The Masonic Society

The Following is an unpaid announcement from the Masonic Society.

"The ultimate success of Masonry depends on the intelligence of her disciples." - Albert Mackey

A significant group of passionate Masons are coming together to create what aims to be nothing less than the premiere North American research society in Freemasonry. Called simply The Masonic Society, we are gathering together brothers who have a deep and abiding desire to seek knowledge, explore history, discover symbolism, debate philosophies, and in short, who will be at the forefront of charting a path for the future of Freemasonry.

Students of Freemasonry are invited to join in the formation of this new and exciting organization.

The name, The Masonic Society, intentionally alludes to the Royal Society, the innovative organization of visionary men who were at the forefront of the Age of Enlightenment, many of whom were present at the formation of what became modern Freemasonry. Likewise, the new Society will be at the forefront of a new age of Freemasonry, and intends to be a vibrant, active community within the fraternity.

The goal of The Masonic Society is not just to look backward at the history of Freemasonry, but to foster the intellectual, spiritual and social growth of the modern Masonic fraternity.

To that end, The Masonic Society extends the hand of assistance and cooperation to individual Masonic research lodges in North America. It is the desire of The Masonic Society to be a partner with these lodges, to give their members the regular opportunity to publish their papers for an international audience, and to publicize their activities.

The Masonic Society is also forging a special relationship with those bodies that meet annually during Masonic Week, as well as the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. While not designed as a York Rite-specific research group, The Masonic Society encourages examination of this branch of Freemasonry.

Membership in The Masonic Society is $39 per year ($49 outside of the U.S. & Canada). Benefits will include:

• Commemorative pin, patent of membership, and dues card.

• The quarterly Journal of The Masonic Society will present articles that enlighten our past, and explore solutions to the challenges facing Freemasonry today and tomorrow. The Journal will feature articles by the best-known authors in Freemasonry, as well as the brethren from the lodges in your neighborhood. There will also be articles from the non-Masonic academic world that is looking with greater interest than ever at our fraternity and its place in society. We'll bring you timely Masonic news, photos and commentary from around the globe, in full color. The Journal will also feature advertising from a select group of publishers, regalia manufacturers, and fraternal supply companies which specialize in products specific to Freemasons – the only magazine of its kind to do so in America and Canada.

• Members-only access to the Masonic Society online Internet forum.

• Annual First Circle gatherings – Each year, The Masonic Society will be an active participant in the Allied Masonic Degrees "Masonic Week," held in February in Alexandria, Virginia. This will include the annual First Circle gathering. An additional symposium will be held elsewhere in the US or Canada once a year. These events will be educational, informative, but most of all, fun and memorable to attend.

Fellows of the Masonic Society will be named each year, in recognition of their contribution to the body of knowledge of the fraternity, through their writing, their Internet presence, their service to the Society, or their labors for Freemasonry.

Membership in the Society is open to regular Master Masons in good standing of regular, recognized grand lodges in good standing with the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America (CGMMNA), or a grand lodge in amity with a member grand lodge of CGMMNA. Non-Masons, libraries, lodges, and members of other obediences may also subscribe to the Journal at the $39 annual rate.

Founding Fellows:

John Belton; Yasha Beresiner; Paul M. Bessel; Timothy D. Bonney; Clayton J. Borne, III; Nathan C. Brindle; Justin Budreau; Allan L. Casalou; Marc Conrad; John L. Cooper, III; Robert L. D. Cooper; Robert G. Davis; Stephen Dafoe; Eric Diamond; R. Steven Doan; Shawn Eyer; Bruno Gazzo; Edward Halpaus; John R. Heisner; Kent Henderson; Jay Hochberg; Christopher L. Hodapp; Thomas W. Jackson; Adam G. Kendall; Edward L. King; Fred Kleyn; William H. Koon, II; Robert Lomas; Ronald D. Martin; S. Brent Morris; Jeffrey Naylor; Charles Munro; Pete Normand; Richard Num; Michael R. Poll; W. Bruce Pruitt; David L. Revels; Alton Roundtree; Eric Schmitz; Michael L. Sellick; George D. Seghers; Aaron M. Shoemaker; Cory Sigler; Mark Stavish; Mark Tabbert; Roger S. Van Gorden; Duane Vaught; William Wine; Leon Zeldis;

Where Have All the Past Masters Gone?

With apologies to Pete Seeger

Where have all the Past Masters gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the Past Masters gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the Past Masters gone?
Tired and resting, every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

One thing we have all noticed is that after a year (or two... or three) that the master of a lodge vanishes like a puff of smoke as soon as, or coincidental with, the installation of a replacement... not to be seen for some time, if ever again. What has happened to them?

For those brothers, and non members, who have never had the pleasure/responsibility/duty of sitting in the east and shouldering the burden of leading the work, let me share with you some of the burdens, and joys, of being master of a lodge.The first thing one must consider is that the job is essentially a full time one, in addition to your regular job and your responsibility to your family. On top of that, it is unpaid, volunteer work, sought out for, mostly, the joy of serving your brethren.

Just GETTING to the east is a strict task. As the Junior Warden (one the three principle leaders of the lodge), your provenance is providing the food, snacks, meals, coffee and so on during your year, serving as Acting Master during the conferral of the first degree (including a 20 minute lecture that must be memorized), and serving on various boards and committees in lodge. As Senior Warden, you are the head candidates coach, as often as not on the temple and finance boards, as well as organizing and planning your year in the east, and serving as Acting Master during the conferral of all second degrees and filling in for the master in his (albeit rare) absences.

Then you are invested master of your lodge. The ceremony of installation is fairly impressive, but it is not really until you are asked to swear to abide by a list of about 15 additional duties as master that it really begins to sink in that YOU are the master of the lodge, and it is to YOU that the brethren will be looking for at least the next year. Then they hand you the gavel, and present you to the brethren:

"Worshipful Master, behold your brethren. Brethren, behold your Worshipful Master."

WHAM, oops, you are really the leader now, you are THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER. You worked for this, you memorized the work and fulfilled the expectations of your brethren and have now been elected MASTER, for good or ill, of the lodge. Like most men, at some point you think: Please g-d, don't let me screw up as you step into those shoes, filled by so many brothers before you.

The good news is: Freemasonry is ritual bound, and designed to make it hard to change... or to mess up. As master, YOU are the final word in the lodge, only the Grand Master (and to a certain, lesser extent, the District Deputy Grand Master) can overrule you, and neither will do so unless you REALLY mess it up. You have (if you are really lucky) a cadre of past masters around who will give you advice (just try and stop them) and assist you (and impede you). But, as General MacArthur noted to his command staff, you can't PUSH string, you have to pull it along to get it anywhere.

This applies to the lodge as well. As master, you are the elected leader, and it is your duty to set the tone, give the craft good instructions whereby they may pursue their labors, and in general guide the lodge. To lead, however, you must have the consent and assistance of those you are leading. As Master, you are also the chief confessor, counselor, entertainment coordinator, degree planner, supervisor of the work, whipping boy and chief cook and bottle washer.

As master, you are expected to attend the will of the past masters, the Grand Master, the brethren (and occasionally) their wives. You must attend EVERY SINGLE FUNCTION in your district to "show the flag" for the lodge, even if you are not a member, and of course, fend off all the "suggestions" that you join every appendant and concordant body along the way. That you must attend every meeting of the lodge goes without saying (you CANNOT be sick, you are the master). You must attend every meeting of the "Officer's Association (for my European Brothers, that's a kind of Lodge of Instruction, only more structured), you have to schedule lodge practices (and make and lead those with the Officer's Coach), you must attend all funerals, run the business meetings, attend the building (temple) board and finance committee meetings, oh, and somewhere in all that, maintain your family relationship while earning a living.

Oh, yeah, and one minor irritant you have to put up with are the PMs who DO manage to come to lodge complaining about how "it wasn't done that way when I was master" and suggestions from all sides. By the end of a year, you KNOW you have been master, and will for the rest of your life wear that PM at the end of your name as an appellation indicating that you stood up and counted.

But, by the end of that year, you are bone, dead, stone tired. You need a break, you WANT a break, you DESERVE a break, but the lodge needs you on some committee or in some chair... and of course, your wife and children are asking you who you are when you get home from work... and we wonder why some Master's run away as fast and as far as they can from the lodge for a while, to catch their breath and find themselves!

And here is another reason: its a kind of post traumatic stress disorder. Like the soldiers in Iraq or Viet Nam found out when they came home, one minute in a combat zone and the next home with your family... as Master, one minute, you are the center of the lodge and your phone seemingly won't stop ringing... then you install the new master, and no one so much as calls to so much as see how you are doing because they didn't see you at lodge the other night...

I speak from experience my brothers! I loved my time in the east, despite all the challenges, and when the opportunity presents itself to me again, I will gladly take on the burden of leading my lodge, because the REWARDS of being a past master exceed all the gold in the world, when a brother looks you in the eye and says: Good to meet you, worshipful.

There can be no greater reward in this life.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

Where is Joppa?

Yaffa Seawall with Tel Aviv in the Far Distance

...they traveled by a circuitous route toward Joppa, and endeavored to gain a passage into Ethiopia...

So, where is Joppa?

An Answer

As Freemasons, we hear of this city, as a destination by three villains, but we are never told where Joppa is, only that it is a "seaport" town, which from context, must be relatively near Jerusalem. As far as historical records, we read that "The gate of Joppa" are noted in the Tell el-Amarna Letters as guarded by an Egyptian officer in the service of the Pharoah Amenhotep IV(1). Relative to the temple of Solomon, Jonathas, the Chronicler reports that the cedars of Lebanon were brought in on floats, where they were transported to Jerusalem by the workmen of the king of Tyre.(2)

In The image above, Yaffa is on the bottom far right and Tel Aviv
at the far left top. The Traffic circle is the downtown.

Joppa, today called Yaffa (Jafa), is a suburb of Tel Aviv, 32.8 miles as the crow flies from Jerusalem. It is written that the pillars of the Temple could be seen from Tel Aviv, due to the Temple Mount raising the structure above the line of sight of the hills between there and the coast. Modern Yafa is built on a rocky mound, 116 ft. high, at the edge of the sea.

A reef of rocks runs parallel to the shore a short distance out and affords a certain amount of protection from weather and the sea. There is a gap in the reef through which the boats pass, though during a storm the passage is dangerous even today. On one of these rocks Perseus is said to have rescued the chained Andromeda from the dragon.

Yafa is a prosperous town, profiting much by the annual streams of pilgrims who pass through it on their way to visit the holy places. Trade passes through the port to this day, with ships arriving from Egypt, Syria and Constantinople.

Yaffa is the seaport on the left and Jerusalem on the far Right

So now you know where Joppa is.

1. Wikipedia
2. II Chronicles 2:16

Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Florida BREAKING NEWS

Brothers, Sisters and Friends Around the World:

This has just come to my attention from Tim Bryce, who we all know as a reliable source of information via his Yahoo Group that he has it from a reliable source that last Monday, Florida's Prince Hall Grand Lodge has recognized the Grand Lodge of Florida (unilaterally). I offer this in the sincere hope that it is correct. I will post more as I hear it.

Below is the passed resolution which is being sent to the Grand Master of Florida prior to the upcoming Grand Communications:

Whereas, The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge Most Ancient & Honorable Fraternity Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall Affiliated of Florida; Belize, Central America Jurisdiction, Incorporated is a regular Grand Lodge originating from African Lodge No 459, which is descendant from the United Grand Lodge of England, and is the sole and supreme Masonic authority over its constituents and Jurisdictions; and

Whereas, the Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM is a regular Grand lodge and descendant from the United Grand Lodge of England and is the sole and supreme Masonic authority over its constituents and Jurisdictions; and

Whereas, both Grand Lodges have and shall by mutual consent and amity administer its own affairs and maintain independent autonomy within its respective jurisdictions;

Therefore, be it resolved that The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge Most Ancient & Honorable Fraternity Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall Affiliated of Florida; Belize, Central America Incorporated hereby recognizes the Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM and provides it as full and complete recognition as may be reciprocated by said Grand Lodge;

Be it further resolved that The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge Most Ancient & Honorable Fraternity Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall Affiliated of Florida; Belize, Central America, incorporated hereby recognizes, and will as of this date recognize without further Grand Lodge vote, each Grand Lodge that does not state that it does not want to be recognized by our Grand Lodge, and that is recognized, and continues to be recognized, by any sister Prince Hall Affiliated Grand Lodge, and/or the Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM, and/or the United Grand Lodge of England as long as our sister Prince Hall Affiliated Grand Lodge and/or the Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM does not object to our recognizing said Grand Lodge(s);

This recognition by The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge Most Ancient & Honorable Fraternity Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall Affiliated of Florida; Belize, Central America, Incorporated of a Grand Lodge in another jurisdiction will be to the same extent as the recognition by any Prince Hall Grand Lodge that is in amity with it.

Sounds like an interesting Grand Communications is coming up in Florida! May they make the right choice and accept the hand they are being offered in brotherly love.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

Why Regularity

I have seen, and been party to discussions on Masonic Regularity for some time now, and this issue never serves but to stimulate... and, frankly, to disappoint.

It disappoints because intellectual energy is rarely, if ever, brought to the table on the issue. It is, rather, one of viscera, emotion and contention. This is silly on several levels, mostly because those of us discussing it have very little to do with changing it, and worse, most have very little or no understanding of it's whys and wherefores. We even have some women weighing in on the issue, claiming that because their group tells them they are regular masons, that therefore, they are... ignoring, of course, what regular means in a masonic context.

For the most part, the ones disparaging regularity are masons who are not regular masons. This is not particularly unusual or difficult to understand. These men, and, yes, women, desire to be considered as regular masons, to be brought into the embrace of "Universal" Freemasonry (a term whipped up by non regular masons as a way of easing a change and by redefining masonry) but one that has no real or substantive meaning as other than a PC attempt at redefining words, specifically in this case, regularity.

I also want to start off, in an attempt at full disclosure, at stating my position. Lets start with what I have already written:

Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Are There Women Masons?

Thursday, September 20, 2007
Regularity Vs. Recognition

Sunday, October 14, 2007
Of Masonic Regularity

Friday, November 2, 2007
A Broom Named Harmony

Thursday, November 15, 2007
Acknowledgment Vs. Recognition

I have come to believe a number of things:

1. Clandestine does not equal evil or necessarily non mason or "has no value".
   
2. Irregular means simply what it says: non regular PRACTICE, not irregular or non mason.
3. Women can be just as good a mason as a man can.
4. The concept and practice of Regularity exists for a good reason.
5. The concept and practice of Regularity has been... misused for political reasons.
6. A Regular mason can learn from a non regular mason, and VICE VERSA.
7. Here is the single most important lesson I have learned about the whole Regularity issue: BETWEEN MASONS, UNLESS WE ARE PLANNING ON OPENING A TYLED LODGE SESSION, REGULARITY DOES NOT MATTER.

For some, the above will be unbelievable or heretical, or both. I am a regular mason, I am proud of being a regular mason. I am a fifth generation regular mason, so the choice of obedience I would choose what never in question. Further, I do not feel it is necessary for regular masonry to extend regularity (what is often called amity, that is intervisitation) to any lodge that is not regular.

I am think that a type of recognition could be established, where the Regular, George Washington Grand Lodges (and hopefully Prince Hall Grand Lodges) could acknowledge that there is other types of freemasonry in existence, that they are not de facto fraudulent or "bad" prima facie, and that while we will not have "Masonic Communication" as it is styled in Freemasonry, that we can, at the very least, treat each other as brethren.

Perhaps an acknowledgment along the style of the United Grand Lodge of England, which recently noted that:

"There exist in England and Wales at least two Grand Lodges solely for women. Except that these bodies admit women, they are, so far as can be ascertained, otherwise regular in their practice. There is also one which admits both men and women to membership. They are not recognised by this Grand Lodge and intervisitation may not take place. There are, however, discussions from time to time with the women's Grand Lodges on matters of mutual concern. Brethren are therefore free to explain to non-Masons, if asked, that Freemasonry is not confined to men (even though this Grand Lodge does not itself admit women). Further information about these bodies may be obtained by writing to the Grand Secretary.

