it with factory-made furnishings to make it feel more like a home.
Not Mike Bolinger.
Every room of his home in Kokomo’s Silk Stocking District includes a special touch — furniture Mike made himself.
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HCL: Taste of the holidays
This year could be the perfect year to add new touches to the traditional holiday foods, and some of Kokomo’s best cooks have come up with a few ideas.
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HCL: Oh, Christmas tree
Wooded groves have sprung around Howard County.
Many of the trees are actually plastic and aluminum. Some have lights poking through as they illuminate the branches, while others are as naked as their real-life counterparts. -
HCL: We Care, a Kokomo tradition
When WWKI’s Dick Bronson took a phone call in 1973 from a laidoff auto worker who couldn’t afford Christmas for his family, a tradition began.
Bronson gave the caller $20, half of what was in his wallet. -
HCL: The Taurus re-imagined
With the release of the 2010 Taurus, the car’s rebirth is complete.
While it was the company’s top-selling sedan nearly from its 1986 inaugural, Ford pulled the plug on the Taurus nameplate for the 2007 model year. - More Howard County Living Magazine Headlines
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