MasonicMinute.com
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Posted at: 7:11 pm There’s something about a good cigar that brings men together. Perhaps it is the long period of time (the best will take at least 25 minutes to smoke) that it takes to smoke one. Perhaps it is the whispy clouds of smoke that rise from the cigar itself. Sharing a cigar with another guy really is a token of friendship and love. It makes you feel good. Cigarettes, while more expensive than they used to be, cost much less and take much less time to smoke. Pipes, which are probably much more pleasant to the non-smoker, are just too much work…draw, tamp, light, tamp, draw, tamp…it’s a pain in the posterior. But cigars, oh the cigars. What a great way to spend a few minutes with a guy. You cut, light, draw and stand there for a while watching the world go by. Pleasant and not too stuffy, cigars are just a cut above the normal things in life and let us separate ourselves from the day-to-day for a few minutes. I smoke for fun. I don’t care too much for those who would come up to me and judge me when smoke is rising from whatever is in my hand. “That will kill you.” they say…yeah. The same thing always goes through my mind… “Brilliant”. Life is deadly. Perhaps it is just the fact that you are spending some time with a brother that makes cigars so great. It also doesn’t matter if you know the guy when you start smoking that cigar. With any social skills whatsoever, a cigar smoker will befriend most quite easily…that’s just the way it is. Nothing beats a good cigar… |
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January 11, 2008
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Posted at: 3:13 am A few months ago AEdifico posted a video on this site that has been repeatedly banned and removed from YouTube by fundamentalist and other people who took offense. I have recently found the other two parts to that original video and I post them all for you here. Let me remind you all that neither myself nor AEdifico endorse these videos or the views expressed in them. We just found them interesting and some decent food for thought so all I ask is that you keep an open mind, watch them in their entirety and offer any comments with the spirit of civilized discourse in mind. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 |
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Posted at: 11:50 am I sent-out a challenge in the post below, and Greg won. The quote is Higgins, from the introduction to Hermetic Masonry. The next question is this…have we improved our Craft since he wrote this so many decades ago? |
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Posted at: 12:21 am I have a feeling that there was a whole generation of Masons who ignored the true meaning of the Craft. Since we are moving to a new day, I thought the following quote from the introduction to a famous Masonic book might be appropriate. Whomever guesses the source of this Frank C. Higgins quote will get top-line billing in the next blog… Good Luck. Higgins writes, “The re-nascent Masonic intellectual activity of the past few years, no more splendid example of which can be cited than the foundation and upbuilding of the National Masonic Research Society, throws strongly into relief the fact that our American Masonry, has, until quite recently, exerted little effort on tother than social and fraternal lines. The wonderful development of Masonic benevolent institutions throughout the Untied States, has reflected the brotherhood and liberality of Masonic manhood, but it has been accomplished in the presence of an almost total oblivion of what was once the principal reason for the existence of Masonic associations. Again, everyone but Emeraldi can try to answer this one and tell me what volume this quote appeared in. Em- is disqualified because he’s the one that gave it ot me. Last, I have made a little bit of light about this…but if you really read what Higgins said, and you feel the same way…then you are not alone. We are getting back there brothers…one Lodge at a time, one Mason at a time. Keep up the good work. |
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Posted at: 10:39 pm So I got my back up (see the previous post “Get Lost…”Brother”" below) about that guy that called me. There’s more. Freemasonry is about making good men better…right? I don’t think so. Let’s take a look at that phrase and see why it is exactly the wrong ‘motto’ (or, better stated, “Marketing Pitch”) for Freemasonry. (At this point, I should apologize to the Grand Master of Arizona, since “Making Good Men Better” is his theme for the year…but I won’t. MW Brother Dave respects diverse opinions and will be happy to hear that we are discussing ideas and expanding our minds.) If the Craft was actually ‘making’ something, then that thing would be the object of the Craft’s energy. The thing is the recipient of the planning and energy of the Craft. In this rhetorical case, the thing is a passive recipient, not responsible for doing any act except receiving whatever was being done to it to “make it better”. So when we say we are “Making Good Men Better”, we have removed all the responsibility from that supposedly “Good Man”. With this phrase steadily a part of the Masonic lexicon, we have invited the “Good Man” to come to us and sit on his kiester and do nothing. What a crock. This, obviously, is an exercise in Rhetoric. You remember that one…right? It’s one of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences that we are supposed to be learning about. It is part of being a Mason to use Rhetoric (or the lessons of that discipline) to help us improve. So, rhetorically speaking, we are inviting people into the Craft with no expectation that they will have to work towards anything. Just sit there pal…we’ll make you better. I promise. It has to be true because my pin says so. Balderdash. We should be saying things like “Giving Men the Tools to Better Themselves” or “Shining a Light Towards Betterment” or “Get Your Bettermentification