"The Board is also aware that there exist other bodies not directly imitative of pure antient Masonry, but which by implication introduce Freemasonry, such as the Order of the Eastern Star. Membership of such bodies, attendance at their meetings, or participation in their ceremonies is incompatible with membership of this Grand Lodge".

Grand Lodge News” of the UGLE following the 10 March 1999 Quarterly Communication of UGLE.

Now that I have detailed my personal position on the issue, I want to delve into the accusations that have been leveled against Regular "Anglo" (to note a derisive term lately coined by a famous anti-regular freemason brother) or what I prefer to call, when speaking of non Prince Hall Regular Grand Lodges, George Washington Grand Lodges.

His claim has been that Regular Freemasonry does not "allow" its brethren to attend clandestine lodges. On the surface, this is true. After all, every George Washington Grand Lode has a book called Lodge's Masonic in its lodges that it uses to, in part, define what lodges can be visited and which should NOT be visited. It is also true that if a brother does visit one of these lodges that he stands in danger of facing masonic charges and expulsion from Regular Freemasonry.

Yet, that is a choice that every brother CHOOSES to follow. Any man can attend a clandestine lodge (though, frankly WHY he would do so is beyond me), but as with everything in life, there are consequences to actions. An oath is an oath, after all.

The corollary to the claim that Regular Masons cannot visit non regular lodges is that no Regular Mason can even TALK to a non regular mason. This is, certainly, incorrect. This very blog is read by Regular Masons around the world, by non regular masons, and by non masons. If I could not talk to or communicate with non regular and non masons, this very blog would be impossible.

Regular Masons are free, as are all men, to seek knowledge where they can find it, and claims to the contrary are... well, less than intellectually honest. As a Regular Mason, my only restriction is that I cannot (WILL NOT) sit in a tyled session in a non regular lodge of masons. Mostly because I swore not to, but in a larger sense because I swore not to, and see no reason at all to violate my obligation.

What is this "Universal" Freemasonry then?

Truthfully, its an attempt to redefine Freemasonry into something other than what it is. There are, really, four types of Freemasonry. Regular Freemasonry, that is essentially, lodges who can trace the provenance of their charters to grand lodges that were formed in a manner consistent with traditions all the way back to that tavern in June of 1717. Primarily, that is, for, of course, there are exceptions, but as is usually true, the exceptions prove the rule.

Another type of freemasonry are the "Grand Orients". Then there are the women's and co-ed obediences. I group them together since both involve women in lodges. Their origins cannot be regular as by masonic tradition, noted in Anderson's Constitution, only men can be masons. That was certainly a tradition, and is certainly one that the Regular Lodges should be and are free to maintain, there is absolutely no reason why women can't create their own lodges and "be masons".

Then there is plain out fraudulent freemasonry, frauds like the American Masonic Federation of the early 20th century that engendered the creation of Mail Fraud laws, and a long list of masonic frauds you can find here.

From the very beginning there have been pretenders to Freemasonry, which is why the whole issue of Regularity was created. Antients vs Moderns, fake lodges, money pits, cons and worse have tried to follow on the coat tails of the honorable reputation that Freemasonry has garnered, and Regularity has been a way of minimizing these crooks and worse.

The problem is, the issue is one that is complex and convoluted, even the Grand Lodges have a hard time with it. As a result of this lack of clarity, non regular masons have been able to cloud the issue further by making bald assertions, most often based on their own lack of understanding of the complexities, and in some, few cases, deliberately to forward their own agendas.

As Freemasons, we have manifold obligations. We must obey the Master of our Lodge, and the Grand Master and his representatives. We must, also, obey our consciences. So, what does that mean to the brethren? I can only answer that by what it means to me:

When a man, or a woman, approaches me and identifies themselves as a Freemason, I will acknowledge them as such.

Nice words... what does that REALLY mean? It means that I acknowledge anyone that claims to be a mason as a mason, I will render them the same aid and assistance that I would render to any man that I know is a Regular Mason. I will NOT share or discuss the items my Grand Lodge has declared are the secrets of Freemasonry, nor the rituals or what goes on in my lodge meetings.

And, of course, I will not attend ANY lodge that I do not know for sure is a Regular Lodge as defined by my grand lodge and the Lodge's Masonic list. This means I have attended Prince Hall Lodges and lodges all over the United States.

None of this keeps me from studying other lodge systems or learning from non regular masons, nor from teaching non regular masons, within the constraints defined by my Grand Lodge.

I am a Regular Mason, but love all my brethren, withersoever dispersed around the globe.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us (ALL).

A Solution??

Have you ever had one of the moments when you are talking to someone about some issue and suddenly you realize you are uttering the answer to a problem that has been vexing you? I had one of those moments with my wife five years ago, in answering her question about a few brothers and their actions regarding Freemasonry when I said: It's not about me changing them, it's about me changing me.

Well, yesterday, another one of those moments occurred during an email answer to a brother in Iraq regarding his issue with the Grand Lodge of Kentucky and a Prince Hall Lodge.

For instance, regarding the whole Prince Hall Recognition issue. We all know, of should know by now that there are 13 Grand Lodges in the United States that do not yet recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular Masonry. The coincidence that the 13 Grand Lodges were ALSO core Confederate States in the southern United States is also not lost on the casual observer.

This is NOT to say that all the brethren in the southern United States are racists! A point must be made here that this is a complex issue.

There is also a somewhat logical argument that can be offered and rationally defended that it is ALSO about territorial sovereignty, and not about race. As an example of that, I have been reliably informed that men of color and and have joined lodges in Florida, and served as officers and are treated as good and true brothers as they should be, yet the GLoFL is one of the 13 that does not recognize Prince Hall Masonry.

By the way, I have never liked the term "Mainstream Masonry". Its very use denigrates all other "Masonries". Calling the 51 United States grand lodges UGLE lodges is incorrect, since we are all independent grand bodies. We refer to the one other regular Masonic group in the United States as "Prince Hall Lodges" or PHA (Prince Hall Affiliation) and a perfectly good term was offered recently: George Washington Masonry. THis seems a more appropriate designation than that of "Mainstream Masonry" since the later term says that PHA is NOT "Mainstream" and by implication Regular.

Wr. George Washington was once offered the Grand Mastership of a group to be called the Grand Lodge of America and he is arguably the single most famous "UGLE Type" Mason. Therefore, I will henceforth refer to the larger group of regular Grand Lodges, GLoCA, GLoNV, GLoCo for example, as "George Washington Masonry".

The very real fact that not all Prince Hall Grand Lodges WANT to be recognized. There are considerations for them, to wit they have fought long and hard against racism and long odds to survive and thrive while ignored, resented and yes, attacked in courts and elsewhere, by George Washington Masonry. There is a thought that if they accept recognition, intervisitation and amity, their member base will slowly erode into the George Washington system and they will just vanish. There is also, truth be told, some racism in the Prince Hall lodges.

This information is not offered to surprise anyone, or make a point one way or the other regarding Prince Hall recognition, but to lay the foundation for the epiphany, if it can be called that, I had the other day. Bear with me as I lay another course in that foundation.

I have, in the past, called for the George Washington Grand Lodges to withdraw recognition from any of their Grand Lodge that do not recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular in all respects. However, on careful reflection, I realized that this would be counter productive, and have said so here .

My thoughts not withstanding, it has been brought to my attention that there is at least one (and it may be several from other reports) Grand Lodge that will be, in the next two years, entertaining a vote by the brethren to withdraw amity/recognition of regularity from any Grand Lodge anywhere that does not at least recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular. That train IO once advocated is now arriving, for good or bad and we can only watch to see how it plays out. I cannot at this time reveal the Grand Lodges that are contemplating this legislation, but it will become obvious over the next year. ESPECIALLY if the legislation passes.

Now that the foundation is laid, let me present to you my epiphany: What would happen if a progressive Grand Lodge were to remove its residency requirement for joining a lodge under it for any Master Mason in good standing? For this to work effectively, it would also almost be necessary that a "Grand Master's" Lodge be created (an additional financial incentive to the Grand Lodges as well...) so that a brother from outside the state would not need to find a lodge inside the state willing to be a "host".

This "Grand Masters" lodge has been offered in my grand lodge previously, as a potential solution to other issues, but has been turned down because it would burden a lodge with members for which it was receiving no financial support. This rational alone is one reason why I think it would make a serious impact on the Grand Lodges the brethren left to join the "open" grand lodge. Therefore, the "Grand Master's" Lodge would have to be restricted to members outside the open Grand Lodge. That is a detail for legislative consideration, however.

Based on the current rules of visitation, if this rule were removed (and perhaps a Grand Master's Lodge created for these out of state brothers) any Master Mason in good standing in a regular lodge in amity with that Grand Lodge would be able to petition for membership in the "Grand Master's Lodge"... and then if he desired, dimit from the Grand Lodge he is currently a member of without impacting his lodge meetings.

He could continue attending his lodge, though of course, he could no longer be an officer. A good brother would continue to support his lodge with "donations" instead of dues, because the lodge is not the problem, and the donations would not go to the grand lodge.

What this means in real terms is that if a brother is unhappy with his Grand Lodge, for whatever reason (and to hear it on the smoldering stub, all the posters there hate their grand lodges and policies and procedures) they could join a different Grand Lodge, without residency, and no longer be "restricted" by their own Grand Lodge.

If we consider Freemasonry as a product for a moment (a concept I personally find anathema, but it will do as a metaphor) and we are not happy with the product as it is being presented by the "company" presenting it, then if we have a choice in what "company" to buy it from, market forces will effect change. What we have today is Freemasonry as it existed in the 1700s. Local. Issues were dealt with by the lodges locally then, but today, we have Grand Lodges that span hundreds of thousands of square miles. Look at a map, the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island operates pretty much the same way as the Grand Lodge of Texas or California.

Today, we have telephones and internet, which makes all issues local, whether is a lodge in Bangor, Big Sur, Los Angeles or Dallas. Yet the Grand Lodges still operate on territorial boundaries, and to a certain extent, that is a good thing. But it also means that if a Grand Lodge is unresponsive, or "repressive" of the needs or perceived needs of the brethren in that jurisdiction, the brethren have no choice.

If even one Grand Lodge dropped its residency requirement, other Grand Lodges would follow, they would HAVE to, market forces would drive them. Market forces... remember that term.

If the Grand Lodge of XYZ would not allow a brother to speak or run a web forum, for whatever reason, and he quit that Grand Lodge and joined another, the Grand Lodge could STILL silence him, for make no mistake, the Grand Master is still sovereign in his territory no matter where your dues card is from, but the Grand Lodge would not be receiving income from your membership. If enough brethren quit the grand lodge that was repressive over its policies, it would either suffer from a declining membership (income) to itself and its constituent lodges (and imagine the influence the lodges, suffering from declining paying membership and eligible brothers because of Grand Lodge policies will have with the Grand Lodge).

Market Forces would drive the Grand Lodge that is not responsive to learn to become responsive, or fade away while the membership in its state maintains or even grows. A logical progression of this is the survival of progressive, responsive, responsible Grand Lodges, and the withering of... other Grand Lodges.

If this works, this simple concept may be the acorn from which a new Freemasonry grows, it may be a turning point which our future brethren may look back and say: Like the 1717 meeting, THAT is where Freemasonry made the second turn which made it viable into the digital age.

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

Rest In Peace Charlton Heston

This is not about Freemasonry, but my favorite actor, Charlton Heston AKA Moses and Ben Hur, has passed on. I will never forget seeing him raise that Kentuky Long Rifle and in his magnificent voice choked with emotion declare:

...from my cold, dead hands!

Charlton Heston (October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008).

Just a note: As far as I have been able to determine to this point, Mr. Heston was not a Mason.

Quoting from Wikipedia:

Heston is known for playing heroic roles, such as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Colonel George Taylor in Planet of the Apes and Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur. Early in his career, he was one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak out against racism and was active in the civil rights movement. During the latter part of his movie career, he starred in films such as The Omega Man and Soylent Green, which have a strong environmental message. He was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003.

Early life

Heston was born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Lilla (née Charlton) and Russell Whitford Carter, a mill operator.[4] (However the 1930 Census for Richfield, Michigan, where the family then lived, reports that Russell Whitford Carter was a Real Estate Salesman. Their 6 year old son is already referenced in this cenus by the name "Charlton"). Heston has stated that he was part Native American and a "blood-initiated brother of the Miniconjou Sioux."[5] When he was ten, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston. The new family moved to well-off Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Heston (his new surname) attended New Trier High School.

Heston enrolled in the school's drama program, earning a drama scholarship to Northwestern University from the Winnetka Community Theatre in which he was also active. While in high school, he played in the silent 16 mm amateur film adaptation of Peer Gynt made by David Bradley. Several years later the same team produced the first sound version of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, in which Heston played Mark Antony.

In 1944, Heston left college and enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. He served for two years as a B-25 radio operator/gunner stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands with the Eleventh Air Force, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant.

While in the service, Heston married Northwestern student Lydia Marie Clarke in 1944. After the war, the two lived in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, where they worked as models. They have a son, Fraser Clarke Heston and an adopted daughter, Holly Ann Heston.

Seeking a way to make it in theater, Heston and his wife Lydia decided in 1947 to manage a playhouse in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1948, they went back to New York where Heston was offered a supporting role in a Broadway revival of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, starring Katharine Cornell. He also had success in television, playing a number of roles in CBS's Studio One, one of the most popular anthology dramas of the 1950s.

Acting career

Heston's most frequently played roles on stage include the title role in Macbeth, Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons, and Mark Antony in Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra. He cited Mister Roberts as one of his favorite roles, and tried unsuccessfully to revive the show in the early '90s.

In 1950, Heston earned recognition for his appearance in his first professional movie, Dark City. His breakthrough came with his role of a circus manager in The Greatest Show on Earth in 1952. Heston was Billy Wilder's first choice to play Sefton in Stalag 17 (1953). However, the role was given to William Holden, who won the Oscar for it. Heston became an icon for portraying Moses in The Ten Commandments, reportedly being chosen because director Cecil B. DeMille thought the muscular, 6 ft 3 in, square jawed Heston bore an uncanny resemblance to the statue of Moses by Michelangelo.

Heston went on to leading roles in a number of fictional and historical epics— Ben-Hur (1959), El Cid, 55 Days at Peking, The Agony and the Ecstasy (as Michelangelo), and Khartoum. After Burt Lancaster turned down the role of Ben-Hur, Heston accepted the role, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, one of the eleven unprecedented Oscars the film earned. (In 1995, Heston denied a claim by Ben-Hur screenwriter Gore Vidal that there is a gay subtext to the film. Vidal says he wrote the script with such an implication, but never mentioned the subtext to Heston [though he did so to Stephen Boyd, who played Ben-Hur's friend Messala].)[6] Heston would be identified with the Biblical epic more than any other actor and voiced the role of Ben-Hur for a cartoon version of the Lew Wallace novel in 2003.

In 1965, Heston became president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1965 to 1971.[7]

In 1968, he starred in the hugely successful Planet of the Apes . In 1970, Heston portrayed Mark Antony again in a Technicolor film version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. His co-stars in the nearly all-star cast included Jason Robards as Brutus, Richard Johnson as Cassius, John Gielgud as Caesar, Diana Rigg as Portia, Robert Vaughn as Casca, and Richard Chamberlain as Octavius. He starred in Soylent Green (1971). In 1972 Heston made his directorial debut with Antony and Cleopatra, an adaptation of the William Shakespeare play he performed during his earlier theater career, and portrayed Mark Antony. Hildegarde Neil was Cleopatra, and Eric Porter was Enobarbus. After receiving scathing reviews, the film never went to theaters, and rarely turns up on television. It has not been released on DVD. He subsequently starred in the The Omega Man (1973), and Earthquake (1974), many of these hugely successful films have since becoming classic or cult films.

