MasonicMinute.com
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Posted at: 12:07 pm Most Lodges don’t have enough. Not enought commitment from their Brothers to make ends meet. There is a myth in Freemasonry…that it should be “affordable”…like Walmart. This is the single issue that separates the Men from the Boys. The Men know how much VALUE there is in Freemasonry. The Men understand that personal commitment requires some sacrifice. The Men understand that giving-up a few cups of coffee per month, perhaps cutting-back on a luxury here and there, is necessary for the perpetuation of real Lodges. The Boys take a different approach. They want to be cared for, supervised and coddled. The Boys want to have a fun time down at the club, and spend time and energy raising funds at fish-frys, bar-b-ques and spaghetti dinners. The Boys would complain about how much things cost, rather than accept the declining value of the US Dollar as compared to the rising costs of energy and Lodge independence. The Boys even confuse “Masonic Fellowship” with comeraderie…an ill attempt at converting the sacred title “Fellow of the Craft” into the commonly profane title of ”co-worker”. It has been stated (not rarely at this site) that a well-run Lodge should be able to support itself on dues alone. Our rents and benefit activites, not the hard-work (i.e. regular day-to-day job) of the membership, are the things that many Lodges now depend uponfor their economic survival. We have been forced to look to creative ways of raising funds to make-up for the unwillingness of our members to support their own Lodges. We must have the courage to address this issue openly and honestly. This is controversial. It is not very warm-and-fuzzy, nor is it popular, to speak truth in this way. But it is also honest and straight-forward to directly address the single-greatest issue that detracts our Brothers from their practice of the Craft. It is the money question that removes us from learning. Every minute we spend worrying about money is a minute away from our ancient mysteries. Money concerns separate us from teaching, reading, philosophizing (which is now a verb meant to describe the act of sitting-around with your Brothers discussing the history, symbols and philosophy of the Craft) and ritual practice. Sometimes the money questions takes us to those ridiculous places…like Friend-to-Friend nights, where shameless recruitment is thinly veiled by a slight rhetorical label. Other times, the money question takes us to a conflict point: how do we pay for this or that, what is the priority for improvements to our Lodge, can we gather a committee to return and report on the cost of paint for the building… There are some in our Craft who grudgingly recognize that we must deal with the hand we are dealt. We strive to raise dues and make our Lodges meet those higher expectations of self-sufficiency. But we are constantly forced to balance our Masonic values against the economic realities forced upon the Craft by our tight-wallet Brothers. This balancing-act is another distraction for the newer members who, frankly, expect to pay much higher dues. Just ask them. Money is not only the root of all evil, it is that issue which distracts many of our members away from the Craft we call Freemasonry. In a perfect world, our dues alone would support our Temples. Our treasury would be very close to a zero balance every year, with left-overs going to improve libraries, build chambers of reflection and support our feasts. But we continue to fight over Money. We continue to waste time and energy discussing Money. We continue to allow the issue of Money to divide us. Money. Money. Money. Our Core Value - that “virtuous education” promised in the First Degree - is eroded by the pursuit of Money. …and how many of us are willing to part with more of that root of evil in order to more freely participate in our own Craft? |
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October 3, 2008
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Posted at: 12:45 pm Too many Lodges have one of those guys. You know, the Past Master who lords over the Lodge with his smooth talk and popular sway. He runs the place. It’s his Lodge. Some of them do it from the Secretary’s desk. Some of them do it from the Chaplain’s seat. Some just sit on the sidelines, and whisper sweet-nothings in the ears of others. But all of these men have something in common…they will not go away. These are the guys who work old relationships in order to perpetuate and impose their will upon their Blue Lodge. Many of them were “Stars” back in their heyday. Some even enjoyed wearing the purple of our fraternity on their shoulders. The problem is, and shall I be blunt, they rarely allow others to lead. We have a sister Lodge controlled by one such man. The Master is stepping aside for personal reasons. This is a respectable and mature decision when life gets in the way, and issues more important than the Lodge must be dealt with. Frankly, I have more respect for him for stepping-down than I did for his election. “Why?” you ask? Because his Mastership was due entirely to the efforts of one of these Past Master Tyrants who influenced the Lodge into electing the guy in the first place. “Well, so what?”, you may say. The argument that institutional knowledge, a preservation of the traditions of the institution and support from older members are all very important aspects of running a successful Lodge. I