History of the Goose-N-Tator Degree

In about 1958, after a few members of Crawfordsville Chapter #40 attended Westside Chapter #138 in Indianapolis to take the Yellow Dog Degree, it was decided that Crawfordsville Chapter #40 needed something to encourage membership and fun on a local level.

The Principal Sojourner lived at the Northeast side of Crawfordsville on a small hog farm and had a tool shed that was ideal for a party. A few of the members got together and decided that because there was a mean goose in the barnlot and the meal planned was going to be whole hog sausage, baked beans and potato salad plus pop and (Beer) to call this the Goose 'N Tator Degree. The farmer, Fred Switizer, was made Head Goose-n-Tator until 1976.

In 1976 he called me and asked me to bring my pickup truck to the farm. I asked why and was told, "Just do as you're told!". He told me as of that moment, I was Head Goose-n-Tator whether I wanted to be or not. All the equipment, etc was mine to take care of until the next meeting.

The Goose was caught and put in wire cage for everyone to see at each meeting until he died. He was later stuffed by an amateur and the goose deteriorated in a short time. A stuffed rag goose is used today. We decided that we should have a funeral for the Goose and one of our members had some schooling in ministry, so he wrote and gave the funeral service. Many times, I wished that I had a copy of that service. I wrote from memory what I could remember of that august time.

The tool shed was booby-trapped with buckets of oats, water, sheep droppings and other things. He controlled the traps from his position in the shed.

The same type of Alter was used then as now, but the ritual has been changed many times. It was more horny then.

The Grand Banner of the Order was made in about 1985. It has disappeared and was last used at Martinsville.

For several years the net money was sent to R.A.R.A. in the name of the Goose-n-Tator club. I told the members that we were not getting any credit for Crawfordsville Chapter #40. This policy was changed when I started in the Grand Chapter Officer Line.

The member who gave the funeral service used to write plays or skits for us to do at the meetings. You were given your part and the preceeding line to know when to read your part. No one knew ahead of time what the skit was or who was in it.

We have members from Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky and over 500 members in Indiana today.

You must be a Royal Arch Mason or have petition to a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons to be eligible for membership.

ONE SKIT:

Plot:

The Head Goose-n-Tator had gone to Arizona and returned just previous to one of our meetings. One of the members had been feeding his livestock while he was gone and one calf got sick, but he had the medicine on hand for it. The member feeding the livestock hauled some of the calves to the local butchering shop as planned.

Judge: A member who was a Justice of the Peace
Sheriff: Montgomery Co. Sheriff and member
Prosecuting Attorney: member wanting the death penalty
Defense Attorney: member wanting the death penalty, no justice
Jury: members of the club all believed in the death penalty
Witness: Local veterinarian, member of the club
Local Farmer: member of the club
Local member: who was buying some of the butchered beef.

The Sheriff came to the shed with siren on and lights flashing and told the club he was there to serve a warrant on the farmer who had been feeding the livestock. The warrant was for practicing veterinary medicine without a license and selling and distributing beef that had no brains, heart of liver.

Court was convened and the above members to their assigned parts. The veterinarian testified that his children were going hungry because the farmer was practicing veterinary medicine without a license and taking money out of his pocket. Other members testified that they saw the accused treating the sick calf and hauling parts of the butchered beef back to the farm. The buyer of the beef did not receive any brains, heart or liver on the beef he bought. The Defense Attorney begs the farmer to plead guilty and throw himself on the mercy of the court. He refused and was found guilty by the jury and they recommended the death penalty. The judge suspended the death sentence and gave him the responsibility of providing two petitions to the next York Rite Class. Case was dismissed.