Beginning with playing Cardinal Richelieu in 1973's The Three Musketeers, Heston was seen in an increasing number of supporting roles, cameos and theater. From 1985 to 1987, he starred in his only prime-time stint on series television with the soap, The Colbys. With his son Fraser, he starred and produced several TV movies, including remakes of Treasure Island and A Man For All Seasons. In 1992, Heston appeared in a short series of videos on the A&E cable network reading passages from the King James Version of the Bible, called Charlton Heston Presents the Bible. It was filmed in the Middle East and received excellent reviews, achieving great success on video and DVD. In 1993, he appeared in a cameo role in Wayne's World 2 (in a scene wherein main character Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) requests that a small role be filled by a better actor). That same year, he hosted Saturday Night Live. He had cameos in the films Hamlet, Tombstone and True Lies. He especially worked at the Los Angeles Music Center where he appeared in such plays as Police Story, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and as Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood opposite Jeremy Brett as Dr. Watson, who would later win acclaim for his own interpretation of the great detective. In 2001, Heston made a cameo appearance as an elderly, dying chimpanzee in Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes. Heston's last film role was as the infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele in My Father, Rua Alguem 5555, which had limited release (mainly to festivals) in 2003.[8]

Political activism

Heston campaigned for Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1956 and John F. Kennedy in 1960.[9] When an Oklahoma movie theater premiering his movie was segregated, he joined a picket line outside in 1961.[10] During the civil rights march held in Washington, D.C. in 1963, he accompanied Martin Luther King Jr. In later speeches, Heston said he helped the civil rights cause "long before Hollywood found it fashionable."[11]

In 1968, following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Heston appeared on The Joey Bishop Show and, along with fellow actors Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas and James Stewart, called for public support for President Johnson's Gun Control Act of 1968.[12][13] He opposed the Vietnam War and said he voted for Richard Nixon in 1972.[14]

By the 1980s, Heston opposed affirmative action, supported gun rights and changed his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican.[15] He campaigned for Republicans and Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan,[16] George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.[17]

Heston resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union's refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in "Miss Saigon" was "obscenely racist."[18] He said CNN's telecasts from Baghdad were "sowing doubts" about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War.[18]

At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album which included the song "Cop Killer", which depicted the killing of police officers.[19]

According to his autobiography In the Arena, Heston recognized the right of freedom of speech exercised by others. In a 1997 speech, he deplored a culture war he said was being conducted by a generation of media, educators, entertainers, and politicians against:

"...the God fearing, law-abiding, Caucasian, middle- class Protestant-or even worse, evangelical Christian, Midwestern or Southern- or even worse, rural, apparently straight-or even worse, admitted heterosexuals, gun-owning-or even worse, NRA-card-carrying, average working stiff-or even worse, male working stiff-because, not only don’t you count, you are a down-right obstacle to social progress. Your voice deserves a lower decibel level, your opinion is less enlightened, your media access is insignificant, and frankly, mister, you need to wake up, wise up, and learn a little something from your new-America and until you do, would you mind shutting up?"[20]

In an address to students at Harvard Law School entitled Winning the Cultural War, Heston expressed his disdain for political correctness, stating "If Americans believed in political correctness, we'd still be King George's boys - subjects bound to the British crown."[21] He stated "Political correctness is tyranny with manners".[22] He went on to say that white pride is just as valid as black pride or red pride or anyone else's pride.

Heston was the President and spokesman of the NRA from 1998 until he resigned in 2003. At the 2000 NRA convention, he raised a hand-made Brooks flintlock rifle over his head and declared that presidential candidate Al Gore would take away his Second Amendment rights "from my cold, dead hands."[23] In announcing his resignation in 2003, he again raised a rifle over his head, repeating the five famous words of his 2000 speech.[23] He was an honorary life member.[24][25]

In the 2002 documentary film Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore interviewed Heston in his home, asking him about an April, 1999 NRA meeting held in Denver, Colorado, shortly after the Columbine high school massacre. Moore criticized Heston for the perceived thoughtlessness in the timing and location of the meeting. Heston, on-camera, excused himself and walked out on the interview. Moore was later criticized for his perceived ambush of the actor.[26][27]

Actor George Clooney joked about Heston having Alzheimer's Disease. When questioned, Clooney said Heston deserved whatever was said about him for his involvement with the NRA.[28] Heston responded by saying Clooney lacked "class," and said he felt sorry for Clooney, as Clooney had as much of a chance of developing Alzheimer's as anyone else.[29]

Heston opposed abortion and gave the introduction to a 1987 pro-life documentary by Bernard Nathanson called Eclipse of Reason which focuses on late-term abortions. Heston served on the Advisory Board of Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog group founded by Reed Irvine.[30]

Illness and death

In 1998, shortly after he was elected President of the National Rifle Association, Heston had a hip replacement. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998. Following a course of radiation treatment, the cancer went into remission. In August 2002, Heston publicly announced he was diagnosed with symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease.[31] In July 2003, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from President George W. Bush. In March 2005, various newspapers reported family and friends were apparently shocked by the progression of his illness, and he was sometimes unable to get out of bed. In August 2005, a rumor circulated Heston was hospitalized at a Los Angeles hospital with pneumonia, but this was never confirmed by the family. In April 2006, various news sources reported Heston's illness was at an advanced stage and his family were worried he might not survive the year.

Heston died on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at his home in Beverly Hills, California with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, by his side. He was 84. The cause of death is currently unknown.

1 Post Chronicle. "Actor Charlton Heston Dies: Moses, Ben-Hur and Taylor Passes On", 2008-04-06. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
2 MSNBC. Charlson Heston dead at 84.
3 http://www.ancestry.com Date confirmed through 1930 US Census
4 Film Reference Biography.
5 http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/charltonhestonculturalwar.htm
6 Vidal, Gore. Palimpsest-A Memoir. 1995. pp.303-307
7 SAG Presidents, Screen Actors Guild
8 Variety, 12 February 2004
9 Mathews, Jay. "Charlton Heston, Statesman On the Set; For the 'Colbys' Star, Acting Is Only Part of the Job", The Washington Post, May 2 1986, pp. D1. (English)
10 Taylor, Quintard (1998). In Search of the Racial Frontier: African Americans in the American West. W. W. Norton & Company, 285.
11 Goodrich, Terry Lee. "Heston decries political correctness at fund-raiser", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 13, 2000, pp. 5.
12 David Plotz; Slate. NRA President Charlton Heston.
13 Slate. Charlton Heston, Gun-Controller!
14 Pulera, Dominic J. (2006). Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America. Continuum International Publishing Group, 254.
15 Raymond, Emilie (2006). From My Cold, Dead Hands Charlton Heston and American Politics. [[University Press of Kentucky]], 6.
16 McDowell, Charles. "Charlton Heston, the Gun Lobbyist", Richmond Times Dispatch (Virginia), September 14 1997, pp. B1. (English)
17 Raymond, p.276
18 a b Thomas, Bob. "Film Legend Charlton Heston Dead at 84", Associated Press, April 06, 2008.
19 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080406/ap_on_en_mo/obit_heston
20 http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fighting_the_Culture_War_in_America
21 Heston, Charlton. Winning the Cultural War. 16 February 1999.
22 Internet Movie Database
23 a b Johnson, Jeff. "Heston to Step down as NRA President", The Nation, April 25, 2003.
24 Stewart, Fiona. "Charlton Heston suffering from Alzheimer's", The Scotsman, 10 August 2002. (English)
25 Johnson, Bradley. "Adages", Advertising Age, 20 October 1997, pp. 8. (English)
26 Russo, Tom. "Opposites Attract (Bowling for Columbine review)", Boston Globe, August 24, 2003.
27 Ebert, Roger. "'9/11': Just the facts?", Chicago Sun-Times, June 18, 2004, p. 55. (English) "In some cases, [Moore] was guilty of making a good story better, but in other cases (such as his ambush of Charlton Heston) he was unfair..."
28 What's up with George Clooney? WorldNetDaily.com. 20 January 2003.
29 Heston Slams Clooney For Alzheimer's Joke. TheBostonChannel.com. 23 January 2003. "
30 FAQ. Accuracy in Media. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
31 Charlton Heston has Alzheimer's symptoms. CNN News. 9 August 2002.
32 Actor Charlton Heston dead at 84. MSNBC.com. 5 April 2008. Accessed 6 April 2008.
33 Welkos, Robert W. and Susan King. "Charlton Heston, 84; actor played epic figures." Los Angeles Times. 5 April 2008. Accessed 6 April 2008.
34 Charlton Heston Dies at Beverly Hills Home. FoxNews.com. 5 April 2008. Accessed 6 April 2008.
35 Alcoa Premier: The Fugitive Eye (1961). IMDb. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
36 The Mountain Men (1980). IMDb. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.

Grand Lodge Remembers a Past Grand Master

One of the benefits of being a Master Mason is the benefit of travel and visitation. Currenlty, I am on deployment in Charleston, South Carolina, a lovely, OLD city (as United States Cities go...) on the East Coast. Here is where the first lodge chartered in the United States holds their meetings: Solomon Lodge #1, Chartered by the United Grand Lodge of England in 1735, and holds their meetings in Orange Grove Masonic Center.

That center today hosted the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina in Franklin Lodge #96. One thing I have noticed recently, in my travels, is that the east coast lodges in the United States work a very different version of the ritual than that West Coast Lodges. This may have more to do with the Baltimore Convention than any "evolution" or "purity" of the ritual, since it appears that the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina did not attend the convention nor subscribe to its recommendations.

I mention this, because the opening ritual in the Third Degree is different from what I am used to, but also, in a strange way, very similar. Most Worshipful Gerald L. Carver, Grand Master and his grand line, together with the brothers from Franklin and Palmetto lodge opened the Grand Lodge in Ample Form and Pametto and Franklin lodge in due form. This means we had three of each officer at the stations. Very interesting.

They opened for the express purpose of the dedication and consecration of a Grave Marker for Past Grand Master, the Most Worshipful B. Rush Campbell, who served as Grand Master from 1860 – 1861. Most Worshipful Brother Campbell was a Past Master of Palmetto Lodge No. 19 AFM in Laurens. After opening the lodges, we adjourned to Magnolia Cemetery for the Grave Marker Dedication and Consecration ceremony.

It was a very moving day, and an interesting display of brotherly love and affection for a Past Grand Master who has been departed for almost 135 years.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue cement us.

Making a Choice

Choices
by Francie Baltazar-Schwartz1
~Slightly Adapted~

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say.

When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude.

He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business.We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man. " I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry.

"She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

You have two choices in life as Freemasons. You can choose to be the best Freemason you can possibly be, living the tenets in full every single day... or you can look for the bad, the niddering little things to whine and complain about and in so doing, make yourself, and every one around you as miserable as you are working on being.

The choice is yours.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

1. http://www.spiritual-endeavors.org/stories/attitude.htm

Focus Instead, On Freemasonry

Freemasonry: It’s not about me changing them,
it’s about me changing me.

At its core, Freemasonry is a fraternity with the stated goal of making good men better. Take a look at that statement again, because this article today is about focusing on Freemasonry, and to do that, we need to start off with what Freemasonry is and what it is not.

Freemasonry is a fraternity, that means its about men, associating together with common goals who support each other. That last sentence reads more like a mission statement, devoid of content but with flags raised high, so in the next few paragraphs, I want to try to define what Freemasonry means, at least to me.

If you have children, especially teen age children, what you want for your children is that they have good friends. We want out children to have good friends because we hope they will be influenced positively by those friends, and stay out of trouble. As freemasons, a fundamental characteristic OF Freemasons is that they are men of good character, honorable men, with a strong sense of integrity and a desire to be more serviceable before g-d and out fellow men.

By that standard, we choose to associate with good men. This association creates a kind of mass psychology, a peer pressure that is both intrusive and subtle. By intrusive I mean it is clear to us, overwhelming us with a desire to do what is right. We talk about ethics and morality, it is constantly on our minds as we carry ourselves in society, and we contemplate how our tenets fit into modern life.

Freemasonry also works on us in subtle ways. Because of our obligation, because of the good men we associate with, there are just things that we would not consider doing, actions we will not undertake, words we will not speak, thoughts we will not allow. We deliberately circumscribe our desires and our passions on a conscious and subconscious level.

The ritual, in part, also works on us in overt and covert ways. Sure, the ritual is a teaching tool, overtly we HEAR the lessons of the craft, we hear the lectures, its high words and sentiments. They echo in our minds so that out of the lodge we practice those great moral lessons inculcated IN it. We also learn great the great lessons of Freemasonry by participating in them.

Not just as officers, but as sideliners, we are caught up in the ritual, whether it is good, or bad, emotive or flatly delivered, when we are present in the ritual, which is carried out, or is supposed to be carried out that same way on each occasion. We work together, and in working together, toward a common goal, “… no contention, but that noble contention, of who best can work and best agree…” overtakes us.

The officers and the sideliners which for the best for each officer working the ritual, and each of us, in our minds and hearts, speaks the words and wishes good on our brethren. There is a word for good wishes, its prayer. We pray for the best, we wish for the best, and in our hearts, we become better men for thinking of and wishing for the best in each man.

This practice alone makes us better men! Then there is the candidate, for whom we are all working together, officers and sideliners as brothers all, focusing our attention on the candidate with the best intentions. We are all, symbolically, there at the altar with him, we all open our arms and welcome him into the lodge, we are all really THERE for the candidate, and in being there for him, we reaffirm our own obligations to the lodge, to each brother, and to the candidate.

A cogent argument can be made that even the brothers who do nothing but pay their dues and act as Masons in society are supporting the candidate. Not with their presence, which would be more than welcome, but with their money, which while a poor substitute, does make the ritual and the lodge possible.

The lodge has esoterics, and it has its fundamentalists (and of course, it has ring and pin brothers). The esotericists are seeking after the deeper meaning in ritual, philosophy, history, who enjoy the fraternal association and the mutual support. The fundamentalists see ritual as what it is, and argue there is nothing deeper, and enjoy the fellowship of the lodge for what it is, fraternal support.

One of the beauties of Freemasonry is that these two groups, at odds over the meaning of the craft, can still come together, and work together, for similar goals. After all, Freemasonry is a system of morality, a fraternity, a spiritual temple where a man can forge a closer link with the spiritual side of his nature.

The foundation of Freemasonry made this possible. As we look at the time when the speculative Masonry was growing, we can see that philosophical thought was dominated by the church, and science was seen as the work of the devil, and often contradictory to what the church was teaching. But science was taking hold and growing in the marketplace of ideas, while at the same time, the church was seeing its hold on the secular world slowly eroding.

The early speculative Freemasons were the thinkers, men of science who were stepping away from the rule of the church and into a secular world where they were free to think, to choose, to act and to speak. They were intelliegent, educated men of towering intellect for their time and they knew that science without morality would not serve society. They were not opposed to religion, historical facts show these early Masons to be religious men, and the craft itself shows the influence of religious thought and practice.

They KNEW that as they sought the freedom to think for themselves that danger could arise from that freedom if it were not balanced with morality, because ALL freedoms need to be balanced with responsibility. In Freemasonry therefore, men were taught morality, it was inculcated in the candidates and enforced in the lodges and in the minds of its members as a safeguard, that these men, in their newfound freedoms would never loose sight of the responsibility they had to g-d and to society, to their fellows. Hence the reference to the compasses, that their passions and interests should never stray outside the boundaries of right.

Freemasonry succeeded so well that today, the tenets of the craft are taken for granted like the air we breathe, and there is a whole COUNTRY founded upon those most excellent tenets. Of course here I refer to the United States, which was founded in large part, upon the tenets of the craft, whether because many of the founders were Freemasons, or because the tenets of the craft were taking hold in society as a whole. As evidence, look to The constitution's first “amendments” which enshrine these MASONIC rights: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, to petition the government for redress of grievances, to own guns to defend ourselves and to be secure in our property and our persons.