would agree with this argument, but it is incomplete. The idea that one or two men should control a Lodge long past their term is not Masonic, it is Monarchic. This is a concept more in line with other organizations, and has no place in the Blue Lodge. But enough now about what the PMT is and how he controls. The key is figuring out how to get rid of him (or them) and how to avoid becoming one yourself! First, you can’t just go bury vital body parts in the ocean. Yes, it would be expedient, and yes, in some cases it would be fun. But this exercise requires more finess, and much more maturity. I will use the pre-emptive example now under-way at our Lodge, after a brief thumbnail of where we are as a Lodge. [at this point, you may want to review Emeraldi’s blog on our little revolution, and how we did it]. So here we are, strong Master, supportive Senior Warden and a whole bunch of energy and motivation pushing the entire Lodge forward faster and more steadily than most Lodges can comprehend. We are in great shape. But I don’t want to become the PMT (although I probably could if I wanted to). So how do I avoid this? How do I slash my future influence in the workings of the Lodge, while setting-up my successor for…well…success? The answer is right in front of your eyes. I am talking about it. Yep. That’s the secret to not becoming the Tyrant. You just tell people you don’t want to have that kind of influence. You let them know that when the next guy comes up, you will walk away, silently. Of course, I am not going to abandon my Lodge and move to Madagascar. That would be silly (and I think lemmings are creepy). But I will not be at the three Stated Meetings after my successor’s Installation. He knows it, my brothers know it, and we are all ok with this prospect. I will, of course, be there to assist as I can with ritual. I will deliver a lecture and even sit in an officer’s chair if needed while we continue building the Lodge through delivering degrees. But that is all I will be doing, at least for a while. By my absence, the Lodge will become settled with the fact that I am not there to answer questions, to guide discussions, to help make policy. That will no longer be my role. I will be the Past Master like some of our most recent ones…ready to help, but only if asked. There are, unfortunately, too many Lodges where this kind of discussion is taboo. Too may Masons feel like discussing this sort of thing is not appropriate. It’s internal Lodge politics…but with a weird sociological twist. At my Lodge we are looking at a problem that we see in other Lodges, talking about it, and implementing a plan to avoid the same problem. It’s almost crazy enough to work. In the end, it took the death and (for health reasons) removal of two of our most favorite brothers to allow our Lodge to change for the good. They were, and still are, two of the most loved and respected men in our Lodge. They cared, they worked, they taught, and they ran us into the ground at the same time. We were lucky to get out from under their influence in order to allow new leadership to rise. We are (hopefully) smart-enough to recognize why we used to have problems, and (hopefully) smart-enough to avoid the same problems in the future. The Past Master Tyrant is not an ugly fellow. He is dedicated to the Craft, he cares about his Lodge and he is generally a very good Man. But his ‘knowledge’ and influence, if unchecked, can destroy a Lodge…or in some circumstances simply stifle the Lodge to the point of petrification. Recognizing the good and the bad in men can be difficult. Recognizing the potential problems can be wonderful. Dealing with and balancing these things is only possible through an intelligent and dispasionate analysis of the personalities and influences within your own tight circles. The greatest reward, however, is listening to men make this analysis once you have given them the power to talk about it openly and honestly. This, my brothers, is liberating. I just wish more Lodges had the guts to talk about it. |
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Posted at: 9:42 pm As we are not fearful of change here at MasonicMinute, I have accepted a challenged by a Brother to write about what he wants me to write about. The only problem is that he has not gotten back to me yet on the topic, and so I will ask the rest of you to pick-up his slack. Just email me (aedifico42@gmail.com) or suggest a comment below…and if I have not covered the topic recently, I’ll give it a shot. My actual goal is to get a bunch of suggestions from other Brothers so that I can show this one Brother who challenged me that he is a shameless slacker. Please help me rub his nose in his own poop. It’s the sporting thing to do…and it might be fun to hear some suggestions also. Thanks for playing! |
