It looks like the Royal Order of Jesters have some pretty low standards for admission, according to the Buffalo News.
A retired Lockport police captain pleaded guilty Thursday to transporting women over state lines on two occasions to work as prostitutes at gatherings of a fraternal club.
Well, “pleaded guilty” does tell the full story of John Trowbridge, age 60 but still full of mirth and merriment, not to mention a very healthy dose of “take care of numero uno.” Protestations aside, it appears that the retention of women by the hour is not a new thing to the Jesters.
In court papers filed by the U.S. attorney’s office, Trowbridge admitted that he and other men took the prostitutes to an event in Kentucky in October 2005 and another event in Pennsylvania in the fall of 2006.
Call them “good men” all you want, but I guess it has a lot to do with your definition.
Back to former Police Captain Trowbridge, who enjoyed the brotherhood of fellow Jesters, but only so far.
“He is proactively cooperating in the federal investigation,” said Trow-bridge’s attorney, David C. Douglas. “As a former police officer, he sees cooperating as the proper thing to do in this case.”
This has got to be one of the funniest quotes I’ve ever seen coming from a lawyer. So are you saying that turning into a snitch is “the proper thing” for a former police captain, but obeying the law was beyond the pale?
This is one of those problems that crop up when a defense attorney starts chatting up the media, but has nothing good to say.
Why would a retired career lawman risk going to jail to cavort with prostitutes?
“I can’t give you an explanation that is rational or logical, any more than our [former] governor could give you an explanation,” Douglas said, referring to Eliot L. Spitzer, who resigned amid a sex scandal last week. “This is a case of individuals making bad decisions.”
Ah, the Spitzer defense. That’s work very well for him either.
And what do the Jesters have to say about all this?
A national spokesman for the Jesters, Alex Rogers, said the club is dedicated to spreading “mirth and merriment” but does not condone hiring prostitutes for club events. According to Douglas, the Jesters events Trowbridge attended in Kentucky and Pennsylvania “included mostly legitimate activities, including golf.”
Well, you know men. They just want to get them little balls in the hole. I can’t believe I just wrote that. Forgive me.
Given that the Masons and Shriners to great work, I second Kathleen’s motion that they take charge of their offspring and clean it up. If they decide to ignore it, then whatever flying crap that hits them is well-deserved.
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We poor humans have long sought to throw out the bushel because of a bad apple or two. If one ponders, for even a breath of time, it was Judas Iscariot who started this “I do it my way” fiasco, two centuries back. Wrong then; wrong today. There were eleven good men and true in that group. We don’t condemn them, or do we? There are a good many former and present law enforcers who make hare-brained decisions and have to pay the piper. But, I don’t know too many communities who wish to disband the security forces for the many infractions. They are treated, and should be, on a one for one basis.
I’m proud of my Masonic membership and think often of my twice Past Master efforts. What Mr. Trowbridge pleaded guilty to is an infraction of his Masonic vows. He’s broken these. He needs to suffer the consequences, either of his own choosing or imposed by the Grand Lodge of New York. We are responsible for our own actions, all our own actions, not just those we choose.
The lawyers aren’t giving back their sheepskins because Melvyn Weiss pleaded guilty. And Washington isn’t being closed because of Cunningham, et al. Yes, we all suffer the “slings and arrows” but, I am reminded of Kipling’s line, “If you can keep your head, When all about you are losing theirs And blaming it on you”.
We, as the Masonic Fraternity, can take our licks and then soldier on for the benefit of the children’s hospitals and other charities we so generously support.
I, for one, am pleased that Mr. Trowbridge and his ilk have been found out. And I’m pleased as punch that Mr. Spitzer isn’t a Mason.
I appreciate your comment and your position. I think that this is what some of us have been waiting to hear, that what the Jesters are doing does not reflect all others. Thanks for posting (and your email, the Pulitzer’s in the mail!).
My name is Hon. Bro. Keith A. Meyer, i too belong to the masons, and am proud to be a member in two different states. I for one will not stand by and allow the actions of a few be portrayed as indicative of all masons. I refuse to call these men my brothers and i believe that they should be black balled from our midst and all appending bodies. These men have committed treasonist acts against our very fraternity, that they have sworn to uphold before God himself, and yes i said acts and my fraternal brothers know to what i am referring. We are not held responsible to these men, they are held responsible to us as brothers who voted them into the positions they are in. I have never been so ashamed as i am at this point of these men. I do not care about all the good they have done. They have committed crimes that can not and will not be ignored. Yes we need to police ourselves as much as i hate to admit it, but if we do not others will. This is something that i will not simply ignore. I have drawn a line in the sand and i say enough is enough.