The effects of Freemasonry are all pervasive, affecting all levels of society, for the better. Today, society, at least in the west, IS Freemasonic in nature. Today, however, those freedoms are taken for granted, and the moral foundation upon which the stand is being eroded. at least until it started to eschew the moral values that Freemasonry insists upon. Today, Freemasonry is a bastion of Morality, a beacon of light toward the spiritual side of man, offering balance again. Men are seeking Freemasonry again, because they want meaning in their lives, they want to belong to something that is at once moral and intellectual, offering them what society, devolving into discussions based on 15 second sound bites and bumper sticker philosophy and "open morality" where oral sex is defined as not being sexual no longer offers them.

Once more, Freemasonry is a Beacon, but now it is a beacon of light to the spirit.

There are more eloquent definitions of Freemasonry, to be sure, but these are my words, how I feel about my Freemasonry. For me, Freemasonry is not just a fraternity, not just a club or a hobby, it is a way of life. It is a personal philosophy, it is how I live my life, how I conduct myself, how I balance my family, business, public life, and spiritual life.

I love my Freemasonry and my brothers, withersoever dispersed around the globe, whether we agree or not.

I am a Freemason.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

To Aid and Assist

Of late, on the internet, there has been much discussion regarding the operation of various Grand Lodges. Arguments have been put forth, accusations and demands have been made for aid and assistance. This article is designed to address some of those issues.

Arguments have been put forth by members of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, Grand Lodge of Florida, Grand Lodge of West Virginia, the Grand Lodge of Alabama, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, and the Grand Lodge of Ohio, that the Grand Masters in those jurisdictions are “out of control”, “corrupt”, “racist” and in short, not acting in the best interests of freemasonry.

To be clear at the start, it is not the intent of this author to take a stand one way or the other on the rightness, or wrongness, or the actions of those Grand Lodges or Grand Masters, nor to cast aspersions upon any of my brothers living under those jurisdictions. The author will endeavor, at all times, to keep within Masonic bounds, and offers apologies in advance for any offense his words might create.

There is a situation in many southern lodges that men of color are not welcome, or accepted as brothers. This primarily seems to be black men, though it is my understanding it extends to men of the Jewish faith, as well as any man not of the Christian faith as well.

This is seen, by many, as being in opposition to one of the primary tenets of freemasonry, to wit: Brotherly Love, whereby we are all taught to regard the whole human race as one family, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, who, as created by one almighty parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, protect and assist each other. Separation by race or religion does not seem to be found anywhere in Masonic teachings, or in the landmarks, such as they are.

This is mentioned, not to bring up the race issue, as if it ever goes away, and certainly not to enter into a discussion of the merits, and pitfalls, of the extension of recognition by Regular Masonry to lodges charted by the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodges of America. The problem is, it seems that the Grand Lodges, in the jurisdictions that do not allow men of color or of the non-Christian faith to join, are pushing back pretty hard against the younger men who have joined the lodges without being trained as racists.

This “push back” takes a number of forms. As examples of this we offer:

• Most Worshipful Frank J. Hass, PGM West Virginia 2008. As of this writing, he is not a Mason. He was summarily ejected from the fraternity by his successor, Most Worshipful Charlie Montgomery, after MW Haas questioned the reversal of a vote at the 2008 Grand Communication by MW Montgomery (this apparently in violation of the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia).
• Wr. Tim Bryce, PM, Grand Lodge of Florida. Wr. Tim is a very active Mason. As of 2005 had a number of Masonic sites dedicated to Masonic Education, and an almost weekly series of articles offered for the benefit of Masonry. In early 2005, the Grand Master of Florida sent Wr. Tim a letter, telling him to shut down all his websites. He was also told to have no more to do with these types of sites without permission of the Grand Master, or he would face charges for disobeying the edicts of the Grand Master.
• Jeff Peace, formerly of Sandy Springs Lodge, was summarily expelled from Freemasonry in 2003 without the benefit of a trial. No matter the cause, every mason is at the very least entitled to a trial, with a jury of his peers, to face his accuser, and to present facts in support of his innocence.

Recently, brothers have symbolically raised their hands in a certain gesture, asking for aid and assistance against the “corruption” and “depredations” of their Grand Master. These brothers have demanded that all Masons, withersoever dispersed DO SOMETHING to aid and assist them. Some brothers under the Grand Lodge of Georgia have ASKED that the rest of freemasonry enjoin our grand lodges to withdraw recognition until that Grand Lodge decides to recognize the legitimacy and regularity of Prince Hall masonry, at the least.

In the past, this author has, on many forums including this one, advocated just that course of action. Over time, however, careful consideration and contemplation has revealed that my grand lodge is correct in not taking this course of action, no matter how reprehensible and unmasonic racism is and what a blemish its very existence is in any lodge: here and here.

It has been argued that the brethren of the various grand lodge named above, and others, simply cannot effect change. A brother recently posted on the Burning Taper:

Now, fully aware that the threat could not be wished away or allayed by the intervention of the other animals on the farm, the mouse collected as many twigs as he could carry and stored them inside of the house. Every night, when the farmer and his wife retired, the mouse, taking responsibility for a problem that only he could change, used the twigs to trip the mousetrap.

So, take responsibility for the dangers in your home, for more often than not, only you have the ability to alleviate them.

Amazing insight. Moreover, as is often the case, these very same brethren, screaming for brothers outside their grand lodge to save them from the “corrupt” and “mean” old grand lodge, are the ones that scream that the grand lodge is “interfering” in the sovereignty of their lodge. They do not see that they are ASKING other grand lodges to twist the arm of their grand lodge, in a manner they would never tolerate by their own grand lodge toward their lodge.

What is unacceptable on the local can NEVER be acceptable on the global, and of course the converse applies. This is a fundamental test of ethics. Its time for the brothers to stand up and be counted, because realistically, there really isn’t much Masons from other jurisdictions CAN do.

We could write letters to our grand lodges, and to the affected Grand Lodges, but if the Grand Lodge of West Virginia would expel a past grand master for objecting, what attention will they pay to a non member mason?

We wish you well in your endeavor to fix your grand lodge, and support you morally. For myself, I will be writing a letter to my grand lodge about the actions in West Virginia, and a letter to the Grand Master and Grand Secretary of West Virginia. I can do that legally in California, because its personal and not official lodge or Grand Lodge business.

Before you write, be sure of the rules in your jurisdiction… and remember the example of these grand lodges. Be vigilant of your grand lodge, participate. It is, after all YOUR Grand Lodge.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

In Case you want to write to the Grand Master of West Virginia:

Most Worship Charlie L. Montgomery
C/O Grand Lodge of West Virginia, AF&AM
107 Hale Street
P. O. Box 2346
Charleston, WV 25328-2346
(304) 342-3543

Masonry Through the (Rearview) Looking Glass

This is a follow up to my blog: On Opposing Tyranny, regarding the... unusual situation in the Grand Lodge of West Virginia. Below are the verbatim comments by Most Worshipful Frank J. Hass, PGM, MPS, Grand Lodge of West Virginia to the Brethren at a recent Philalethes event.

Masonry Through the (Rearview) Looking Glass
By Frank J. Haas, MPS

Thank you very much for your brave invitation. I know that there is some controversy about my being here. Some of you have examined your consciences about whether you should listen to me, break bread with me, shake hands with me, appear in the banquet room with me, stay in the same hotel as me, and where to draw the line. I respect that fidelity. I am hopeful that this will be only a temporary strain on our fraternal relations. I am honored to accept an invitation that I did not seek. I have the highest respect for The Philalethes Society, and I would not do anything intentionally to harm it.

I very much wish that the circumstances that brought us together might have been dispensed with, but I have gained a great deal of unsought notoriety of late. This Society exists to research problems confronting Freemasonry. I have a problem. Some say that I am a problem. I have been a Philalethes member for quite a few years. I can relate to you my perception and my recollection of what has happened recently to Freemasonry in West Virginia and to me, and I can offer my opinions on these events. I will tell you what happened — beginning at the end.

Listen to the Red Queen from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
“No, no!” said the Queen. “Sentence first — verdict afterwards.”

“Stuff and nonsense!” said Alice loudly. “The idea of having the sentence first!”

“Hold your tongue!” said the Queen, turning purple.

“I won’t!” said Alice.

“Off with her head!” the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.

In a similar fashion, the capital punishment of Masonry was meted out to me. Sentence first, verdict irrelevant, trial — well, details, details. I was expelled summarily by the Grand Master of West Virginia without a trial, without written charges, and without notice that my neck was in the noose. “Sentence first — verdict afterwards.” To earn it, I did not even get the pleasure of stealing any money, messing around with any women, or sounding off with a temper tantrum. While I was watching a football game on a Sunday evening, I remember Grand Master Charlie L. Montgomery calling me to ask whether I would be in lodge the following evening. I said it was on my calendar. He said he “might drop in” to talk about the Oyster Night at the previous meeting of Wellsburg Lodge #2, where we hosted fifty Ohio brothers, including a surprise visit by the Grand Master of Ohio, the stalwart Ronald L. Winnett. When I walked into the lodge building on Monday, November 19, 2007, I thought it likely that the lodge would be complimented for its hospitality to two sitting grand masters. Little did I know that the lodge would soon be on probation and that expulsion edicts in advance had been researched, prepared, drafted, typed, and were soon to be read, expelling Richard K. Bosely and me, all, heartlessly, in the presence of my father.

I have been hurt by all of this, because I love this fraternity. I must guard against having my remarks today sound like nothing but sour grapes. Some unpleasant events happened. People ask me what happened. I tell them. They do not believe it and say it is impossible.

The Red Queen and Alice discussed such a circumstance in Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.

“I can't believe that!” said Alice.

“Can't you?” the Queen said in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes.”

Alice laughed. “There's no use trying,” she said: “one can't believe impossible things.”

“I daresay you haven't had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Believe it. The reason for the expulsion: free speech. I have a sincere philosophical disagreement with Montgomery and his supporters. I believe that the grand lodge belongs to the Craft and that the brothers should decide grand lodge laws and policy with their open debates and votes, preserving always our eight Ancient Landmarks. We are not bound to look forever through a looking glass as a rearview mirror and never look at the present or toward the future. Montgomery wants no change ever, and anyone who wants any change should “go away.”

Here is how I engendered such anger. Votes matter. In West Virginia, past masters have one quarter of a vote. According to the legend, I was elected to the progressive line of grand lodge officers by a quarter of a vote. You know that you must be cautious about secret ballots: those who know should not say, and those who say may not know. I am only passing on what I was told. I had served ten years on the Committee on Work with the custody of the ritual as Deputy Grand Lecturer. I became Junior Grand Warden, but some did not want me there.

As grand master, it became my frequent practice to address the brethren at lodge meetings, and I began to conclude my speaking on the level with a time of questions of answers. There were some recurring themes in the brother’s questions, and these I decided to bring to the floor of grand lodge for consideration. Before grand lodge, I acted on three matters of business that needed no change but were compelling interpretations of existing language.

Youth. We had one active DeMolay chapter in the whole state, at the time. We had only around a hundred Rainbow Girls. I talked to the youth and their leaders, and I learned that part of their problem was our grand lodge law. Our policies were actually harming kids. Our Masonic law requires us not to allow youth organizations to meet in the lodge rooms, no matter what the lodges want. Lodges cannot give any support to the kids. Lodges cannot donate a penny. Lodges cannot even permit the parking lot to be used to raise funds by a car wash, for example. When I learned that the application of these many prohibitions, which had slowly accumulated over the years, was hurting the kids, I concluded that it was never the intention of Masonic law to be harmful to them. I thought the brothers would want fast action, so I acted with a directive to help the kids, and I set the subject for discussion at grand lodge.

Summary reprimands. We had three brothers involved in two separate incidents. News reporters initiated calls to ask for facts about Masonic buildings, which they proposed to feature in their newspaper articles. The brothers answered questions about facts and figures, numbers and dates, and these resulted in large, beautiful articles with color photographs in the newspapers of the fourth and the fifth largest cities in the state. One headline on the front page of the Sunday newspaper was worth thousands of dollars in a public relations budget: “I knew they were just and upright men.” However, the three brothers had not referred the reporters to the grand master, so he summarily issued written edicts of reprimand to be read audibly in all 140 lodges at two separate meetings. There were no trials. Sentence first. I entered an edict expunging the record because there was no constructive purpose to be achieved in having them continue.

As I prepared for the grand lodge session, I prepared a written agenda and had the various subjects of legislation distributed so that it went to the Craft with the proposals in their hands, in advance, in writing, to allow discussion to take place freely before the grand lodge session. This had not been done by a grand master for many decades, if at all.

The storm clouds began to swirl. I invited Brother Howie Damron to perform at the Grand Master’s Banquet before grand lodge opened, and he sang, “The Masonic Ring” and other favorites. Some of my predecessors objected and were turning colors in anger, and I was then implored to attend a meeting of past grand masters. The place of the meeting changed without notice to me, and I finally found them at about midnight and was told that my predecessors and all of the remaining progressive line were of the opinion that my actions and proposals were illegal and had to be withdrawn, or I would face their wrath. They said I had violated the landmarks, the Ancient Charges, the ritual, the usages and customs, and my obligation — so I was told, and this could not go forward. I said that the brothers would indeed debate and vote, and I later learned that the statements about unanimity in the room were exaggerated.

The following day, grand lodge opened, and I reported my actions and opinions to the Craft. Prominent among them was an outreach I had made to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of West Virginia through the Prince Hall Grand Master. Perhaps I went further than he would have liked, as I wrote him and telephoned him months earlier, and then visited the hotel of their grand lodge session, suggesting a meeting. For our grand lodge, I proposed language declaring it to be unmasonic conduct to refuse to seat a visitor to lodge if race was a reason, and it passed. On other subjects, the brothers voted to allow themselves the option to say the Pledge of Allegiance at lodge meetings. The brothers voted to allow handicapped candidates to petition.

We are the only grand lodge not to recognize or support the DeMolay, Rainbow Girls, or Job’s Daughters. We are the only grand lodge not to be members of the Masonic Service Association. We are the only grand lodge not to belong to a regional conference of grand masters. We are the only grand lodge to order the Scottish Rite not to perform one of their degrees, the Washington/Arnold 20th degree. The result? I am proud to say that the brothers voted not to persist in remaining a minority of one. The brothers voted to change these things.

By their votes, the brothers repealed an assortment of legislative state-wide restrictions, piled on over the decades, for specific, temporary reasons, by Masonic legislators. Dean Roscoe Pound in Masonic Jurisprudence observed, “Having no bills of rights in Masonry and hence nothing beyond a handful of vaguely defined landmarks to restrain him, what then are our barriers against the ravages of the zealous, energetic, ambitious Masonic law-maker? Legal barriers, there are none. But some of the most sacred interests of life have only moral security and on the whole do not lose thereby.”

The brothers in West Virginia voted to assert their moral security and to repeal bans of books, bans on films, and bans on slideshows, some implemented nearly fifty years ago for important reasons, apparent then, to deal with a moment in time. Royal Arch Chapter charters had been ordered to be removed from the walls of lodge rooms, but the brothers voted to allow them. Other art in a lodge room that included Masonic symbols or emblems other than the Blue Lodge had been prohibited, such as Scottish Rite or York Rite emblems or a tapestry hung on a concrete block wall, but the brothers voted to allow it — including portraits of local Past Grand High Priests and Past Grand Commanders, of whom they are justly proud.

The West Virginia brothers were forward-looking and voted to do what they thought was right. There was jubilation at the passing of the Wheeling Reforms at grand lodge in 2006. That lasted for a matter of days. Then we returned to the rearview looking glass, the rearview mirror, as the ballot was declared illegal by my successor. The vote was scorned. In my opinion, the best word to describe what is now happening as a result is: repression.

Since the Wheeling Reforms were struck down, we have heard it said that, although race is not a legitimate factor to use to exclude a qualified visitor, wink-wink, the Worshipful Master has the duty to preserve the “peace and harmony” of the lodge. So, promote peace and harmony, but, wink-wink, do not consider the race of the visitor, wink-wink.