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Posted at: 11:08 pm About a year ago, an article appeared in a local Masonic publication. I wrote the following in response, but never posted it. I am glad I held-back. Now that I have re-read it, I think it is appropriate to publish it. My judgment is still the same as it was, but I have changed some names and titles as a means of protecting the [not-so]innocent. Enjoy. *********** In the most recent issue of “Masonic Reader” (Vol. 1, No.1-, October/November 2007) one of our Past Inquisitors ponders/laments that “Maybe Men like Me Shouldn’t Be Masons?” The article returns to the theme again and again after plenty of whining and complaining about being a construction worker and a blue collar man who sees the trend towards raised dues as some kind of clarion call for class warfare among our fraternity. He plainly states that those who have more money probably are less genuine than the ‘working man’ and therefore don’t appreciate or understand the ritual as well. It’s petty. It’s silly. It sounds more like something you’d hear in a Presidential debate than in Masonic discussion. Past Inquisitor, you miss the point. First, Real Masons don’t judge men based on their income. As we are taught, “…Masonry regards no man on account of his worldly wealth or posessions.” Past Inquisitor flat-out accuses our wealthy brothers (or just plain responsible spenders) of not having the best of the Craft in mind. In his worst insult to those who ‘have’, he makes terrible and divisive insinuations by opening one of his most pointed paragraphs with this; “The new word is that we are a Fraternity to make “Better Men Good” instead fo vice-versa with several meanings.” Why in the world would he cast such dispersions? Is he really that bitter to consider insulting so many men - most of whom are just trying to raise their own financial commitments and their own enjoyment - just because the trend is towards tuxedos and higher dues? I don’t get it. Second, Past Inquisitor speaks with distain having seen ”beautiful ritual delivered in fine menswear with perfect diction and flawless floor work by men who had no idea how to live by the precepts of equality, fairness and upright action.” Is he kidding? He makes public judgements about men who dress well, and divides our Craft by further stating that he would “rather see a farmer in bib overalls that makes some mistakes in his delivery and whimpers with a quivering lip when he placed his hands on his son’s hands to confer a detree at the Altar…” So, if I get this right, Past Inquisitor feels that, not only can he personally judge what a man has in his heart and mind - by casting those with money as inferior moral beings - but that being sloppy and unclean is somehow more pure because, perhaps, only farmers can love their sons?! Bull-puckey! A man who has come from hard-working roots, who has to take home no pay for a month because he “owns” the business and has employees who depend on him, and who wants to have an inspiring experience when at Lodge is not less of a man because he wants to wear a tuxedo. In fact, I would not judge that man as less or more. I don’t have that luxury…nor do I have that arrogance. Sure, I could insult a whole class of men for this reason or that. I could call the poor man “lazy and irresponsible”, I could call the rich “unscrupulous and immoral” …and perhaps in a few cases, I’d be right on both points. The problem with Past Inquisitor is that he is willing to judge too easily and cast too wide of a net without considering the realities that face his brothers. I can only speak for myself. I am a lawyer. I have a couple employees. Last year I took home less money than I did when I worked for the State (and in THIS State most Air Conditioning techs take home more than government lawyers). This month I will take home $0 because of a lull in the business cash-flow. I don’t complain. I am prepared…as all responsible Men ought to be. Sure, I wear a suit and a tie to work every day…but does that mean I am immoral? Does that mean that the lessons of Freemasonry are not part of my life and experiences? Does that mean that I am not worthy to sit in Lodge with Past Inquisitor because I choose to wear a tuxedo and have clean fingernails? Let me be clear. I like Past Inquisitor. He’s a good guy and a fine Mason. But I think he got WAY off track when he chose to insult men like me who are willing to sacrifice for our Lodges…willing to dress-up to show respect for the ritual and our Ancient Herritage…willing to fill our Lodges with nice things (like books) for the benefit of all our brothers. Paying more is not about money. Paying more is about commitment and the capacity to actually provide for those in need. Paying more today might get us close to the commitments of our forefathers…but who among us would be willing to tithe two week’s pay to our Lodge just to carry the card? Lodges used to require that much money, and Men were happy to pay it. Search your soul. I’m willing to pay more because I believe in my Lodge, I believe in my brothers, and I believe that selling our Craft on the cheap lowers expectations. Run-down Lodges may be romantic relics but their wear and tear only show an outward manifestation of the decay and neglect that our Craft has suffered on the inside. We all have different feelings about the subject. Ultimately we will provide for our committed brothers who come-on hard times. We even have legislation in [our State] which provides for that. My only hope is that we recognize the fact that we all have feelings, and as leaders of our Craft, we refrain from criticizing the hard work and commitment some of our brothers choose to make. My feelings were hurt. ouch. This blog is my therapy. Thank you for reading. ********************* So, that was what I wrote in response to a controversial article from about a year ago. I am glad, after having read it, that I feel exactly the same way today. To be certain, I am not re-introducing this in order to open old wounds. On the contrary, the guy who wrote the original article probably never reads this site. It’s just high time that we are honest with those who don’t want to raise dues. I have a feeling that our ‘camp’ on this issue needs to be more aggressive and honest. Raise dues. Raise expectations. Raise the bar. [Update; 9/18; Some complaints about the format of this blog made me insert the title “Past Inquisitor” and make other minor changes so that the old blog was more readable.] |
