Comments for MasonicMinute.com http://masonicminute.com Masonic Thinking and Working Sat, 17 May 2008 09:46:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 Comment on Spamalot…. by Tom Accuosti http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/29/spamalot/#comment-11747 Tom Accuosti Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:15:07 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/29/spamalot/#comment-11747 A long time ago, I suggested that you look into a feature that disables anonymous commenting. Some make a commenter sign in with a name & email addy. Others make you type in a picturfied phrase. Wordpress.com and Blogspot.com both have such safeguards. If you're hosting your own blog, you might want to ask the hosting service if they have any "plug ins" for spam filtering. A long time ago, I suggested that you look into a feature that disables anonymous commenting. Some make a commenter sign in with a name & email addy. Others make you type in a picturfied phrase.

Wordpress.com and Blogspot.com both have such safeguards. If you’re hosting your own blog, you might want to ask the hosting service if they have any “plug ins” for spam filtering.

]]> Comment on Why do we have the letter ‘G’? by Jeff Day http://masonicminute.com/blog/2007/07/25/why-do-we-have-the-letter-g/#comment-11347 Jeff Day Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:19:42 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2007/07/25/why-do-we-have-the-letter-g/#comment-11347 Brother, do you know how to get this spam under control? It's a nuisance. Brother, do you know how to get this spam under control? It’s a nuisance.

]]> Comment on Corporate Masonry… by Richard http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/25/corporate-masonry/#comment-11304 Richard Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:20:31 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/25/corporate-masonry/#comment-11304 What we need is better ritual, better education, better mentors and clear-thinking leadership. I couldn't agree with you more. However, the above comment is what has made many businesses successful. Those that have a good employee development process, a mentoring program and clear thinking leadership, I submit, are attributes that make up a good business. I think it's time that we applied some of the sound principles of business to Masonry. And I do believe that personal relationships benefit the bottom line, whether in business, Masonry or any volunteer organization. What we need is better ritual, better education, better mentors and clear-thinking leadership.

I couldn’t agree with you more. However, the above comment is what has made many businesses successful. Those that have a good employee development process, a mentoring program and clear thinking leadership, I submit, are attributes that make up a good business. I think it’s time that we applied some of the sound principles of business to Masonry.

And I do believe that personal relationships benefit the bottom line, whether in business, Masonry or any volunteer organization.

]]> Comment on Must See Video… by Shepdawg http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/21/must-see-video/#comment-11271 Shepdawg Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:55:27 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/21/must-see-video/#comment-11271 This video hits the nail right on the head! This video hits the nail right on the head!

]]> Comment on Must See Video… by Leonard M http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/21/must-see-video/#comment-10924 Leonard M Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:53:03 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/21/must-see-video/#comment-10924 How true this clip is. I am a new mason and its like someone has read my mind. Excellent video clip. How true this clip is. I am a new mason and its like someone has read my mind. Excellent video clip.

]]> Comment on On Courage… by AEdifico http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/20/on-courage/#comment-10608 AEdifico Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:57:50 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/20/on-courage/#comment-10608 Having Courage and being a Hero are two different things. Some people commit 'heroic' acts without having a second to think about the consequences. Courage, on the other hand, manifests itself in the face of a rational internal assesment of the risks of that courageous act. It can be easy to be a hero...but courage, after thoughtful reflection on the dificulty of the act, is far more powerful. Having Courage and being a Hero are two different things. Some people commit ‘heroic’ acts without having a second to think about the consequences.

Courage, on the other hand, manifests itself in the face of a rational internal assesment of the risks of that courageous act. It can be easy to be a hero…but courage, after thoughtful reflection on the dificulty of the act, is far more powerful.