Did you lose a thumb while fighting for your country? Which one? The left? — sign here on this membership petition. The right? We have ancient usages and customs, and we cannot put up with your kind.

Do you want a Masonic funeral? Your grandsons are prohibited from being pall bearers unless they are all Master Masons. You must explain these Masonic laws to your widow so that we do not have to leave her sobbing in the funeral home. There is no problem if you want your remains to be cremated. However, if you want your ashes to be scattered, it is “undignified” and we must walk away from your mourners, because if anyone knows that the lodge is present as a group, we will be reprimanded, again.

If youth organizations are having problems, their problems are not our problems, so be extremely careful if you try to help the kids. If our deceased brother’s obituary mentions his request that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations should be made to a hometown hospice, which comforted and cared for him on his deathbed, then the proper action of the lodge is... send the flowers, because such charity is forbidden. We will not join the Masonic Service Association, as every other grand lodge in North America does, because it is soft on Prince Hall and they will send their publications and Short Talk Bulletins to our members without our control. We will not join the Northeast Conference of Grand Masters or any other such conference because they have ideas that conflict with our laws and mostly because those other grand lodges recognize Prince Hall Masonry.

Friends, I am proud of the Wheeling Reforms. They were distributed so that the Craft had them in their hands, in advance, in writing, most of them for the first time in their lives. We debated until the brothers voted to end debate. We voted on the merits. The Wheeling Reforms passed. They lasted — until the stroke of a pen. Dick Bosely politely but persistently sought and was denied answers about this, and because he took a little bit too much time to sit down and shut up, he was instantly stripped of his title as Deputy Grand Lecturer and two weeks later was summarily expelled, and his alleged offense was committed in the presence of the Grand Master of Ohio. I engaged in free speech saying, as quoted by Grand Master Montgomery, “the dream lives on and will not die.” Now I am left without free speech and without Freemasonry, but I still have the dream.

For my dreams, I have sustained the maximum Masonic punishment — expulsion. It hurts. It hurts a great deal. I hope that it is temporary. In another feat of Orwellian double think, my detractors have extended their hatred further by deleting my name from the website list of Past Grand Masters of West Virginia and throwing it down the memory hole. The Craft in West Virginia is a resilient bunch — Montani Semper Liberi, Mountaineers are always free. They are unsure of what to do and how. They want to do the right thing — and do that thing right, but those who would continue the repression have the upper hand for now. I do not have a call to mobilization to outline for you. I am on the outside now. Your brethren in West Virginia have voted to do what they think is right. By their votes, they made a positive statement about race relations in the fraternity. By their votes, they tried to help the kids. By their votes, they welcomed the handicapped into the Craft. By their votes, they were in favor of patriotic expression in the lodge. All for naught. We are one large fraternity divided into grand lodges. What happens to us reflects upon you. What happens to one group of your brothers affects the whole. We lecture about Masonry Universal. Search yourself, my brethren. You may find yourself with an opportunity to help, aid, and assist — not me — but your worthy brothers in West Virginia in ways, large or small. Will you go on foot and out of your way for them? You may be able to speak the truth to power. As Lincoln counseled, be on the side of the angels. Will you encourage, nourish, and cherish your brethren in the state with the second highest per capita Masonic membership with your concern and your prayers? If for nothing else but your concern and your prayers, the brethren of West Virginia will thank you, Masonry Universal will thank you, and I thank you for sticking your necks out for Freemasonry.

The expulsion edict can be read here.

On Opposing Tyranny

Note: thanks to the Widow's Son

The blog Masonic Crusade today reported a situation in West Virginia arising over the confusing actions of the sitting Grand Master Charlie Montgomery. Two brothers, if you are following events there had the "bad sense" to stand up and question the actions of Grand Master Montgomery in setting aside the will of the brethren as expressed by their votes at their 2007 Grand Communication. The Grand Master demanded that the master of M.W. Haas' lodge prefer masonic charges against him, which he refused to do, and as a result, both men were expelled without a trial.

The latest confusing actions reported to have been undertaken by Most Worshipful Montgomery and reported in the Masonic Crusade are that after the recent visit to a West Virginia Lodge by an out-of-state brother, who spoke in support of PGM Haas', a letter was sent out to the Lodge Masters across the state, instructing them on what can, and cannot, be discussed in lodge in regard to these issues.

In this letter, M.W. Montgomery reportedly noted the issue of MW Haas and the legislation as issues not to be discussed. More worrying than this letter even going out (if one can imagine such, seeing as Freemasonry was FOUNDED upon the principles of freedom of thought, speech, religion, etc) Most Worshipful Montgomery reportedly warned the masters of his lodges that they may NOT even reveal the contents or even the existence of this letter.

The following is an excerpt from the Masonic Crusade forum:

“Secret” Tyranny Reigns in West Virginia Masonry!

In my recent travels, I have been told that Grand Master Charlie is at it again. Only this time he is hedging his bets, as he is apparently now sending “secret” letters to some of the Worshipful Masters of Lodges describing an event in the northern part of the state. The letter describes a situation where a member of a non-WV Lodge visited and presented a technical paper, the perspective of which was attributed to Past Grand Master Frank Haas regarding the current situation in Masonry in WV.

In this letter to the Worshipful Masters, Charlie informs them that permitting any such activities or discussion in the future shall be considered unmasonic conduct. He also issues a warning to them, to the effect that the Master is forbidden to read the letter in open Lodge or show it to anyone. This, my brethren, is a tyrannical tactic designed to fracture the Lodge, to keep it in a state of disarray, so that it cannot possibly fight back.

It is frequently employed by terrorism groups, to ensure loss of minimal amount of information should one person be captured. Most WMs I have spoken with have been afraid to tell their own Lodge that they have even received the letter, let alone read it in open Lodge. In WWII, when we were sent behind enemy lines, we were told about the critical aspects of the larger plan for which we were gathering intelligence.

We were also told that we would not be forgotten and to be patient if we were captured. Now, regrettably, I am reminded of those on the other side in Germany, who were simply told to blindly do something (i.e. without daring to question) otherwise be instantly shot by a Luger pistol. I thought my generation had already fought and won that war.

Apparently, like the US Civil War, it too is not over.

As you can imagine, given the support that MW Haas still enjoys among his West Virginia brethren, and the outrage that is simmering to a rolling boil in the lodges, that demand to keep the letter secret has been... ignored by many Masters. Copies of the letter, suitably redacted, are making their way throughout the brethren of West Virginia, and of course, across the blogosphere. There are some edicts of a Grand Master that, when calling for actions that violate the conscious of a good, honorable and true mason, MUST be violated.

One thing that confuses even this mason... what does GM Montgomery think is going to happen the day AFTER he is replaced by the next duly elected Grand Master? Does he seriously think that his actions will be upheld? Does he think for a moment that HE himself, may be subject to summary dismissal from our ranks, the ignominy he has visited upon MS Haas? If not, WHY has he NOT considered it? I am not here to pass judgment on anyone, but the questions have to be asked.

I have not weighed in on this looming crisis in West Virginia for several reasons. The first and foremost reason is: Lack of information. One side of an issue is hardly a justification to set aside an obligation to charity, brotherly love, and to not injure a brother. HOWEVER, over time, I have done my research, talked to West Virginia Masons, and find myself more and more appalled at the state of Freemasonry IN WEST VIRGINIA. The good news here is that its just one Grand Lodge. Out of 101 Regular Grand Lodges in the United States... and if you include the other grand lodges that have similar, though not as egregious, problems, you have about 15 out of 101 lodges, or just over 14%.

Bro. Chris at Freemasons for Dummies noted that situation in his recent blog: West Virginia: The Continuing Crisis

It is difficult to divine the truth from WV Masons at this point, as many feel threatened over any internet communication whatsoever. But it is clear that the standoff between the GM and supporters of Frank Haas has not cooled. In the end, that's bad for Freemasonry in West Virginia. The old school belief that what happens behind a GM's closed office doors stays there is no longer true, and the Internet can send details of such situations around the world in seconds. Likewise, when WV Masons compare their laws to the jurisdictions across the country and seek to make changes, ignoring or threatening them won't work forever.

A vow to the Masons of West Virginia to reintroduce the rule changes of MWBro. Haas individually so proper votes can be taken in October would go a long way to start re-building bridges. Such action would take bravery and the abandonment of some ego for the greater good. Such are the qualities of strong leadership. The Masonic world continues to watch.

To quote "Widow's Son" at the Burning Taper:

If your Grand Master is indeed telling your lodges what they can and cannot discuss, and forbidding Masters to disclose his communications, then Masonic tyranny and terrorism has truly arrived (in West Virginia).

It is my opinion that it is highly unlikely that any other grand lodge will take any kind of official action against the Grand Lodge of West Virginia, and how could we? Any action we take against the Grand Lodge would injure the brethren of that state still more. And yet, Masonic Ritual tells me that there is hope.

To my brothers worldwide: I encourage you to contact your grand lodge, express your brotherly concern, and ask them to take some kind of action in the face of these actions by Grand Master Montgomery, even if its just a letter.

To the brethren of West Virginia: We stand behind you and support you.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Grand Master of Venezuela Assasinated

My brothers and fellows;

It is with great sadness that I report to you the assassination of our brother M.W. Francisco Pereiro Liz, Grand Master of Masons in Venezuela. Reports are that during an attempted kidnapping for ransom gone bad at his coffee farm in Barqisimeto, that he was shot and killed.

This is a translation from FRANCMASONERIA UNIVERSAL, which is a Masonic brothers blog in Venezuela, on the events that transpired in Venezula:

Very The Resp:. Great Teacher Francisco Pereiro Liz, tragically passed away, a victim of delinquents who burst in into their property, located in the city of Barquisimeto. According to the first obtained data, the M:.R:.H:. Pereiro alpaca, received two firings during an attempt of holdup/kidnap on his property. The Venezuelan Regular Masonería is united to the duel that obstructs the Masónica Family, and shows its grief to all NN:.QQ:.HH:. Receive your brothers words of condolence.

And the press release from the Grand Lodge of Washington D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grand Master of Masons of Venezuela Murdered in Kidnapping Attempt; Condemned by D.C. Freemasons

(Washington, DC) – It is with great sadness that we announce the killing of Francisco Pereiro Liz, the Grand Master of Masons of Venezuela. He was shot and killed today (March 6, 2008) during an apparent kidnapping attempt at approximately 6:00pm Venezuelan time. The members of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Grand Master Francisco Pereiro Liz and convey their sympathies to the Freemasons of Venezuela.

“We are outraged at the murder of Grand Master Francisco Pereiro Liz.” Akram Elias, Grand Master of Masons in Washington D.C. stated. “We strongly condemn this murder and hope that the killers are brought swiftly to justice.”

The Grand Lodge of the Republic of Venezuela is one of the many Grand Lodges from around the world set to meet in May in Washington D.C. for the 9th World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges.

###

The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons (F.A.A.M.) of the District of Columbia is part of a unique institution that has been a major part of community life in America for over two hundred and fifty years. Freemasonry is America's largest and oldest fraternity built on a philosophy of moral standards, mutual understanding and brotherhood.

Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia

I know you join me in sending our condolences to his family and to our brethren in Venezuela at the loss of so good and great a man as our brother Francisco... my lodge, Moreno Valley #804 dedicated our third degree to his memory Thursday night.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

The "Race" Issue in Freemasonry

On Saturday, October 13, 2007, I published: What's Wrong with this Picture??, noting that there are still 12 Grand Lodges that do not recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular Masonry. Many of these also do not allow the visitation of black men, even from jurisdictions they do hold as regular, and who certainly do not allow men of color to join their lodges.

I also noted in this article that the rest of Freemasonry, the part that keeps it obligation to ALL men, the ones the are mindful of the lessons taught to us by the Worshipful Master, when he says, in speaking of Brotherly Love in the first degree:

By the exercise of brotherly love, we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich and the poor, who, as created by one almighty parent and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other. On this principle, Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and causes true friendship to exist among those who might otherwise remain at a perpetual distance.(1)

should turn its back on our brothers who have not evolved their spirit to the point where they can regard ALL men as brothers, regardless of creed, color, or national origin.

Since that time, I have been of two minds in this regard. On the one hand, it is contrary to Masonic teachings to treat a segment of the human race (since there is no such thing as the “black race” or the “red race” or the “yellow race” or any other “race” but the human race) as less than worthy or less deserving. As such, that treatment is anathema to all good Masons, and because it is anathema, regular Masons should turn their backs on these men.

By turning our backs, I mean withdraw our recognition of them. This is precisely what we would do with any regular lodge that self forms, allows women or atheists as members or does not work with an open Volume of Sacred Law on the Altar. I have argued and held that this would force those grand lodges and brethren to step up.

Strangely enough, it was Br. Arthur Peterson, whose antics against all he considers to be non regular masons caused so many problems with some forums, that caused me to start reflecting on this. And thence the being of two minds. You see, on the other hand, there are several issues that arise from my suggestion.

The first is that most grand lodges will not do this. They see the recognition issue as an internal issue, not one to be forced on them… and I think perhaps they may be right. What I learned from Br. Peterson is that the issue may NOT be about “Black Vs. White” Grand Lodges, but may be about Grand Lodge Sovereignty. You see, it has been a tradition for, well, almost 300 years, though one not always observed unless convenient, for there to be one Grand Lodge per territory, called Territorial Exclusivity.

Most of us realize that the policy of Territorial Exclusivity arose primarily out of the desire by the White Lodges to prevent the growth of Black Lodges, Prince Hall Lodges, and to ignore them, perhaps in the silly hope they would just… go away. Hasn’t happened, won’t happen, so it’s a policy well past its prime.

That written, it is a policy, and is a concern. The larger concern, however, is that in extending recognition to Prince Hall Lodges, the mainstream grand lodges would actually be PERPETUATING racism and not curing it… strange, isn’t it, how doing what seems to be the right thing can actually be wrong? His argument is based on the reason we have Brown Vs. the Board of Education.

The 1954 United States Supreme Court decision in Oliver L. Brown et.al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka (KS) et.al. is among the most significant judicial turning points in the development of our country. Originally led by Charles H. Houston, and later Thurgood Marshall and a formidable legal team, it dismantled the legal basis for racial segregation in schools and other public facilities.

By declaring that the discriminatory nature of racial segregation ... "violates the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws," Brown v. Board of Education laid the foundation for shaping future national and international policies regarding human rights.(2)

Separate but equal… isn’t. So by helping keep two separate grand lodges in a single jurisdiction, in violation of the policy of Territorial Exclusivity(3).

Is he right? Strike one.

Then there is the whole issue of racism. We certainly suspect that it is racism on the part of a few of the Southern Grand Lodges, they have SAID so. We have recently seen PGM Haas of West Virginia, who ran a slate of legislation that was approved, and included passage of recognition of Prince Hall Grand Lodge in West Virginia, kicked out of Freemasonry by the new Grand Master.

So, there IS racism in many of those lodges, its reflected in their leadership, and the fact that the brethren in those jurisdictions do NOTHING to change the status quo, like quitting their GL and joining one in an adjoining state, or asking the Grand Lodge in an adjoining state to issue them a charter in the stead of their racist grand lodge, or standing up against the racist policies. Some members of these jurisdictions have even gone so far as to ASK, well, demand really, that brothers from OTHER jurisdictions “help” them by making their grand lodges withdraw recognition.(4)

The problem with racists is you can’t FORCE them to change. You can only show them how silly and small minded they are… and that doesn’t even always work. The fact is, withdrawing recognition from them would likely have the opposite effect. It would cause them to retrench, to defend, to fight against the “unwarranted” intrusion into their sovereign affairs. In effect, have exactly the OPPOSITE effect we wanted.

On top of that, the Grand Lodges would then be forced, by their own action and the lack of action by the racist grand lodge, to start chartering lodges into those, then empty, jurisdictions, and when each of THOSE formed a new grand lodge, decide which of the many that would surely form would be extended recognition. In a word, the situation would be made worse rather than better… Strike two.