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Posted at: 10:10 pm Ever since the Craft felt like it needed to cease the purge of members after the Morgan Affair, Masons all around have continued to pretend that we are a “charitable” organization. Many of our brothers still feel that giving away money is more important than learning and making great Men…building those temples. What we forget about Masonic Charity is the easiest and most important lesson…the lesson of our ritual. The ritual delivers to each of us the opportunity to expand our philosophic and mental capacity. It is a springboard into the world of the grown-Man…a Man who can truly think for himself…a Man who is well-read…a Man who can carry himself through life. “Charity” is the act of giving time, money or other recources to others. It is a good thing, and we should all engage in it at some level. Masonic Charity, however, is not about money at all. It also has very little to do with giving any’thing’ to the profane world. Masonic Charity is about what we give to the world…or better put, who we give to the world. Let’s take a quick look at the Man who has truly taken the time to learn and apply the lessons of our ritual to his life. First, he knows how to measure and use his time. He is a man capable of separating the superfulous parts of the world away from those parts of the world that have meaning and which really count for something. Second, a Man who learned and applies the lessons is one who listens, speaks well and is faithful. Precious are the habits of a man who can apply the lessons of a complete liberal education, replete with the knowledge required for well-rounded reasoning about and understanding of the world. Third, the Man we speak of has come from a place most men will never see. He has the unique perspective of having been divested of all the weight of the world…his soul is cleansed and he is renewed into the very life he never realy left. This Man understands why we are all equal and why we must be upright and noble in all that we do. These are the lessons from our ritual…these are the foundations of the Man we speak of…this is where Masonic Charity begins. Again, Masonic Charity is much more complex than giving away money. It is about giving and improving the greatest gift we have to give, the only gift that will give forever, the gift of ourselves. We are bound by our solemn obligation to become the best Men we can become. We are given the tools and the setting to continuously remind ourselves of these lessons, that we may not lose focus on those lessons and their application. WE are what we should be giving to the world. WE are the greatest gift to our society. WE, however, are usually too humble to admit that we are that great. Masons give themselves, the better Men they have become, to the world. That, my brother, is Masonic Charity. It cannot be boxed or given away at a ceremony…it must not be folded and mailed to the beneficiary’s address…nay, Masonic Charity pours out into the world when the last gavel of the evening strikes. As we move about in the world, acting as Men and Masons, we are giving the gift of Freemasonry to society. We make society better when we make better men. That, and only that, is the Masonic Charity upon which we ought to concentrate. So give to your church, buy Easter Seals, send a check to the USO…but remember that YOU are the Craft’s gift to the world. Act like it. |
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Posted at: 5:01 pm I told myself I would not do it. I promised myself a long time ago that I would not engage in the typical blah-blah-blah of the blogosphere…but I must respond. Within the last few weeks, an not-so-old blog of mine (see VIGILANCE below)(I’d like to link to it, but I don’t know how) got some props from another site (masonicline.blogspot). Some supported, some disagreed. But one…a popular author of another blog (”Widow’s Son” at The Burning Taper) blamed me for the irregular and clandestine dirtbags who claim to be Masons…(I clipped the whole thing to be fair to him…I must…of course…be fair.) ******** “Aedifico42’s rant would be funny if it weren’t so seriously twisted.” ******** My “rant”, apparently, is what is wrong with mainstream Freemasonry, and ultimately, there would be no irregular or clandestine [you fill-in the blank this time]’s for us to worry about if it were not for me and my poisoned pen (er… keyboard). Thanks dude (aka “Widow’s Son”). Now I, and those like me, are to blame for the (not-so)Grand Orient of the US and others like them? Yeah, right. And I suppose you are next going to tell me that Al Gore invented the internet. Don’t get me wrong, I usually like your blog and I have learned much from you…but…Freemasonry is not about being a pussy. I don’t have to be NICE to everybody! What the hell kind of milk-toast little boy-scout do you think I am? Where in our ritual does it say I have to tolerate dishonesty? Where does it say I have to agree that all men are equally Masonic? Where does it say that I OWE any allegience to the idea that anybody with an internet