MasonicMinute.com » 2008

April 22, 2008
aedifico42\| We’re Back… Posted at: 11:12 am Not just this site…but Freemasonry as a whole. If our Lodge is any indication of the energy and forward movement of the Craft in general…then I’d say we are in great shape. Now, however, is not the time to revel in the increase in petittions…but rather to take the time to screen each man carefully. Now is not the time to welcome all with open arms, but to slowly and with certainty allow only those most qualified to join our ranks. Now is not the time to repeat the mistakes of past generations…artificially inflating our numbers and celebrating the false size of the true fraternity. No my brothers, now is the time to crack-down and build-up. Crack-down on letting guys into our Lodges because ‘they seem like a nice guy’. Crack-down on letting petittions into the hands of strangers in the first place. We must lead our Craft back into the position it was in not so long ago…an institution that, by its own frugality and careful screening, assured its own perseverence into the future. Yes my brothers, it is time to build-up our membership with men who we know will be dedicated. Test them before they get a petittion. Make them attend regularly for six months prior to giving them that document…and only after they have had a chance to sit-down with the Master or other competent brothers, may they then receive that petittion. Do not be shy about telling somebody that you don’t think they are ready. Our charge is to jealously protect our fraternity…not sell it to the lowest bidder. As for those who puroprt to wax poetic about our doom…let them cry in the wilderness, for they are the lost ones. Those nay-sayers are not capable of change and will stagnate until they petrify. We can try to help them out of their rut, but as men we must respect them for deciding to take the path of least resistance, and we must respect their choices to fade anonymously into the past. Brutal truths and harsh realities face us as we move forward into the re-awakening of our Craft. We must be vigilant, flexible and truly dedicated to spending great amounts of personal time with our newer brothers. (by the way…they are not members…they are our brothers) We must force ourselves out of our comfort-zone of mediocrity and increase our own expectations of ourselves. Only after we are ready, willing and (most importantly) ABLE to bring men into our Craft correctly, educating them out of the ignorance they naturally have upon approaching the portals, will be doing justice to the Craft. WE must raise OUR OWN standards. WE must raise OUR OWN expectations. WE must raise OURSELVES, as the Craft once raised us. Onward then…to that undiscovered country here on Earth. Where the ideals of Freemasonry are truly and sincerely practiced by each one of us.
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April 22, 2008

Posted at: 11:12 am

Not just this site…but Freemasonry as a whole.

If our Lodge is any indication of the energy and forward movement of the Craft in general…then I’d say we are in great shape. Now, however, is not the time to revel in the increase in petittions…but rather to take the time to screen each man carefully. Now is not the time to welcome all with open arms, but to slowly and with certainty allow only those most qualified to join our ranks.

Now is not the time to repeat the mistakes of past generations…artificially inflating our numbers and celebrating the false size of the true fraternity. No my brothers, now is the time to crack-down and build-up. Crack-down on letting guys into our Lodges because ‘they seem like a nice guy’. Crack-down on letting petittions into the hands of strangers in the first place. We must lead our Craft back into the position it was in not so long ago…an institution that, by its own frugality and careful screening, assured its own perseverence into the future.

Yes my brothers, it is time to build-up our membership with men who we know will be dedicated. Test them before they get a petittion. Make them attend regularly for six months prior to giving them that document…and only after they have had a chance to sit-down with the Master or other competent brothers, may they then receive that petittion. Do not be shy about telling somebody that you don’t think they are ready.

Our charge is to jealously protect our fraternity…not sell it to the lowest bidder.

As for those who puroprt to wax poetic about our doom…let them cry in the wilderness, for they are the lost ones. Those nay-sayers are not capable of change and will stagnate until they petrify. We can try to help them out of their rut, but as men we must respect them for deciding to take the path of least resistance, and we must respect their choices to fade anonymously into the past.

Brutal truths and harsh realities face us as we move forward into the re-awakening of our Craft. We must be vigilant, flexible and truly dedicated to spending great amounts of personal time with our newer brothers. (by the way…they are not members…they are our brothers) We must force ourselves out of our comfort-zone of mediocrity and increase our own expectations of ourselves.

Only after we are ready, willing and (most importantly) ABLE to bring men into our Craft correctly, educating them out of the ignorance they naturally have upon approaching the portals, will be doing justice to the Craft. WE must raise OUR OWN standards. WE must raise OUR OWN expectations. WE must raise OURSELVES, as the Craft once raised us.

Onward then…to that undiscovered country here on Earth. Where the ideals of Freemasonry are truly and sincerely practiced by each one of us.

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