Then there is the issue of the brethren in the lodges. Not all of them are racists. They may not act because of fear, of feeling isolated, of not knowing what to do, of any one of a hundred reasons. The action of withdrawing recognition from them would injure them rather than help them, and part of our obligation is not to injure a brother in his person or good name. In taking this action, we would, in a very real sense, be labeling all of them as racists… and clearly not all of them are racists.

In this same vein, we must realize that in some jurisdictions, the brethren cannot affect their grand lodge. They cannot nominate new Grand Masters, they cannot propose legislation, in fact, as we have seen in West Virginia, anyone that rises to call the new grand master on his actions since Grand Master Haas’ Grand Communication, have been summarily ejected from the craft. No trial, just a letter informing them they are no longer Masons.

Keeping all of this in mind, we have strike three.

So here I sit, of two minds. Should we all impose our will, our standards, upon 12 Grand Lodges because it is the “right” thing to do, because we all of us oppose racism in all its forms? Or should we sit idly by doing nothing, as racism and its insidious hatred and ignorance continue in the name of Freemasonry? Because I can assure you, what they are doing does not represent MY Freemasonry!

Torn between two courses, both of which are right and both of which are wrong, and each diametrically opposed to the other. Does any other brother have anything to say for the benefit of Freemasonry?

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

References

1. Grand Lodge of California, F&AM, First Degree Lecture, Brotherly Love
2. http://brownvboard.org/summary/
3. http://www.bessel.org/exclartl.htm
4. http://burningtaper.blogspot.com/2008/03/invitation-to-georgia-lodge.html

The Initiatic Secret

In keeping with my recent articles on the importance of Ritual in Forming a Mason, the following discusses the Initiatic Secret, which the Ritual is KEY in presenting to the faithful heart.

There are many secrets in the world in which we live, which holds true in Freemasonry. The initiatic secret, however, is a peculiar one. The secret is the key concept of any initiatory society, being quite different from any other kind of secret which can be encountered in every organization.

The word Secret stems from Latin se-cernere, to set apart and aside at the same time; “initiatic” – and also “initiatory, initiate” – derives from the Latin verb in-ire, to go into, in depth. The expression, therefore, alludes to something which the searcher comes across walking the inner path and then grasps in his deepest soul. The true secrets of Freemasonry are personal, and are different for every man, and for this reason, the secret is truly ineffable and cannot be communicated, even willingly.

This is why Br. René Guénon wrote:

In fact this secret is of such a nature that words cannot express it

and why, Br. Giovanni Giacomo Casanova wrote:

Those who become Freemasons only for the sake of finding out the secret of the order, run a very great risk of growing old under the trowel without ever realizing their purpose. Yet there is a secret, but it is so inviolable that it has never been confided or whispered to anyone. Those who stop at the outward crust of things imagine that the secret consists in words, in signs, or that the main point of it is to be found only in reaching the highest degree. This is a mistaken view: the man who guesses the secret of Freemasonry, and to know it you must guess it, reaches that point only through long attendance in the lodges, through deep thinking, comparison, and deduction.(1)

He would not trust that secret to his best friend in Freemasonry, because he is aware that if his friend has not found it out, he could not make any use of it after it had been whispered in his ear. No, he keeps his peace, and the secret remains a secret.

It can seem contradictory to hold out that Freemasonry can teach the secrets, while at the same time noting that we cannot communicate them. This is part of the mystery of the initiatic method, one that uses rites and symbols to suggest and lead, rather than express, in the ordinary sense of the word.

Properly speaking, what is transmitted by initiation is not the secret itself, since this is incommunicable, but the spiritual influence that the rites vehicle and that makes possible the interior work by means of which, with the symbols as base and support, each one will attain that secret and penetrate it more or less completely, more or less profoundly, according to the measure of his own possibilities of comprehension and realization.(2)

The initiatic secret is a method of spiritual improvement, which stems from a hard inner work aimed to transform the initiate, that is to make him go beyond his present form in order to achieve a new one: it refuses religious dogmas and pushes initiates toward a perfection’s status, which, even if unattained, nevertheless will be considered a rule for their actions.

Freemasonry is an initiatic society, one whose rituals and mystic rites are as much about wakening the inner spiritual man as about improving the moral, mortal, material man. This is why the symbol of the Square and Compass are at once silent, and voluable. The Square symbolizes the material and the mortal sphere, while the Compass symbolizes the Spiritual, and when thus combined, demonstrates the combination and ascention of the man from animal to spiritual being, demonstrating elements of BOTH. It is balance.

Initiation, undertaken in the proper mindset, with a man properly prepared, both in his mind and in his heart, will set a man on the first step of a spiritual awakening. This spiritual awakening is different from the one proffered by religion, which is about the rightful worship of the deity from the creature to his creator, while the initiatic process is about improving the inner man, that he might seek an awakening of the spirit, and thus become a balanced creature, at once mortal and spiritual.

This spiritual awakening is, after all, what the initiatic experience is all about. We are told in the ritual, ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened to you. This is as plain and open as initiatory rites get for a man.

Yet, it is up to the man to seek. The degrees only prepare a man, open his eyes so he can see the door. It is up to the candidate to walk the path. Since the secrets of freemasonry cannot be communicated, the man must undertake the search and do the work. Nothing worth having comes easily.

A further consequence is that such a secret cannot be betrayed, because profanes are outside the initiatory world so void of any means – rites and symbols – to do any inner work.

Freemasonry is not a secret society, even if it has a “closed” character. This does not hinge upon a reason of prudence – even if in the past times persecutions justified it – but rather to avoid the danger of degeneration, by admitting profanes who are not fully qualified to grasp the secret. These men will remain profanes with the apron, and soon or later they will “waste the chain”, because they are reluctant to walk the inner path.

Rene Guenon writes:

As for the fact that these organizations are ‘closed’, that is, that they do not admit everyone indiscriminately, this is explained simply by the first condition of initiation described above, the necessity of possessing certain particular ‘qualifications’ lacking which no real benefit can be derived from attachment to such an organization. Moreover, when an initiatic organization becomes too ‘open’ and insufficiently strict in this respect, it runs the risk of degenerating through the incomprehension of those whom it thus thoughtlessly admits, who, especially when they become the majority, do not fail to introduce all sorts of profane opinions and to divert its activity toward goals that have nothing in common with the initiatic domain, as one sees only too often in what still remains of this kind of organization in the Western world today. Mediocre minds despise and hate what they cannot understand.(3)

People should not confuse the initiatic secret with the prohibition to reveal grips, tokens and signs. They cannot be disclosed for two reasons. The first consists in that, that they are symbols like any other and therefore are to be meditated and internalized. They are means to elaborate the initiatic secret and therefore man has to treat them with due reverence and seriousness.

The second reason is the silence’s pedagogic role. The ‘discipline of the secret’ constitutes a sort of ‘training’ or exercise that is part of the method of these organizations—and this can be seen in a way as an attenuated and restricted form of the ‘discipline of silence’ that was used in certain ancient esoteric schools, particularly among the Pythagoreans. Disciplina secreti or disciplina arcani, as it was also called in the Church of the first centuries, something that certain enemies of the ‘secret’ seem to forget; but it should be noted that in Latin the word disciplina usually signifies ‘teaching’(4), which is its etymological meaning, and even, by derivation, ‘science’ or ‘doctrine’.

To keep a secret thus enhances character.

References:

1. Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, Memoirs, Volume 2a, Paris, p. 33
2. R. Guénon, “The Initiatic secret”, in Perspectives on Inititiation, Sophia Perennis, p. 85
3. R. Guénon, ibidem, p.86
4. From Latin discere, to learn. Discipline is the means to learn

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Why Is Ritual Important to Freemasonry?

First, this is not going to be an article ABOUT Masonic ritual, I do have an obligation to maintain. However, this this will examine ritual as it pertains to Freemasonry. Please, read on and let me know what you think about ritual. The next blog entry will discuss the probably source(s) of Masonic ritual.

As Always when discussing a subject of import, lets start off with a definition and progress in the examination. So, what IS a ritual:

A ritual is a set of actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community by religious or political laws because of the perceived efficacy of those actions.

A ritual may be performed at regular intervals, or on specific occasions, or at the discretion of individuals or communities. It may be performed by a single individual, by a group, or by the entire community; in arbitrary places, or in places especially reserved for it; either in public, in private, or before specific people. A ritual may be restricted to a certain subset of the community, and may enable or underscore the passage between religious or social states.

The purposes of rituals are varied; they include compliance with religious obligations or ideals, satisfaction of spiritual or emotional needs of the practitioners, strengthening of social bonds, demonstration of respect or submission, stating one's affiliation, obtaining social acceptance or approval for some event — or, sometimes, just for the pleasure of the ritual itself.

Rituals of various kinds are a feature of almost all known human societies, past or present. They include not only the various worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also the rites of passage of certain societies, oaths of allegiance, coronations, and presidential inaugurations, marriages and funerals, school "rush" traditions and graduations, club meetings, sports events, Halloween parties and veteran parades, Christmas shopping, and more. Many activities that are ostensibly performed for concrete purposes, such as jury trials, execution of criminals, and scientific symposia, are loaded with purely symbolic actions prescribed by regulations or tradition, and thus partly ritualistic in nature. Even common actions like hand-shaking and saying hello are rituals.

In any case, an essential feature of a ritual is that the actions and their symbolism are not arbitrarily chosen by the performers, nor dictated by logic or necessity, but either are prescribed and imposed upon the performers by some external source or are inherited unconsciously from social traditions.(1)

So, it’s a set of actions though to have symbolic value that are traditional and are not arbitrarily chosen by the performers. Sounds a lot like Freemasonic ritual so far. Joseph Campbell said:

A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And through the enactment it brings to mind the implications of the life act that you are engaged in … But you don't know what you're doing unless you think about it. That's what a ritual does. It give you an occasion to realize what you're doing so that you're participating in the inevitable energy of life in its exchanges. That's what rituals are for; you do things with intention, and not just in the animal way, ravenously, without knowing what you're doing.(2)

Enactment of a myth, symbolism, imposed on the performers. Now that we have defined what ritual is, now we should begin to look at the place ritual has in Freemasonry, and what it does for the craft.

One thing that should be noted is that while ritual is the foundational means by which we form Masons from the profanes of the world, it is not the ONLY means of Masonic formation. Yet, in writing that, we must realize that it is the ritual that opens the door, and it is the ritual the effects the fundamental change in the psyche which makes a man a Mason. There are some men that have been made a Mason in a single day, and while they are good men, true brothers, it is the opinion of this author that such brothers have been robbed of a valuable and life changing experience.

Are these brothers any less Masons for not having personally experienced the ritual? No, of course not, most of them are active, wonderful brothers. None the less, the manner of their formation took away from them a fundamental awakening of the spirit which they may only achieve with difficult work and contemplation.

It is NOT the intent of this article to discuss the relative merits of one day conferrals, however, but no discussion of the importance of the ritual in the formation of a mason would be complete without at least a nod in the direction of this subject.

Ritual teaches fundamental lessons through symbols, on a subconscious level. This is a very powerful teaching tool! Masonry is something slightly different to every man, yet the fundamental truths are always there, and it is the ritual which speaks to the unconscious mind, which slips the fundamental truths of Freemasonry past the conscious defenses and makes fundamental and substantive changes.

So, why ritual? Again, quoting Joseph Campbell:

It has always been the prime function of mythology and rite to supply the symbols that carry the human spirit forward, in counteraction to those other constant human fantasies that tend to tie it back.(3)

Ritual then is the tool which speaks directly to the spirit, it is the three distinct knocks upon the portals of the spirit which cause the doors to open and spiritual eye to open and see more than the material world. By this awakening, we use the spiritual eye (reflected in our lodges as the “All Seeing Eye”) to behold Jacob’s Ladder, which rises from the material plane to the spiritual plane, and upon which we place our first foot, symbolically, in the Entered Apprentice Degree.

Without the Ritual, Freemasonry would just be another frat club, and would offer nothing more than the Moose or Elks or Eagles… material charity without a spiritual change.

Where, then, did the ritual originate? How did this ritual, by which we are so fundamentally altered, taught and spiritually nurtured, arise? That, my brothers, is the subject of my next blog.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

References:

1. Wikipedia – English: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual 2/26/08
2. Mythic Reflections, Thoughts on myth, spirit, and our times an interview with Joseph Campbell, by Tom Collins, One of the articles in The New Story (IC#12), Winter 1985/86, Page 52 Copyright (c)1986, 1997 by Context Institute.
3. The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell, Bollingen Series XVII, Princeton University Press, 1973, pp 11

Freemasonry: Service Bureau or Initiatic Society?

I recently saw this posted on The Three Pillars:

My brothers, you are missing the point. Masonic lodges and masonically-affiliated groups, donate millions of dollars to charitable and humanitarian activities and causes. But I feel that we can do more. And I mean collectively, as an organization. Of course, any mason is free to donate his own resources and time, to any charitable cause he wishes. No one denies this, in fact, I wish all of us did more.

But, there is so much more we can do collectively, as an organization, than could ever be done individually. Each of us labors in the quarry, we all have the working tools. Our lodges are erected to God, and dedicated to the Holy Saints John. We are enjoined to improve ourselves in Masonry. But, how we improve ourselves is matter of the individual conscience, and the individual human spirit.

Many lodges around the USA, have adopted one or more charitable causes, often far removed from traditional Masonic charitable work. For example, a lodge in Kansas City supports Public television, a lodge in Seattle, supports the arts in Seattle. See:http://www.daylightmasons.org

Our lodges can:

• Open up their lodge halls for humanitarian and non-governmental organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Expand support to Masonic youth groups, DeMolay/Job's Daughters/Rainbow.
• Expand support to other youth groups: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.
• Expand support to other non-governmental organizations, like the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, both financially, and with "sweat equity".
• Open our lodge halls to educational causes, like adult literacy, and provide financial support
• Reach out to single-parent families, offering to mentor fatherless and 'at-risk' youth.

And the list goes on, because, sadly there is an ocean of emptiness in our society, many lives that need to be touched, by the callused hands of Masons. Are we all deaf, to the cries of pain in our midst? Are we only listening to the alarms at the door of the lodge, which are caused by our membership? Are we not all members of the human family? Do we not believe in the Brotherhood of Man, and the Fatherhood of God?

ALL mankind has a claim upon our good offices. How we answer the call, is up to us.

This begs the question:

Is Freemasonry a service organization, or is it a fraternity of good men, an initiatic society where a Peculiar System of Morality, Taught by Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols is enacted?

This is a fundamental question, and the very need to ask and answer this question demonstrates how far from our base we have come in the past fifty years! Wr. Jarrod Morales of Inland Empire Lodge in Rialto, California, perhaps put it best when he wrote:

I don't believe that Freemasonry is a charity organization, but Freemasons should do charitable deeds such as those noted above.

There is the key! Freemasons should do charitable deeds, that is one thing we are taught in the first degree. AS INDIVIDUALS. Freemasonry is not a charity, not a service bureau, and as Br. Steve Schilling of Matawan Lodge, New Jersey said:

Change the world by one personal act of kindness at a time, the world already has enough assembly line charities.

Recently, this blog noted that Freemasonry Has No Role Outside Freemasonry, echoing the senitiments expressed by the Most Worshipful Lord Northampton, Pro Grand Master, United Grand Lodge of America:

There have been suggestions that the Basic Principles should be capable of redefinition from generation to generation, although those making those suggestions seem reluctant to reveal which of the Basic Principles they wish to redefine. I would suspect that one area they would like to redefine is the prohibition of the discussion of religion and politics at Masonic meetings, and the bar on Grand Lodges or individual Freemasons making public comment on matters of religious, political or state policy when acting in their Masonic capacities.