I am a mason and i take my obligations very seriously, and i live my life by these obligations. I joined this fraternity because i wanted to better myself and be with other men that wanted and desired the same. I did not however join to drink and swear and party and go on sex tours and become a whoremonger and an adulterer, and if i know a brother that is so doing then i will personally bring him up on mansonic charges. Which we as masons know is far worse then what any court can do to us.
I want everyone to know that reads this information that these men are not in any form or fashion indicative of what being a mason means. I believe that we should be models in society as men of good character, honor,justice, and integrity and intestinal fortitude. Also i want everyone who reads this to know that there are more masons who are outraged at these crimes than there are those who are not. I for one am hurt, that these men have committed these crimes and brought shame yes shame to our hallowed fraternity.
Fraternally,
Hon. Bro. Keith A. Meyer
Thank you Hon. Bri. Keith. I (and no doubt many others) are glad to hear the Masons disavow what these people are doing. It was shocking to learn that these Jesters were part of the Masons and that this conducted would be tolerated.
While I may not be a Mason, I sincerely appreciate your comment.
The few are not representative of all. This pattern of conduct is not worthy of the several Masons I know and does not represent them. I appreciate your comments and distress.
Having been a member of a few service organizations — Rotary, a couple Optimist clubs, BPW — I am aware that the idea of dissolving the Jesters is extreme, but suggested it because this is a pattern of criminal activity. They made the news some years ago for the same reason. Cheryl’s message is that “brothers” cover up for one another, whether many or a few is unknowable. You would have to open up what appears to be conspiracies from the inside out, by making it worthwhile, somehow, for one or more of the members to rat. Scott knows what brain damage it is defending and even contending with conspiracy allegations.
So my idea is, Why bother? Just get rid of the clubs. Continuing them does not appear to be worth the damage a few or more are causing.
So while we aer at it let’s go ahead and close down all the churches and VFW posts civic parks, and any other group that you can think of to close.
I am not one to argue, with anyone but you sir are wrong if you think that closing “clubs” as you put it is the answer. Are you aware of how long and how honorable Masonry has flourished in eurpoe and in America? Do you have any idea of how many contributions the Masonic Fraternity makes on a daily basis, not even mentioning the Hospitals and Burn Units. I am the first one to stpe up and say that this problem needs and will be addressed within our own fraternity and when it has taken lace i also firmly believe that all the attention that was paid to a few men who did in fact break the law in such a deplorable manner, that same attnetion be paid as to how they were expelled from our midst for all to take notice. Cheryl’s message that brothers cover up for brothers is not so holesome and true as you are lead to believe. There are some issues that are taken care of in a professional and perfectly legal manner, but Any brother of mine that committs such horrible and deplorable acts as these men are being accused of is no brother of mine. While everyone is jumping on the band wagon of demanding these brothers be outted and our fraternity be closed down and disbanded, All things that need to be taken care of shall be. it certainly will not happen over night, but it will in fact happen. The Masonic Fraternity will never close or be closed, there are far to many righteous brothers that practice what we preach and are men of integrity and honor and justice. As a matter of fact if these men were not masons, none of these crimes that were committed would have mattered at all to anyone escept the people that committed them and their victims. No stink would have been raised and hell raised no demands stated, and so on and so forth. Most of the time people that are causing all the fuss about the Masons are people who were denied entry or were expelled for one reason or another, or they aer some zealous t.v evangilist bent on bolesterting there ratings by trashing an organization, that serves only to help our communities, take good men and make them better men. Or they are a woman scorned because she can’t join because she is a female. Which by the way that is why there is the Eastern Star for the ladies. everyone needs to remember that when you point your finger, there are three pointing right back at you.
Hon. Bro. Keith A. Meyer
I am pointing the finger at the Jesters, a small subset of the Masonic Fraternity. Get rid of them. Not the rest the fraternity or the rest of the world.
I had the impression that Bro. Keith was disavowing these bad Jesters before, but now his latest comment suggests that the only bad ones are the ones who get caught and indicted. The ones who don’t get caught are “good men.” Yesterday, Bro. Keith was fully of anger and outrage. Today, well, he’s full of something else.
Which is it, Bro. Keith? Are all these “good men” your brothers until they get caught and indicted, and then they are just “bad apples?”
