The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 5 - Technical Terminology 317
was deposited." 965 Consequently, the technical term "Gabaonne" was employed
in French Masonic language to denote the widow of a Master Mason.
7. High Twelve Clubs vs. Low Twelve Clubs
These metaphors result from the technical Masonic terms "low twelve,"
meaning death, and "high twelve," meaning the bloom of life. See also Section
6.9 on Masonic hours, as well as Section 8.4.5 that deals with Masonic clubs.
Consequently, "High Twelve Clubs" are luncheon clubs, instituted for a "happy
social hour," whereas "Low Twelve Clubs" are death benefit clubs.
As Low Twelve is synonymous with misfortune or death, Low Twelve
Clubs are burial or death benefit clubs among Masons.
Freemasonry has generally kept free of all forms of insurance but
some have insisted from time to time on working up first one and then
another plan for Freemasons only. These are usually separate from any
management by the lodge but being a form of group insurance are
beneficial if properly administered. There seems to have been no great
demand for them, though they still exist in some places. 966
As stated in the IFL, these voluntary death benefit associations only exist in
American Masonry, where lodges like to sponsor them since their huge number
of members guarantees a better security than spontaneous collections in urgent
cases of aid for bereaved families:
[...] zu deutsch Hochmitternachtsklubs, sind freiwillige Vereinigungen
amerikanischer Freimaurer zum Zwecke rascher Hilfe im Falle des
Ablebens eines Familienversorgers. Sie werden von amerikanischen
Logen gerne gefördert, weil diese auf versicherungstechnischer Basis
errichteten "death benefit clubs", ohne eigentliche
Versicherungegesellschaften zu sein, durch den Umfang der Beteiligung
eine größere Sicherheit geben als die aus der eigenen Logeninitiative
entspringenden und oft unzulänglichen Sammlungen im Falle
dringlicher Hinterbliebenenhilfe. 967
The head organization of the High Twelve Clubs is the High Twelve
International, Inc., founded at Sioux City, Iowa, in 1921 by E. C. Wolcott. The
subsidiary High Twelve Clubs may be formed in any locality as long as fifteen
Master Masons join. These clubs have to abide by the constitution, by-laws, and
policies of the High Twelve International, Inc. They have a magazine called
965 Ibid.
966 CME, p. 391.
967 IFL, p. 962.