Here!” Anything. Anything besides “Show-up and become magically transformed into somebody who is respected like Geo. Washington.” …this is another thing about that phone call I referred to above. Too many idiots come into our Lodges (I don’t consider them Masons…even if they do have a “Place Holder” in their wallet) and just expect to be spoon-fed. My hope is that we continue to shove the importance of exploring the deeper meanings of our ritual down their throats. I hope we get them reading, thinking, talking, sharing and learning. I hope that each of us will continue to stress the importance of those Seven Liberal Arts…ALL of them, to our “Brothers”. We are engaged in a battle for the future. The battle pitts those of us who care with those of them who don’t know enough to care. We are the Warrior Knights of old who understand that coffee and old stories have value…but they only occupy a slight sliver of the whole. We have obligated ourselves to the betterment of mankind…and we must begin with ourselves and those closest to us. “Making Good Men Better” is not Freemasonry. Freemasonry is about making it more fun and interesting for you to better yourself. It is about presenting a Man with tools…and instructing him on how to use them. But I would caution the bleeding-hearts out there. You can teach a man to fish, but if he is not hungry…he won’t pick up the fishing pole. We don’t make good men better. We let men do that to themselves…if they choose to. Choose Freemasonry…choose being a better Man. |
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Posted at: 1:33 am I was in the J. Edgar Hoover room at the Scottish Rite House of the Temple in Washington DC when my phone rang. I answered it. The voice on the other line asked me if it was true that the Lodge was intending to increase dues from $50 to $150 per year. I said that the vote would be next week, and I thought there would be an interesting discussion. He told me that he has been a Mason for thirty (30) years and has not been to the Lodge. He said he likes to have his dues card as a “place holder” (his words, not mine). He said that he did not think it was worth $150 per year to have and that if the Lodge actually raised the dues he would probably demit and find another Lodge. I was sick to my stomach. I was sick, not because he wanted to leave. I was sick because my good manners didn’t allow me to tell him what I was thinking. I mean, who the hell does this guy think he is? Thirty years and he’s never been to Lodge. Thirty years of paying for a “place holder”. This guy is an idiot, not a Mason. Now, many of you might think that I am being hard on him. Well, tough. This guy feels entitled to special treatment because he pays his dues. Big freaking deal. For all I know, he’s a liar, cheat, swindler and kicks his dog for fun. Why am I supposed to treat this guy with any respect? Masonry is a two way street. If you are old and infirm, as one of our brothers is, and you are physically incapable of attending Lodge, that’s one thing. But to be a member of my Lodge for thirty years and never to even show-up…AND THEN COMPLAIN WHEN WE WANT TO RAISE THE DUES?!?! WTF?!?! Sorry for the vulgarity. But I got sick to my stomach listening to this clown. I have no sympathy or pitty for those so-called “Brothers” who do not attend and participate in their Lodge activities or meetings. Of course, things get in the way…and some guys just get around once or twice a year. Even that’s great (in fact, we have a few guys that never attend, but they contribute in other ways…again, case-by-case analysis). What I cannot stand is that generation of “Mason” who joined the Lodge years ago and never attends, calls, writes, contributes…nothing. I have brotherly love for them…to be sure. I love them enough to tell them the TRUTH about how I feel. The truth is that there are tons of guys out there who carry the card, wear the ring, and probably make ignorant comments about the Lodge just so they can say they belong. These men are pathetic. Harsh? You bet. Without apology. I have seen too many guys go through real hardship, economic and personal, to buy the excuses that some others give. I can judge them because it’s not that hard. I will judge them because it is part of my obligation to be fair…and truthful. If you are a worthless pile of garbage…get lost. If you regularly (insofar as you are capable) participate in Masonry, then you are a man of value, and you are welcome. We may be a charitable organization (I would argue otherwise) but we are not a charity. Membership has responsibilities…not just rewards…we are not American Express. I hope, more than ever, Masons everywhere are assesing the value of Masonry in their lives. I could go on and on about this issue, but not now. It is enough for me to leave you with this little anecdote: As a habit (and this is completely unscientific) I try to ask every potential member how much they expect to pay in annual dues as they walk in the door. Invariably, the number is between $300 and $500 per year (sometimes more, but never less). Think about that. The old idiot is pissed about paying half of what the younger guy WANTS to pay… To the guy who hasn’t been in Lodge for thirty years, I probably should have titled this blog “Stay Lost”. |
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Posted at: 11:50 pm Luckily, my trip to the East Coast will culminate tomorrow in a day-trip up I-95 to the House of the Temple. Yes, this is one of those stupid travel-loggs that I thought I’d never write. So if you don’t much care what I personally do with my time…you won’t miss anything if you stop reading now. Actually, that’s it. Since I am going tomorrow (I have kidnapped my niece and her car as companionship) and we won’t get there for some time, I have nothing further to report. This is simply the anticipatory (and incredibly short) blog about my visit. If I can control myself…I will never write about tomorrow’s trip on this blog…ever. happy new year. |
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