connection and a ritual book ought to be extended any courtesy? I am still confused by the lack of conviction of so many of our Brothers. And to compare my name-calling (directed, by the way, at that certain group of liars, fakes and idiots who are NOT MY Brothers) to some of the ugliest biggoted remarks of our country’s history is rhetorical filth. I will not stand for it! (instead, I will sit here and complain about it) In fact, by simply looking to the second line of his comments (where he calls these guys “brothers” and then clarifies “whether you accept them as Masons or not”) one can plainly see the complete weakness and hollowness of the entire commentary. IF HE IS NOT A MASON, HE IS NOT MY BROTHER! (Did I just yell?) Seriously though…what gives? Why should I feel bad or apologize about jealously guarding something that is so dear to my heart? My fraternity does not include those whom the laws of my fraternity do not recognize. It’s repulsive to me that a Man or Woman who does not comport with or comply with MY fraternal obligations ought to be tolerated as an equal. It just seems silly…don’t you think? In the end, we all get to decide. And to put all of our fuzzy-wuzzy over-tolerant-of-the-irregulars’ minds at ease, I will make this promise: If I ever see a clandestine or irregular “Mason” on the street, I will not punch him/her/it in the nose. There. Now can we please get back to talking about the stuff that really matters? Like TP’ing their lodges and pouring sugar into their gas-tanks!! (here’s where we all laugh because we can sometimes take each other a little too seriously…sometimes.) P.S. I must admit that my favorite beer is Arrogant Bastard Ale. So…I guess…to be fair…at least he was partly right. After-all…you are what you drink! |
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Posted at: 2:13 am Within the Masonic blogosphere there is much commentary between men regarding the state of Freemasonry as it is today. Many are dissatisfied with the condition that the craft is in. Some have left and formed new organizations in an effort to embody those elements which they feel are Masonically fitting. Everything from shifting the focus back to Masonic education and enlightenment, losing the image of a strictly charitable organization who does nothing more than sit around and drink coffee talking about the same immaterial things we all hear outside the lodge, improving degree work, raising dues, stricter investigations, more esoterica and less fish frys. The list of grievances goes on and on and I can say that I felt the same way when I first joined my lodge. Granted, my degrees were impressive, but the facility was in poor shape, it not having seen improvements since the 70’s. The finances were in the worst of conditions. The small collection of books we had were locked in a bookcase unavailable to the interested reader. The was no Masonic education outside of the ritual. We were more concerned about the number of members than the quality of members and on, and on, and on. This was not a result of an oppressive Grand Lodge, Consitutions or By-Laws, but a result of neglect of the lodge in just about all respects, except for ritual work. When I came in I was the youngest member of the lodge at 21 (and was more active than the presiding WM). I took a long, hard look at what was around me and I knew we needed to change. And change we did, but it wasn’t easy. I wanted to open the library and allow members to check out books: Motion Failed We wanted to use some of our money to improve the building: Motion Failed We needed air conditioning: Motion Failed I asked for some money to buy new artwork: Motion Failed I asked to consider new investment products: Motion Failed Failed, Denied, Rejected. All the time, everytime. Then something happened. I was elected to the board trustees, and then appointed as a line officer. I also got together with the next youngest member of the lodge. We talked, we planned, we schemed, we strategized, we reached out, found supporters and we delivered. After a few years of rough stated meetings and trustee meetings we were finally making headway. I was elected Chairman of the Trustees and we stacked the board with progessives and it was at that time and shortly thereafter that the doors were open to improve our lodge. The entire lodge environment is different than it was three years ago. We have the youngest officer line in the state. We have bi-monthly research meetings. We have Masonic education every meeting. We conduct a very extensive investigation for new petitioners. We constantly study with our new members. Our EA’s know more about the philosophy, symbolism, tenets and purpose of the EA Degree than many of the veteran MMs. We wear tuxes, gloves, jewels, and full regalia. We have a library that contains not only Masonic works but also the woks of Diderot, Rousseau, Voltaire, Paine, Jung, Maier, Fludd, Hall, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, Blake, Burns, Graves and the other classics. We have 20 and 30 year Masons picking those books up for the first time and exploring them. The portraits of Bolivar, Mozart, Euclid, Pythagoras, Hermes, Ashmole, Josephus, DeMolay, Lafayette and Robert Burns grace our lodge room with our Past Masters and of course, George Washington. From our lodge we have two instructors at our Annual Masonic Education Academy where lectures ranging from gematria, symbolism, hermeticism, anti-Masonry, geometry and more are