Any brother who commits these types of acts, should and shall be cast aside, if they aer found out without getting caught by the authorities, they should according to our bi-laws be brought up on masonic charges by there piers and then voted out. There are many masonic trials that not just anyone is privy to where brothers are cast out from our midst. My only point was to say that if these men who were “good men” until thier deeds came to lite were still in good standing until the information was made available. I am the first to say they must go and quickly. My stance remains the same and you may read into what i said if you choose. I also stated that if these men were not masons we would not even be having this conversation, they would just be some perverted fellows. I still stand by what i said and will remain so, I am very angry at the cloud of shame that has hung over our fraternity due to these mens actions, notice i do not refer to them as my brothers. If it were up to me and it is not, they would have allready been cast out from our midst. the press is somewhat quick to throw stones at people who are members of whatever organization. i wonder if you were convicted of these same crimes how much stink would be raised or would we ever hear about it? i do not chew my cud twice and i meant what i said and said what i meant.If they aer not found out how can we cast them from our midst. They first have to be found out and if so then take care of them. i am sure that there are more than just the few mentioned in fact i would bet on it, but until what they do is brought to the light there is notihng we can do. Whatever one does in the dark will eventually come to the light. Kathleen wrote that we should just get rid of the clubs in an earlier statement now she is saying that she did not say that. So which is it close them or leave them open, your words not mine.
Here are your exact words
So my idea is, Why bother? Just get rid of the clubs. Continuing them does not appear to be worth the damage a few or more are causing.
But you said you didn’t say that. are you changing your mind or simply denying you said this. Come on no one said lets close down the Catholic church when there priest molested lil boys…..
“Judges, Jesters and ‘Mirth is King,'” March 10, with comments from Cheryl and me among others should clarify for you. So should my reference to Jesters in the comment from earlier today.
Are you saying that the Jesters are the equivalent of the Catholic Church?
Negative i am not,but hey when the Police in NeW York raped that african American Brother with a broom Handle, did anyone yell, Close down the Police Department!!oh wait i allmost forgot. When the female Astromuay went on a rampage and stalked her ex and his girlfriend, did anyone say Close down the space program shes an astronaut. I suppose this forum thre is a certain amount of bentering and even arguing that is expected, but i really don’t see the need in it, it certainly does not solve any of the problems that are argued about. There are good and bad everywhere in every group, ever order and church every fraternity every civic club every gov agency. Point being until they aer found out and exposed we do not know who they are, and how we deal with them when exposed speaks volumes in regards to the character of them others that are also members. I also suppose it sounds rather judgemental on our berhalf, but we aer taught to judge ourselves as opposed to have others from without do the same. I reamin stedfast in what i first stated, cast them aside and do so in a way that leaves no room for confushion, lest we leave a cloud of suspiscion hagning over our heads. It is also sad that these men hae forgotten there obligations to God and to man and to themselves. I can only hope that they find there path once again and seek only for redemption and for forgiveness from thee families and loved ones. They are the real victims, the families of these men. These are the ones i feel very badly for.
Hon. Bro. Keith A. Meyer
Oh the Church. In dioceses all over the country bishops exported predator priests, conspiring in their criminal conduct, instead of reporting them for defrocking, and prosecuion.
Some of them were known to be unfit from the beginning, in the seminary, known because fellow seminarians, living chastely and looking forward to their vow of chastity as the sacrifice it is meant to be, complained to bishops about homosexual alliances and activities. As eyewitnesses. To no avail. A subset of priests, from the get-go unfit for the vows — because they could not or would not contain themselves from sexual activity — abused innocent children. Chickens come home to roost. The Church has reaped the whirlwind, because its executives would not take control as they had the authority and obligation to do.
But caught up in the whirlwind are workaday priests, which is most of them and many of them holy men. In airports and other public places they are the target of accusatory looks from mothers and fathers if they so much as smile at a child. And they are very angry.
The Catholic Church situation has more lessons than I suspect Scott meant. The few are not representative of all. Vows are vows. Hon. Brother Keith I think wishes that the Masons keep the Jesters going. But if the Jesters are shut down, its members will still be Masons. And the few of them who are inclined toward criminality will not have an entity connected with the Masons as a cover. Seems to me proactive with no real downside impact.
On the other hand, I believe in freedom. The Masons are free to keep the Jesters going.
Allow me to first apologize for my typo’s, i ain’t got a whole lot of book learning, just some walking round sense. Please let me clearly state that that NO i do not hink they should be shut down, and they won’t be for various differant reasons. I do however believe that these “good” men notice if you will i refuse to refer to them as brothers, should and will be black balled from our midst, meaning all appending bodies, including our mansonic lodges. I for one will politely expect it and forward my opinions to the grand lodge of NY, although my vote does not good in that jurisdiction. Once your out you are out and you can not rejoin for life, that is how it works. Clearly i do not want to see it closed and as i stated it won’t, but these “good men” “gone crazy” be ex-communicated and do so in a way that relieves them from any rights and or priveliges from our fraternity, and to do so pubically, thereby severing any connection with them. Which from a masonic point of view is far more damaging and painful thant what any courts may inflict on them.
I would like to say will said sir.
Jester Judge and Creative Sentencing
I know I’ve spent a lot of time