]]> Comment on On Courage… by Steve http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/20/on-courage/#comment-10606 Steve Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:36:13 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/20/on-courage/#comment-10606 This may seem frivolous, but it isn't meant to be: In superhero comic books, it isn't the superhero who is the really heroic figure. It is the villain. In these books, the villain, no matter how often he is defeated, and in the face of a being who can't possibly be beaten, always tries again. The villain comes back and strives to win against all odds. The superhero is not a hero at all. If you can't fail, there is no heroism. If there is no chance that there is nothing there, there is no faith. I recommend Bro. Rudyard Kipling's Poem "If" for a discussion of this phenomenon. This may seem frivolous, but it isn’t meant to be: In superhero comic books, it isn’t the superhero who is the really heroic figure. It is the villain. In these books, the villain, no matter how often he is defeated, and in the face of a being who can’t possibly be beaten, always tries again. The villain comes back and strives to win against all odds.

The superhero is not a hero at all. If you can’t fail, there is no heroism. If there is no chance that there is nothing there, there is no faith. I recommend Bro. Rudyard Kipling’s Poem “If” for a discussion of this phenomenon.

]]> Comment on The Halcyon Uproar… by Guiseppe B. http://masonicminute.com/blog/2007/12/10/the-halcyon-uproar/#comment-10086 Guiseppe B. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:46:29 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2007/12/10/the-halcyon-uproar/#comment-10086 "My mother said to me, "If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope." Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso." Pablo Picasso. “My mother said to me, “If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.” Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.”
Pablo Picasso.

]]> Comment on Too New to be Master… by AEdifico http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/13/too-new-to-be-master/#comment-10081 AEdifico Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:09:45 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/02/13/too-new-to-be-master/#comment-10081 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. 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 on Kill the One Day Class… by tom http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/01/16/kill-the-one-day-class/#comment-10073 tom Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:07:57 +0000 http://masonicminute.com/blog/2008/01/16/kill-the-one-day-class/#comment-10073 I too appreciate peoples concerns regarding one-day masons. I went through a one-day class, as did my son. I have seen many good men go through both the traditional way and through the one-day way. Brothers, it's not how we get men through the doors of our Lodge that keeps them there - it's what we do with them once they are in. You can complain and moan about "that's not how I had to do it" or you can accept the Brother and take the time to teach him the lessons of our great Craft. I contest that you can not learn Freemasonry in 3 evenings spread out over three months with a couple of mentoring session thrown in. You cannot learn Freemasonry in a one-day class either. Freemasonry is ongoing learning, it's about taking a brother under your wing and teaching him through your experiences. I have seen many men join the Craft in both the standard way and the one day way and after their degree work, they are pretty much ignored. If they come back - great, if not - oh well. This is what must stop. We must welcome our brothers back to the Lodges and stop complaining about how he got there. Make him feel welcome and important and he will keep coming back. I drive over an hour to Lodge each way. I'm a Past Master who tries to live up to the standards of Freemasonry every day. I have missed very few Lodge events since I became a Mason in 2000 - and yes, I am a one-day Mason. Am I any less (or any more) of a Mason that anyone else? I think not. I wear the same apron and cable-tow that all my brothers wear - I'm only different because of the mindset of many. I too appreciate peoples concerns regarding one-day masons. I went through a one-day class, as did my son. I have seen many good men go through both the traditional way and through the one-day way. Brothers, it’s not how we get men through the doors of our Lodge that keeps them there - it’s what we do with them once they are in. You can complain and moan about “that’s not how I had to do it” or you can accept the Brother and take the time to teach him the lessons of our great Craft. I contest that you can not learn Freemasonry in 3 evenings spread out over three months with a couple of mentoring session thrown in. You cannot learn Freemasonry in a one-day class either. Freemasonry is ongoing learning, it’s about taking a brother under your wing and teaching him through your experiences.

I have seen many men join the Craft in both the standard way and the one day way and after their degree work, they are pretty much ignored. If they come back - great, if not - oh well. This is what must stop. We must welcome our brothers back to the Lodges and stop complaining about how he got there. Make him feel welcome and important and he will keep coming back.

I drive over an hour to Lodge each way. I’m a Past Master who tries to live up to the standards of Freemasonry every day. I have missed very few Lodge events since I became a Mason in 2000 - and yes, I am a one-day Mason. Am I any less (or any more) of a Mason that anyone else? I think not. I wear the same apron and cable-tow that all my brothers wear - I’m only different because of the mindset of many.

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