taught to our membership. One of our members was asked to rewrite the Grand Lodge Candidate Education Program. We now have A/C, new regalia, better trained officers, higher dues, quality caliber candidates and a lodge where after the meeting ends at 9pm, many of the members will stay until after 12am talking about Masonry. We have been asked to travel to other state lodges in an attempt to revive them the same way we have our own. We have had an 85% retention rate of dedicated, constantly active new members for the last two years. We are always asked “How did you do it?” Now I’m going to tell you. All we did (just two of us to start with) was go around the usually routine. We wanted to paint the lodge, so we bought the paint and supplies and painted the lodge ourselves. We wanted art work on the wall, so we bought the artwork ourselves and hung them on the wall. We wanted a proper library, so we bought the books to fill it ourselves. We wanted more education in lodge, so we stood up and read papers in lodge. We wanted better coaching, so we started coaching the way we felt we should be coaching. We rightfully took ownership of our lodge and we acted like officers and trustees were supposed to. After the rest of the membership (who was at first cautious of our new endevours) saw that we were sincere in our motives, the donations of time and money came rolling in and the lodge itself took a proactive approach on improving itself. However, we are not perfect and we are still far from where we think we should be. We still continue to implement change in our lodge and so far it has worked for the best, but we are not yet completely satisfied. So with my long winded explanation out of the way let me offer some ideas that have worked and continue to work for us regarding certain lodge issues: Candidates: These are the new lifeblood of the craft and they DO NOT want anything given to them easily. Implement a probationary period for ALL candidates, no matter who they are. Let them earn the privilege to recieve a petition, don’t just give them out at first sight. Let them show the lodge that they want to be a member of the craft. Start educating them about Freemasonry during their probationary period. Spend time with them one on one and have the other lodge members to the same. Get to know them and if the Brethren feel they don’t know them well enough to make a sound judgement, wait on reading their petition. Conduct an investigation worthy of the craft and remember: they are trying to join US, we are not trying to sell US to THEM. Allow them to feel proud that there are deemed worthy of being made a Mason if and when they are elected. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING THEM THROUGH A ONE DAY CLASS!! Not now, not ever. Make their degrees a night for them and them alone. EAs FCs and new MMs: Education, education, education. Full proficiencies, education programs, written tests, reading assignments and opinion papers. Allow them to read these papers in open lodge to the Brethren and follow with a discussion. Officers: Again, more education but this time in ritual proficiency and administrative duties including lodge by-laws and Grand Lodge Constitutions, rules and regulations. State the duties of these officers and make it clear their expectations. Expose them to the ways of drafting legislation and explain how the Grand Lodge system works including Edicts, Resolutions, the voting structure and so forth. Hold them accountable. Active Membership: Give them something to do. A part in the MM Degree, head a committee, learn a charge or lecture. Encourage them to present research papers. Ask for their input. Show them that they are valuable and show your gratitude. Trustees: This body should consist of people who know how to work with money and assets. If someone isn’t familiar with financial instruments then they shouldn’t be on the board. Introducing education, building improvements, etc: Just do it. If you can do it on your own and without the neccesary consent of the lodge or Grand Lodge then do it. Get a few supporters and just do it. You want to revamp your candidate education program? Write one, grab a candidate and try it out. You want to have Masonic Education every meeting? Stand up and read something and discuss it. Show initiative and be proactive. Now, I am aware that every lodge is different. I am cognizant that our ways may not work in every lodge around the state let alone the country. Nor do I feel that EVERY lodge needs to be like us. On the contrary, there are some lodges that I feel we need to emulate and there are some who operate in a completely different manner than we do but still provide an excellent Masonic experience. From what I have seen in my travels there is a renaissance happening in Freemasonry around the country. The younger generations are coming to our doors with something different in mind than generations past. The emphasis on intellectual personal development trumps the social club niceties. They have high expectations and for the most part we cannot meet them. They want to earn their membership, not have it handed to them. Hopefully, this long blog will inspire some of you to get creative in your lodges to improve things for the better. I don’t doubt that similar things have happend and are happening around the country and it is always nice to exchange ideas with each other. We are slowly but persistently chipping away at that iceberg of Masonry of past decades and are trying our hardest to elevate this fraternity to a level that it deserves. I do not assert nor claim that I or my lodge has all the answers, but by utilizing our lines of communication I’m sure we can all learn something from each other. |
