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February 13, 2008
aedifico42\| Too New to be Master… Posted at: 1:52 am Sometimes I wonder if my 13+ years as a Mason is enough. Being Master of a Lodge is a huge responsibility…if you are doing it right. But how do you know you are doing it right? More importantly, how do you know if you are ready? These are questions that many twenty and thirty-something pillar officers are asking themselves. Brothers, you can do the impossible. You can say ‘no’. If you are less than three years in Freemasonry, you should probably not be a Warden. Not that you can’t handle it…and not that you are not ‘ready’…but generally speaking, you can do your Lodge more good by saying ‘no’. I speak to the man who is raised one night and a week later is a Deacon. I speak to the man who is a three year Mason and sits in the Oriental Chair. I speak to my generation (in age, not Masonic experience) when I tell you that you can, and probably should, say ‘no’. If your Lodge is truly in an emergency, perhaps you should take the office. But if not, what’s the harm in waiting…soak it in a while…learn the language…just be a Mason. Empower yourself from the beginning, and gain some respect from the Lodge, by refusing an office. You need time to learn lessons, ritual, language and culture. Freemasonry is a completely separate society from the rest of the world. In all honesty…you are probably not ready. Are the Lodge members pushing you to take an office because they don’t want it? Is this the best thing for the Lodge? Would it be better if you said no for now, and made them do some real work instead of leaning on the new guy for leadership? These are some heavy considerations. Sometimes honesty with one’s self is the most difficult type. But don’t let peer pressure or guilt drive you to make a bad decision. Again, sometimes it is the best thing for you and the Lodge if you just jump right-in. But by maintaining control and self-discipline…not advancing until you truly believe you are ready…you are making a powerful statement about who is in control. That’s the type of real leadership we lack. Take control of yourself…just like the compasses require. And when your time comes…when the time is right…then you can step-up to the plate with confidence knowing that you are ready to lead and achieve. Maturity comes in all shapes and sizes my friends. Do you have what it takes to tell them ‘no’?
MasonicMinute.com

February 13, 2008

Posted at: 1:52 am

Sometimes I wonder if my 13+ years as a Mason is enough.

Being Master of a Lodge is a huge responsibility…if you are doing it right. But how do you know you are doing it right? More importantly, how do you know if you are ready?

These are questions that many twenty and thirty-something pillar officers are asking themselves. Brothers, you can do the impossible. You can say ‘no’.

If you are less than three years in Freemasonry, you should probably not be a Warden. Not that you can’t handle it…and not that you are not ‘ready’…but generally speaking, you can do your Lodge more good by saying ‘no’.

I speak to the man who is raised one night and a week later is a Deacon. I speak to the man who is a three year Mason and sits in the Oriental Chair. I speak to my generation (in age, not Masonic experience) when I tell you that you can, and probably should, say ‘no’.

If your Lodge is truly in an emergency, perhaps you should take the office. But if not, what’s the harm in waiting…soak it in a while…learn the language…just be a Mason. Empower yourself from the beginning, and gain some respect from the Lodge, by refusing an office. You need time to learn lessons, ritual, language and culture. Freemasonry is a completely separate society from the rest of the world. In all honesty…you are probably not ready.

Are the Lodge members pushing you to take an office because they don’t want it? Is this the best thing for the Lodge? Would it be better if you said no for now, and made them do some real work instead of leaning on the new guy for leadership?

These are some heavy considerations. Sometimes honesty with one’s self is the most difficult type. But don’t let peer pressure or guilt drive you to make a bad decision. Again, sometimes it is the best thing for you and the Lodge if you just jump right-in.

But by maintaining control and self-discipline…not advancing until you truly believe you are ready…you are making a powerful statement about who is in control.

That’s the type of real leadership we lack. Take control of yourself…just like the compasses require.

And when your time comes…when the time is right…then you can step-up to the plate with confidence knowing that you are ready to lead and achieve.

Maturity comes in all shapes and sizes my friends. Do you have what it takes to tell them ‘no’?

MasonicMinute.com

7 Comments »

Interesting thought Brother, and good point. I imagine that this will ring home with a few Brothers out there.

Comment by Carter — February 13, 2008 @ 8:55 am
I was raised on November 16th, 2005. I am currently Junior Warden on my Lodge and set to advance to Senior Warden next year, and to the East the following year. So, I completely understand where you arguement is coming from. I did consider saying I wasn’t ready but for me the decision was based on this is something I truely love and want to devout myself to. I am also blessed by a good group of officers who I know are going to be around to help out. I did make the decision not to join any appendent bodies until after I have sat in the East, though.

Comment by James — February 13, 2008 @ 9:38 am
I disagree.

Arbitrary limits like this do more harm than good making two classes of Masons.

It depends on the Brother, not on the time. I know people that have “20 years of experience”, and it’s the same year twenty times.

Traveling Man

Comment by Traveling Man — February 13, 2008 @ 10:05 am
I see where you’re coming from AEdifico but I agree with Traveling Man, it depends on the brother. I know you and I sometimes see a ‘less than 3 year Mason’ and say “He is not ready to be a Master, what was that lodge thinking.”, but on the same note I know of a few brothers who have put in years of membership who are not competent enough to be Master as well. I do however think that pressuring a new ‘warm body’ to fill a chair is a cop-out and unfair to the new Mason and his development.

Comment by emeraldi42 — February 13, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Having been raised last June and have been appointed SD of our Lodge, I truly understand the sentiment behind what you are saying. But I think that it is up to that Brother whether or not he feels comfortable being an officer and continuing up the chairs. There is a lot to learn about governing a Lodge, no doubt about it, but if the Brother wants the knowledge and seeks advise and mentorship from the more experienced members, I believe that even the new guy can significantly impact and improve his lodge for the better. It’s much more than knowing ritual. You must also consider the background of the “new guy”. For instance, what is his experience? Is he or has he ever been in a leadership position at his place of employment and had to make difficult decisions there? However, if the WM is having some doubts about the abilities of one or more of his officers, I think that he has the duty and the obligation to inform that Brother(s) of his concerns and take the neccessary corrective actions before they become a real problem for the good of his Lodge. In my opinion, the Lodge shouldn’t elect a WM if there are some concerns of competency even if he has gone through the chairs and it is “his turn”. I am just now feeling comfortable with being SD, but not JW, SW or WM. If I elect to go through the chairs in the ensuing years,I’m sure it will be a while before I again feel comfortable in that years chair. I hope that no one would pressure someone into accepting a position they did not first show interest in doing. Someone must step up and take an officer position every year and simply because they are one of the new guys shouldn’t have any bearing on it.

Comment by Shepdawg — February 13, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
I was told by a PM (four times at that) that every year in the East he always relected on how different he was from the previous years. I believe that relative to the state of the lodge, an individual mason must be honest with himself and his intentions on moving up the line.

I have seen a mason advance a couple chairs and be an excellent master of his lodge and another who seemed to use it as a tool for respect.

I know that my advancement has been through confidence that I could uphold my chair and have full confidence from the brothers of my lodge that I could perform my duties as a mason and as an officer.

Comment by David F — February 14, 2008 @ 8:43 pm
Interesting input from all on this one. I do plead guilty to starting conversations with sometimes edgy pronouncements…but I think they are conversations that need to be had.
Thanks to all for your continued attention to MasonicMinute.com.

Comment by AEdifico — February 15, 2008 @ 4:09 pm

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