In that context, I was rather surprised that some of you had been discussing the role of Freemasonry in a changing Europe and how Freemasonry can influence, for the common good, the social and moral development of the new Europe. The Home Grand Lodges – England, Ireland and Scotland – would respond that Freemasonry has no role outside Freemasonry and that the only influence it should be seeking is over itself and its members. We firmly believe that it is not Freemasonry but the individual who can have a positive influence on society. We see Freemasonry as an intensely personal journey of self-discovery, knowledge and personal development. We hope that the individual, during his journey, will absorb the principles and tenets of Freemasonry, so that they become a part of his nature. In that way he will make a contribution for the good of society. If the individual, imbued with the principles of Freemasonry, does not work for the good of society we should then question whether Freemasonry has fulfilled its purpose.

( SNIP )

...Freemasonry is not, and should never be allowed to develop into being, a lobby group – no matter how universal and noble the cause.

Full Text here

Freemasonry's job, if you will, is to teach good men through the powerful ritual to improve the spiritual man within, to build that spritual house, that house not made with hands. The man, thereafter, filled with the teachings of the lodge, the spiritual, internal growth engendered by the lodge, will OUTSIDE the lodge, put them into practice. The goal of freemasonry, as a lodge, as a grand lodge, is to improve the man, that the man might improve society.

It is a great misunderstanding of the purpose and teachings of the craft, though an understandable and, yes, laudable though misguided one, to consider that the fount of spiritual awakening and learning should become the agent of societal change. The brother who so considers the craft cannot be faulted for so misunderstanding the very purpose of the craft, but it is a misunderstanding none the less.

It is upon the individual brother to execute charitable deeds, as his conscience directs him. Freemasonry, the institution, teaches us to seek that on which we can best work and best agree, not to serve the community, but rather, to serve our brethren. This is not, however, to say that a lodge cannot assist the community through public works, lending or renting facilities, or even by giving money. That is not, however, the purpose of the lodge! The lodge exists to serve the brethren, as a place of meeting, a place of learning, a place for camaraderie, and a place for working.

A lodge, however, is not a place, not a spot that can be pointed to definitively. Oh, sure, a lodge meets in a building, but the building is not the LODGE. The lodge is a construct, a concept, a meeting place which can be, as we are taught, on the highest hill or the lowest vale, as the lodge is said to exist from ...East to west and from north to south, from the cloud decked canopy to the depths of the earth... A lodge is, symbolically, on the earth, any and everywhere.

The lodge is of the earth, a gateway, a place for spiritual growth. Freemasonry in gestalt, is the path upon which the mason must travel and work. It is the MASONS job to walk the path and do the labor. The final word will come from an anonymous brother:

Our charge is to be charitable when we see an opportunity for it. Not to create a bureaucratic process whereby cash is raised to create a system of providence for the chronically needy. Our charge is not about providing a sense of relief for our guilt at prospering over another, our charge is to actively watch for opportunities to be of service to our fellow man.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Is Masonic Ritual Timeless and Unchanging?

First of all, the obligatory disclaimer. The following is solely the opinion of the author, and does not represent any group, sub group, lodge, district, Lodge Officer, Grand Officer, Grand Lodge or other masonic entity.

Whew!

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, the issue of the day is Masonic Ritual, and the question is: Is Masonic Ritual Timeless and Unchanging?

Concerning making changes in Freemasonry and/or attempting to define Freemasonry as a social club and community service organization...

In the installation of officers the Master is admonished; "You admit that it is not in the power of any man, or body of men, to make innovations in the body of Masonry."

In the anteroom lecture we are asked "Do you seriously declare upon your honor that you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient usages and established customs of the fraternity?"

We all answered that question in the affirmative, from the youngest Entered Apprentice to the Most Worshipful Grand Master.(1)

11. You admit that it is not in the power of any Man or Body of Men to make innovation in the Body of Masonry.(2)

You admit that it is not in the power of any man, or body of men, to make innovations in the body of Masonry.(3)

There are more sources, but these three will do to make the point that innovations cannot be made in the Body of Masonry. The Grand Lodge of California, and the Grand Lodge of California are in agreement, as are, well, darn near every REGULAR Grand Lodge on which I could find references. The question we need to answer before proceeding then, is RITUAL included in not making innovations?

Clearly, the answer is no. Referencing alone the information contained in "The Convention that Changed the Face of Freemasonry" we can see that the ritual was deliberately and systematically... standardized in the early 19th Century. And yet...

Ritual, from Merriam-Webster Online:

1: the established form for a ceremony; specifically : the order of words prescribed for a religious ceremony
2 a: ritual observance; specifically : a system of rites
2 b: a ceremonial act or action
2 c: an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner(4)

There is nothing in this definition which would give one the sense that ritual cannot be changed or modified, so based on historical usage and technical definition, the ritual is NOT timeless, and CAN be changed at whim. Therein lies the challenge, for the ritual is designed to inculcate certain wise and serious teachings, to assist in the formation of a mason, to set a man on the path to inner change... to make him a better man, before g-d, his family, and his community.

It is a challenge because, any time change is undertaken without serious contemplation of all possible ramification, a slippery slope has been trod upon, with the end unknown to the authors.(5)(6)

The Grand Lodge of California is very strict about the ritual. As prescribed at the Convention noted above, the ritual is overseen by a Grand Lecturer, whose duty it is, with five Assistant Grand Lecturers, and a number of Inspectors, one assigned per district, to teach the ritual and ensure that all lodges under charter to the Grand Lodge of California, follow and use the same ritual, jot and tittle, pronunciation, gesture and floorwork. This leads to some interesting ritual work, and in the past several years, a continuous stream of minor "modifications"/"Corrections" to the ritual work.

An effort to "standardize" the ritual has also been undertaken in the past few years, so that what is done in the first degree is also done in the second and third. So if the Senior Deacon makes a 1/4 turn at one point in the ritual of the first degree, in a similar circumstance in the second he does not make a 1/2 turn, but instead ALSO makes the 1/4 turn. Minor tweeks.

This also means that if one Grand Lecturer feels that, say, Succoth should be pronounced Suk-koth, and the next feels it should be pronounced Zuk-oth, well, the inspectors make sure that all Senior Deacons know of the decision and are doing that in all future degrees.

These "corrections" are communicated through the Officer's Association all officer's are required to attend once per month, where the ritual is "exemplified" and information is disseminated. A great opportunity for masonic education is wasted in these sessions, because the Inspectors (and really, pitty the poor inspectors who have to try to make this interesting) are required to exemplify each degree at least twice per year, and assorted other materials must be presented, each year, year after year after year. So discussions of an educational nature must be set aside to focus on the ritual... but I digress.

The point here is that the Grand Lodge of California is very strict about the ritual, and what actually constitutes ritual. For instance, strangely, the color of the lights in the lesser lights is a matter of ritual, as is the wearing of white gloves by officers in other than one part of the third degree. Also, so, apparently, is the path a Deacon walks in carrying out his duties. These examples are offered not to ridicule the Grand Lecturer or the good work that he and his Assistant Grand Lecturers do, because it IS an often thankless job they face, but to offer an insight into the ritual workings in Califorina (and as I am NOT a member of any other Grand jurisdiction, I can only offer my perspective on California practices).

What we end up with, then, is ritual controlled by a small, closed group of well educated brothers with the best intentions of the craft at heart. The problem, however, is that these men, by the very nature of their work, send out these "corrections" without the input of the men who will be using them. We are all brothers and fellows, and we practice charity, of thought as well as of action, and obedience to lawful authority, but men are men, and over time what has resulted is a dual ritual, one used when the Inspector/some grand officer is looking, and the ritual that is worked in the lodge for the conferral of degrees.

The two rituals are similar, but in many cases what has developed is the knowledge that the Grand Lecturer and Assistant Grand Lecturers are ever changing, and the knowledge that the next Grand Lecturer or Assistant Grand Lecturer will change what his predecessors have changed makes the ever changing ritual more complex. Even the best intentioned brother, dedicated to inculcating every single "innovation" that comes down the pike at some point just tries to keep his head above water, listening politely when the Inspector corrects him, and then goes on doing what he knows. The body of changes just gets too large to compass and still learn the work.

California has a working, systemic, and well implemented methodology in place to teach the ritual (Officer's Association), it has an authoritative and well educated cadre of Grand Officer's in place to teach the ritual and carry questions / suggestions / complaints up to the Assistant Grand Lecturers and Grand Lecturer (Inspectors), and has a small, manageable, dedicated, well educated group of Ritual Authorities (Grand Lecturer and Five Assistant Grand Lecturers) to oversee the ritual. This system has worked, and despite its flaws, it continues to be a working and respected methodology with the backing of the Executive Committee and brethren of the lodges.

So, is ritual timeless and unchanging, written in stone and inflexible?

Not in California... thank the GAOTU

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

References:

(1) Freemasonry as a Sacred Retreat by John W. Taylor
(2) The ANTIENT CHARGES and REGULATIONS of the UNITED GRAND LODGE of ENGLAND
(3) Grand Lodge of California, Free and Accepted Masons, Installation Ritual, Obligations of a Master
(4) Merriam-Webster Online, Ritual, as a noun
(5) Slippery Slope, Wikipedia Online, English Version, 02-17-08
(6) A Discourse on Method, by Rene Descartes, ISBN-10: 0872204200; ISBN-13: 978-0872204201, Hackett Pub Co Inc; 4 edition (June 1999)

Meeting on the Level

One of the privileges of being a master mason is that of visitation. It is also one of the privileges that I invoke at every opportunity. Last week, I was in Charleston, South Carolina for a few days, so I took the opportunity and looked up the local lodges in the Yellow Pages. Imagine my surprise to find five masonic lodges listed in the CITY of Charleston.

I shouldn't have been surprised. It turns out that the seat of the Grand Lodge is in Charleston...

So, on Thursday night, I showed up at Mariners Lodge #2 for their stated business meeting. Despite it being a business meeting night, I was welcomed with open arms, treated to a tour of the lodgeroom, and introduced all around. The master of the lodge, a bright and active man of 21 years is the youngest master of a lodge... ever in South Carolina. They just recently lowered the minimum age of petitioning to 18, and he has moved through the ranks quickly.

Having followed that same path (it took me four years to get to the east, and I have 25 years managing teams, groups, divisions and companies) I know how difficult it was for him! As always, I was taken by the differences, and similarities to their ritual and my own. It is one of these differences to which I allude in the title of this blog.

Meeting on the Level

In our ritual, we talk about how as masons we meet and act upon the level, honestly, openly, and in a most friendly manner. This lodge takes that symbolically one step further, and the symbolism of that step struck me as somehow right.

On closing, the master asks the Senior Warden how masons should meet. In South Carolina, the Senior steps down TO the level before answering. Same for the Junior Warden, and lastly, the master, so along with the rest of this ritual, they all three, end up standing upon the level. Then, to carry the symbolism further, when the master asks the brethren to act together, everyone else steps down onto the level, out from the chairs before complying.

These simple gestures reinforce the words of the ritual, by example. We all meet and act upon the level, in word, and, in deed.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

It's Time for Freemasons to Stop Apologizing for Being Masons!

Masonry has had its critics since the first Grand Lodge was formed in 1717 (and probably before that), and in the United States, there was even a short lived Anti Freemason Party. For the most part, we have, rightfully, ignored them as ignorant pinheads, unworthy of response.

For centuries, that was the appropriate response. After all, dignifying their complaints and accusations gave weight to their weightless and thoughtless words. Today, however, with the advent of the internet and the drive by media, it has become necessary to address the konspiracy kooks, with factual and substantive statements.

When I was first raised a Master Mason on November 3, 2001 in Riverside Lodge #259, my first encounter with the mindless hordes of hatemongering antimasonry was Freemasonrywatch. At the time, that was THE web site you found when searching for Freemasonry on the internet. Since then, it has become… irrelevant, and its founder, Kevin McNeil-Smith of British Columbia who styled himself as “Watchy”, have been pulled from the shadows.

Yet, in all this rush to address the hatemongers and the ignorant haters, we have, in a small degree, begun to act as if their arguments might, maybe, somehow, have a tiny degree of merit. We don’t grant that they have any merit of course, but our actions, to eliminate their arguments, are not helping us. For example, the United Grand Lodge of England removed the penalties from the obligation, because one of the main complaints offered against freemasonry is the “bloody” penalties. As Freemasons, WE all know the penalties are symbolic, and that they have never been imposed by one brother upon another, yet the small minded, looking for any complaint, have latched on to them.

In the nature of addressing the complaints, then, the United Grand Lodge of England removed the penalties, and included, instead, an explanation of the penalties as symbols. The reasoning was that the penalties were offensive to some religious leaders, and the thought was that removing them would remove the objection:

Now to get back to our ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES. Why on earth should we even consider relocating or removing then in the first place? "Oh because they are offensive to some religious leaders". That begs the question as to which religious leaders? Some of the greatest clergymen I have ever met, both the pragmatic and the scholarly, have been members of the Masonic Order. Not a single one of those extremely worldly wise reverend brothers ever dreamed of any part of the ceremony being offensive in any manner whatever, INCLUDING the penalties. Obviously no clergy outside of the craft should cause us any concern because they really don't understand the context of the ceremony or the part the penalties play in it. Now what does that leave us to contemplate? I believe it points out in the clearest possible terms that the Masonic Order is a true microcosm of the real world in which we live.1

Instead, the religious leaders who the UGLE was attempting to pander to, simply turned and said:

See, we TOLD you the penalties were wrong, even the MASONS recognize it. What else are we right about that if we persist, we might be able to get them to stop?

Wonderful.

That is but one example. In 2005, the Grand Lodge of California decided that henceforth, the word TEMPLE would be removed from all building association names. Even the Grand Lodge changed the name of its building association.

The net result? Our detractors now claim we are trying to HIDE that we have temples of worship because of their criticism. It would have been better if we had simply answered their objection with facts instead of cutting and running, and making the situation worse. That written, I have to include that the Grand Master and executive committee were acting with the best of intentions, as I am sure the UGLE Grand Officers were... its just that they don't seem to realize they are not dealing with rational people.

We are Freemasons. WE know that the no objection the detractors can whip up have any value, and we know that our ancient and honorable fraternity is dedicated to morality, honor, integrity and the betterment of mankind, one man at a time. Why then, do we allow these ridiculous hate mongers put us into a position where we change what we know is right?

Because we are who we are, great changes have been made to the world. Freemasons were integral to the formation of the United States, and the state of Texas, Freemasons were on the front lines in implementing public education in the United States, and many of the great luminaries of our age were Freemasons... Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Buzz Aldrin, George Washington and Amadeus Mozart, to name just FIVE.

These men LIVED their masonic principles, without apology, and so should we. Its time that we stood up and said we are Freemasons, this is what our mission statement is, this is what we do… if you don’t like it, tough. We have our values, our morality, or tenets and teachings, and we cannot allow the vagaries of political correctness to drive us away from our core values.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

References:

1. ... Ancient Symbolic Penalties ... by K. W. Aldridge

Guest Editorial: Wr. Fred Milliken on Prince Hall Masonry

A comment from a reader of Theron Dunn’s Beacon of Masonic Light Blog writes:

Michael said...

These questions pertain to Masonry's interaction with biblical scripture, politics, religion and morals of every day life.

Brother, I'm curious: how do these square with the prohibition of discussing religion and politics in lodge meetings? Also, by requiring discussion of the Bible, how would you welcome a Mason (or prospective Mason) whose belief in God did not encompass the Bible? Again, I ask these questions because I'm curious, not because I'm inclined to argue.

The answer to your question goes way back in history. In fact you will find that many actions, styles and ways of doing things we do today not because of today’s reasons but because we have been doing them that way for so long that they have become part of the culture. As a Catholic I only have to think of my church. People ask, why all the statues, the stain glass pictures, the Stations of the Cross carvings mounted on the walls? It is because most people in early Christianity were illiterate. Written words were of no use to them. They learned from pictures and symbols, as did early Freemasons. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Many early Masons were also illiterate. Thus everything was passed down from “mouth to ear” and the lessons were taught by symbols with liberal use of The Tracing Boards. As time went on, the printing press was invented and more people began to read and write. Did these institutions change their ways? Did the Catholic Church then do away with their statues, engravings and stain glass depictions? Did Masonry abolish its symbols and go strictly with the written word? NO! WHY? Well these props, these accruements to the Institutions became part of the Institutions just like your arm is part of your body. They are the traditions of these Institutions and more modern ways are added on without removing them. Thus we have the age-old battle in Freemasonry, “we always do it this way.” More recent Protestant churches with a history of less than 200 years could start afresh without the centuries of traditions. Thus their architecture could reflect much less dependence on story and lesson telling through pictures and more upon the written word making their church buildings as some Catholics would say – “stark and bare”. And in Freemasonry some of the newer Appendant Bodies had less symbols and more lessons learned by drama or acting. Think of the Scottish Rite degrees here and how they differ from York Rite and Craft Lodge Masonry.