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Posted at: 10:44 pm For some time, I have lamented the fact that I have yet to experience the York Rite. Well…sort of. You see, I have just petittioned the Chapter (I can’t remember the name of it…but the SW in my Lodge promises me that I will have a good time), and I am very excited about being invited to participate as a candidate. …and for the record, I am only assuming they will elect me for the purpose of this blog…if they actually reject my petittion…well…I think I will be sad. But enough about my emotional state. So, some of the men who know I have petittioned are telling me to read-up so that I will get a better understanding of the degrees. And while I know that all I have to do is google the Yorkies to get their ritual, I feel guilty just thinking about it. I mean, would my grandfather have had access to that information? (please note, my grandfather is a faithful Catholic and only barely tolerates my Masonry…he’s WAY old-school.) So I have read nothing about the degrees. I have, with purpose, ignored everything about the York Rite until I have the chance to experience it live…in person…like going to Las Vegas! I guess this is still about the way I feel. The anticipation is heavy but reserved. After all, they still have to vote on me. I hope, however, that if they accept me, they will give me the kind of degrees that they would have wanted to receive. You know the feeling…right? Every-time we Initiate, Pass or Raise a candidate…we think it could have been better? We look at the guy and hope that he’s the last one who has to have a sub-standard degree? It is fair to say that we do not all feel this way. It is fair to say that there are a vast number of Blue Lodges who put-on great degree work…impressing the candidate and making a memory in him that will last for the rest of his life. But we all know of Lodges that fall far short of this goal. We all hear of bad lectures (I am guilty of one or two myself), poorly executed lines and missed cues. We see and hear inappropriate behavior in our Lodges during the most solemn of our rituals. We excuse this behavior in the spirit of not wanting to hurt anybody’s feelings. We remember that time when that one guy did that thing and we all started laughing…boy was that a hoot! But was that what we really wanted for the candidate? Or was it what we enjoyed for ourselves? Degree work is sacred. It is the one thing that keeps us out of The Zoo (our polite mode of recognizing the Elks, Eagles, Sheep, Lions, Deer, Pomeranians, and all those other fuzzy-fraternities). Our ritual IS our Craft. We must return, with purpose, to the solemn observation of this conveyance of mystery. Focus, my friends, without shame or regret, on the one thing that makes us unique. When we return to the time where we faithfully execute the great mystical work of our ancestors…only then can we look in the mirror and truly accept the mantle we so freely promote…that we are Freemasons! |
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Posted at: 1:59 pm You bet that’s a harsh title. It is a name-calling that is appropriate and justified, and does not even begin to establish the resentment and loathing that real Masons ought to harbor when their Craft is exploited for the personal gain of the profane. Irregular and Unrecognized Grand Lodges exist. They have existed for a long time. Many of them observe the same landmarks we do…and most with only slight variation. This is not a major problem. In fact, it was not that many years ago when our Prince Hall Brothers were considered among the Irregular and Unrecognized…now, they’re just as Regular (in this Jurisdiction) as any other Lodge. We are proud to recognize these good men, and even more glad when we get a chance to sit in Lodge with them. Then, there’s the question of the Grand Lodges in France. There are two. One (the one we recognize) was a break-away group of Men who created their Grand Lodge because the original Grand Lodge was, in their opinion, waivering from the Landmarks. So be it. My problem is not with these groups…their history is understood, and their legitimacy has been established by the law of institutional continuity. But there are others, more dangerous, sinister and flatly-fake. These are the organizations which betray the Craft. These are the “Grand Jurisdictions” which act dishonestly…these are the enemy. Yes, I understand that the tone is serious. I also understand that I may be giving them too much credit…for the reality is that these fly-by-night organizations usually go away in just a few years…and our institutional continuity remains. But in a world where the exchange and flow of information is not limited as it was in the past, we must think outside of the box. We must prepare for what we do not expect. We must…dare I repeat myself…be vigilant. Now, I appreciate that this is a topic that is circulating around the Masonic Blogosphere. I also know that many other commentators feel that giving these fakers too much credibility just bolsters their position. These are legitimate positions. But why not be ready? Why not learn about them and their founders? Why not be prepared to answer the questions that our own brothers may ask when confronted with the existence of these “Other Masons”? While we continue to investigate the “Grand Lodges” in question…checking the background of their founders and verifying that many are convicts, frauds and liars, we must also maintain our focus on the real Masons who sit next to us in Lodge. We must nurture our relationships with them…teach the newer members how to ask questions and think about the answers…we must remain true to our Craft. Yammering-on about the Liars and Fakers is fun. But please don’t fall into the trap I have fallen into for the last few weeks (that is, don’t spend too much time on worrying about these guys). Be a Man, be a Brother, be a Mason. The passing fancy we have with the clandestine [insert slur], [insert insult], [insert four-letter word] [insert animal name] is just that…passing. They will (I hope) fade into our collective memory as just another one of those hiccups that some of us wasted too much time worrying about. And in the end, when we can clear the air and move back to where we ought to be, they will be forgotten (again, I hope). |
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Posted at: 5:13 pm With the creation of of more Masonic jurisdictions, some called clandestine, irregular, fake, or unrecognized the debate has caused not only an interesting commentary from Masons all over the world, but has also brought out a bad seed in many of us in my opinion. All over the web emotionally charged vitriol is spread all over blogsites and messageboards in the name of Freemasonry. I can understand both sides of the issue, but I can only have my own opinion. All I can do is try to base my own opinion as rationally as possible. So, because everyone else has weighed in on the issue somehow, I might as well throw my hat in. There is no question that Masonic jurisdictions not recognized by the UGLE have been around for a long time and without much disagreement besides an mutual “unrecognition” of each other. The existence of different Masonic groups is not the inherently “dangerous” part of this equation, but it is the fact that some of these groups are downright fraudulent. I’m not talking about some European co-Masonic groups or ones that admit atheists, to me they are just unrecognized Freemasonry in my jurisdiction. What I am talking about are the groups that exist on the internet only, where no lodge exists, no subordinate lodges exist, no officers exist, nothing. Just send me your money and I will send you the supplies needed to become “insert Masonic title here”. These types of Masonic groups are around and to some it is difficult to distiguish between regular, unrecognized or fake Freemasonry. On the issue of some of these new Grand Lodges that have formed in the past 5 years claiming legitimacy: Let’s imagine this for a second. I spend 4 years in the Army and not re-enlist. I am disenfranchised with the U.S. Army for whatever reason. I find 5 more disenfranchised soldiers. We all love to be soldiers, but we felt that the U.S. Army has done us wrong or that we can operate more efficiently than the U.S. Army so we get our training materials, purchase new uniforms, get different unit insignia made, get some weapons, form ranks and call ourselves The American Army. Would anybody think that this group was at all legitimate. Besides, the word Army is not trademarked, just look at all of the other entities that use the word Army. So I create another Army in the U.S. and start recruiting. Is my Army legitimate? How about this one. I go to college and get a PHD in Educational Studies. I figure that the modern U.S. university system is lacking in some way and decide to start my own college. I hire a few people who I can use as instructors and start advertising for my new University and develop a curriculum that I feel is best, set up shop and wait for some enrollment. How many students do you think I might get knowing that my school is not accredited? How will I look in the eyes of academia? Is my university legitimate? The analogies can go on and on and I am cognizant of the fact that some things aren’t as simple as they appear, however with all the discussion and history lessons on recognition and whose GL was created first there seems to be a few things that maybe some are forgetting to think about. It is my understanding that Lodges form Grand Lodges, not the other way around. So I can understand if there were 5 co-masonic lodges in Oklahoma and they wanted to form their own GL chartered by the GOF because there wasn’t one in OK before. Starting your own GL is something completely different in my opinion. If a group of people want to create an organization like Freemasonry they are free to do so. So many other fraternal organizations have done so. My only beef with this whole thing is that they use the title Freemasonry. Everyone from the Knights of Columbus to the OTO to the HGD have borrowed some from Freemasonry and in my opinion that’s not a bad thing. What’s that saying go about flattery? However, they didn’t want to be Freemasons, and they didn’t call themselves Freemasons. I do not think this issue will die soon, but I hope that as we try to sift through the mud-like clarity of the situation we as Freemasons (recognized or not) will not compromise our maturity and actually try to apply those lessons we learn in Freemasonry by extending each other the courtesey of acting like adults. |
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