People have a hard time understanding this commitment to tradition and Masons are no different from the general public in this regard. To illustrate why I often point to the circular movement of vehicles. If I were to ask you why racecars go around the racetrack counter clockwise instead of clockwise what would you say? A good answer would be because that’s the way horses went around their racetrack. So why do horses travel counter clockwise (or dogs)? Would you believe it wasn’t always that way? Before the American Revolution all circular motion was done clockwise. It kind of makes sense that this would be the preferred style. But in our distaste for everything British in the late 1700s Americans changed all circular motion to counter clockwise. The birth of a new nation meant a separation from English ways. Now if I were to have the power to change it back, to pass a government decree that starting tomorrow all vehicles would now go around a rotary, all race cars, horse racers, all racing dogs, everything would move clockwise how popular do you think this decision would be? Well let me tell you there would be hell to pay. People would be up in arms. So ingrained in our culture today is the counter clockwise circular motion that to reverse or change it would be unthinkable. Why even when you go through the gates of Disney World the first inclination is to go to the right not the left.

But I digress with too much long-winded discourse. In regards to Prince Hall Masonry their style, their way of doing things is dictated by centuries of tradition. People forget how long Black Masonry has been around. Two Hundred & Thirty plus years is a long time to build up traditions and an ingrained culture style. In early Black Masonry Blacks did not have the freedom of association that whites had. Black men could not go down to the tavern or pub or coffeehouse or restaurant or movie theatre or dance hall or anything social like that at all. If they were free and unaccompanied by a white slave owner that was just not allowed. So how did a Black man meet other Black men? If there were no vehicles for Black association how did Black Masons recruit Black men into the Fraternity?

Well the one Institution where Black men, and Black families for that matter, could congregate was the Black church. Church gatherings were not prohibited by the dominant white culture of the time. And these churches were overwhelmingly Christian. Other religions within the Black community at this stage were unheard of. So the Black Mason limited in his areas of social contact recruited new members primarily from the church. Black Masonry tended to be poor. So most Black Lodges met at the church. The House of Worship was also the Masonic Temple. Thus did Prince Hall Masonry and Christianity become intertwined?

Because of this forced development style American Black culture and traditions emanated from the church and all Black activity became interconnected. Black culture does not recognize the strict observance of separation of church and state. Thus Black politicians and community leaders often came to the church to speak and influence people, Freemasonry and the church as we have seen were closely intertwined with most Masons coming from church membership, and Black Freemasonry was very community orientated working within the community for the betterment of the community. It was one big circle. Thus has Prince Hall Masonry become through its traditions very Christian orientated and very community charity orientated. But then again most Black development started with the church. Many Black ministers were community activists as were many Black Masons. I can remember growing up in the 50s and listening to Doo Wop groups who started and originated as church singers. Aretha Franklin and Della Reese were both first church singers before becoming popular professional paid singers. So what we can say about the Black community is that everything is interconnected. There is no sharp line of demarcation between what is one responsibility and what is another. And so Prince Hall Masonry is closed allied with church and political community life. It’s all one interconnected business or state of affairs with much sameness in thought and purpose. Everybody is on the same page. It lacks the diversity and variety of opinions and expressions of the white community. Thus if everyone thinks alike no one is there to object when Masonry is openly Christian because every Mason is a Christian. And it is not unusual for Evangelical Christians of Southern Baptist or nondenominational connections, who are the majority of Black Christian Masons, to openly express their Christianity in a manner not found in the more sedate, less vocal mainline churches.

But times are changing and have been changing in the Black community, especially since WWII. But as we have seen, traditions die hard. Northern Blacks tend to be more diverse today and Prince Hall Masonry there is drawing from many different cultures now. Less so is the South where Prince Hall still is closely associated with church and draws membership from the same.

But what needs to be noted here is, because of the interconnectiveness of this community, Prince Hall Masons merge their study of Institutions. Thus a Prince Hall Mason studying Freemasonry is also studying where Masonic thought and Biblical thought and political thought coincide. I for one think that many Mainstream Masons have forgotten how much of Masonic ritual comes directly from Scripture. We can find in the Biblical Books of Kings, Chronicles and The Book of Ruth, to name a few instances of this, much that is in the Masonic Monitor. And to point out this fact I don’t think can be construed as proselytizing Christianity inside the Masonic Lodge. So let me ask those Mainstream Masons who are reading this if they can tell me who Adoniram was and what was his involvement in the building of King Solomon’s Temple? Where can the man Boaz be found in the Bible, who was his son and what was his family lineage. These are all questions a Prince Hall Mason will know.

While there is mention of the Bible in Prince Hall Masonry and celebration of being Christian this is not the same as saying that other thought, other ways are excluded. It is only natural for those of like thought and belief to talk about their common shared heritage and lifestyle. But Prince Hall does not exclude other religions, races or creeds. There are some Muslim Prince Hall Masons. There can be other Holy Books besides the Holy Bible on the Prince Hall Masonic altar. Partisan Politics and sectarian religion are not discussed or debated in the Lodge. There is mutual celebration but the elimination of controversy.

So as we have seen Prince Hall has its traditions born of many years of separate Masonic observance forced upon it. Those Mainstream Lodges who have proposed a Prince Hall ~ Mainstream merger but only under the terms that Prince Hall practice Masonry the Mainstream way are asking Prince Hall to give up everything that has become common daily practice and tradition and that is not well received or a viable solution. Would you go around the traffic rotary tomorrow clockwise?

What we can do if we are Masons who practice differently is to understand what the differences are, how they got to be that way and if they are not my way then allow that they are another way of merit.

Masonic Business

As I noted in The Convention that Changed the Face of Freemasonry, it was traditional up until the mid 1800's for the business of lodges throughout the world to work in the first degree. Masonic Tradition Informs Us that this change was due to the William Morgan Affair, and was a change made to prevent cowans from sitting in on our business meetings. Shoot, I have been to and RUN several business meetings, and as far as I am concerned, they are welcome to sit in... the "secrets" of freemasonry are not discussed in business meetings anyway!

So, this was an innovation, one which, as is typical of these things, become de riguer, standard, and somehow, written in stone (in the United States, think of Income Taxes, which were supposed to be a temporary emergency measure...) The point of this blog, therefore, is to examine whether the time has come to return to Masonic tradition, and the reasons we should, or should not do so.

One of the innovations to masonry that, in my opinion, is causing the most trouble for the craft, is the "simplification" of freemasonry. We are taught in every degree that freemasonry is a progressive science, taught by degrees. The purpose of the three degrees is to confer upon the candidate certain teachings, opening his heart and spirit to make him a better man. Yet, for some reason, we RUSH through the degrees, as if there is nothing to be learned and internalized.

This is a typical American failing... we spend too much time in front of the television, where all the world's problems can be solved between the commercials and in under an hour. The members of my grand lodge even voted in 1996 and ammended in 1997 to allow the candidates to return the proficiency in the first and second degree in a "short" form... memorizing only the obligation and the means and modes of recognition rather than the traditional two minute (!!) memorized two part catechism between the candidate and his coach.

Part of the reason for the rush, however, is that the candidate cannot participate in the business of the lodge, he is excluded from one part of the lodge because we only do business in the third degree. If we did business in the first degree, there would be no need for a mad rush from EA to MM, a process that is usually completed in 90 (!!) days from the time a candidate is balloted upon.

How can we look people in the eye and claim we are going to teach them great and serious truths in less than one third the time it takes to bake a baby? And lets not EVEN get into the concept that is, fortunately falling from use, the aberration called “All the Way in A Day”. How on earth can you form a mason in 8 hours?

This must all seem like a foreign concept to our worldwide brethren, who, by and large, conduct business in the first degree, and only open in other degrees, or all UP to confer degrees.

It is my opinion that it is time, and actually well PAST time for the Grand Lodges to seriously consider, not a new tradition, but of returning to the true tradition of working in the first degree except for the conferral of higher degrees and Masonic education appropriate to a specific degrees.

Its time to lengthen the time between one degree to another from, in some cases, ONE DAY, to a minimum of 90 days. Give the candidate time to learn to BE a mason, to take in the wise and serious truths being presented to him, to take the time to actually become a Mason.

That’s this mason’s opinion. As always, I welcome yours.

Below is some information from Paul Bessel on the 21 Grand Lodges that already have chosen to return to the true tradition of working in the first degree.

Grand Lodges Where Business Can Now be Done on the First Degree

1. Connecticut as of Apr. 1, 1987: Grand Lodge voted to allow Stateds on any degree, but only MM's vote.
2. Missouri as of Sept. 27, 1994: Bylaws now says: A STATED COMMUNICATION requires that the lodges open on the first, second and third degrees.
3. Washington as of June 13, 1996: Resolution said a significant number of EA's, FC's, and MM's fail to progress, if they can attend and participate in Lodge business their interest and knowledge may increase at an earlier time and they will be more likely to continue as active Masons, doing business on the 3rd degree was an innovation in the U.S. in 1843. The WM decides on which degree to open a meeting. Only MM's who have passed their proficiency can vote on certain items.
4. Idaho as of Sept. 20, 1996: Idaho voted to allow lodges to open and conduct business on any degree at the discretion of the Master. There is an exception that balloting on petitions may only be done on the 3rd degree. Masons below the rank of Master Mason are not allowed a vote and may debate only at the discretion of the Worshipful Master. This action was probably taken in 1996 or 1997.
5. Colorado as of January 1997.
6. Kansas as of March 1997 by edict of the Grand Master
7. Arizona as of June 7, 1997: Resolution said restricting attendance at stated meetings to MM's deprives EA's and FC's of fellowship and activity. Says business will be done in lodge of EA, FC, or MM, decided by the WM, but only MM's can vote and hold office.
8. Nevada as of Nov. 11, 1997: Resolution states all business, except conferring of the FC and MM degrees, shall be done in a Lodge of EAs, but only MMs who are members of a lodge may vote in that Lodge. In 1998 (and again in 1999), rejected a resolution to allow the WM to conduct business meetings on any of the 3 degrees, so they must be on the EA degree, except for conferring of degrees.
9. Alabama as of 1998: GL voted to allow business on any degree.
10. Minnesota as of April 15-17, 1999: Resolution said present rules exclude EA's and FC's from attending stateds of lodge they have joined, while they are subject to discipline already, it is desirable to include new members as soon as possible, educational programs will be of interest to new members. Allows WM to open on any degree, but only MM's can vote.
11. Oregon as of June 4, 1999: WM permitted to open Stated meetings on EA or FC degree to permit EAs and FCs to attend, without benefit of being voting members.
12. Montana as of 2000, The GL of Montana began allowing all lodges to conduct business on the EA or FC degrees at the option of the WM.
13. Maryland as of Nov. 15, 1999: At the discretion of the Worshipful Master, a Lodge may be opened in any of the three degrees and all business except that which relates specifically to a particular degree may be transacted in the Lodge sitting in any of the three degrees. Provided, however, that only Master Masons who are members of the Lodge may cast a ballot, vote, or participate in debate on any matter coming before the Lodge or exercise any other right or privilege of membership relating to the business of the Lodge.
14. New Mexico as of March 2000
15. Utah - No details available
16. District of Columbia as of November 4, 2000: WM may open and conduct business on any degree, but only MMs can vote or exercise other privileges of Lodge membership.
17. Massachusetts, date not known Grand Lodge voted to allow Stateds on any degree, but only MM's vote.
18. Vermont (Thanks Errol and Wr. O'Sullivan!!)
19. Ohio (Thanks Tom)
20. South Dakota (Thanks Silence Dogood)
21. Texas as of 2007
    

Grand Lodges Where Business on the First Degree is Known to be Under Consideration

• Alaska
• Illinois
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Texas

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

THE CONVENTION THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF FREEMASONRY

By Allen E. Roberts

We are indebted to Wor. Brother Roberts, a noted Masonic scholar and author, for accepting the challenge of preparing this Short Talk Bulletin. It is another example of his concern for the work of the Masonic service Association.

For more than one hundred forty years many Freemasons have been misinformed. They have not been told the full story of one of Free-masonry’s most important events.

This story starts in December, 1839. It began with a resolution adopted by the Grand Lodge of Alabama, which requested all Grand Lodges to send a delegate to the City of Washington on the first Monday in March, 1842, “for the purpose of determining upon a uniform mode of work throughout all the Lodges of the United States and to make other lawful regulations for the interest and security of the Craft.” (The emphasis is mine, for this indicates what I mean when I say we have been misinformed.)

The Convention was held on March 7, 1842, “in the Central Masonic Hall at four and a half and D Streets N.W.” Ten Grand Lodges were represented. And these representatives refused to seat a delegate from the Grand Lodge of Michigan, declaring that it had not been established under constitutional principles. The report was made by Charles W. Moore, Chair-man of Credentials Committee and Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The Convention upheld his report.

After due deliberation, it was concluded that not enough Grand Lodges were represented, and there was not enough time to formulate a uniform ritual that would be acceptable to all Grand Lodges. Differences of opinion among the committee selected to develop a uniform mode of work were too many and not reconcilable. The Convention voted to request each Grand Lodge to appoint some well-versed Mason and style him as a Grand Lecturer to report to a Convention to be held the following year.

The report of another Committee was to have important, immediate, and far reaching effects on the Grand Lodges of the country. The “Committee on General Regulations Involving The Interests and Security of The Craft” reported in several areas. It recommended that the Representative System “already adopted by some of the Grand Lodges” be extended to all Grand Lodges. To protect the Fraternity from unworthy men claiming to be Masons, the Committee recommended that “certificates of good standing of visiting Brethren who are strangers” be made available by the Grand Lodge to which they belong. “These certificates will not only shield the Institution,” said the committee, “from the undeserving, but will furnish the widow and orphans of the deceased Brethren the best evidence of their claim upon the Fraternity.”

This Committee also considered as “reprehensible” the practice “of receiving promissory notes for the fees for conferring Degrees, instead of demanding the payment thereof before the Degrees are conferred.”

The Committee considered it an “impropriety” to transact “business in Lodges below the Degree of Master Mason, except as such that appertains to the conferring of the inferior Degrees and the instruction therein.” It credited the Grand Lodge of Missouri for bringing this to the attention of Freemasons everywhere. The Committee went on to say “Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts are not members of Lodges, nor are they entitled to the franchises of members.”

The suspension of a Mason for non-payment of dues was also considered by the Committee. It believed that uniform legislation should be adopted by the Grand Lodges to protect the Fraternity.

It wasn’t long before several Grand Lodges changed their laws to conform to the recommendations of this Committee. Certificates or cards were issued by Grand Secretaries to members of Lodges. And Grand Lodges ordered lodges to set cash fees for conferring degrees. Representatives were appointed by some Grand Lodges that had never done so before. And many Grand Lodges changed from conferring all business in the Entered Apprentice Degree to that of the Master Mason Degree.

Maryland was one Grand Lodge that acted almost immediately on these suggestions. on May 16, 1842, it voted to elect one Grand Lecturer to attend the conference in I843. It ordered the Grand Secretary to procure certificates to issue to Master Masons in good standing. It ordered all Lodges to conduct their business in the Master Mason Degree. It said “that when a Mason is suspended for any cause whatever, he is for the time of such suspension debarred from all rights and privileges of the order.”

In 1842, some Lodges in Virginia started conducting their business in the Master Mason Degree. So it went over the next several years, but it was as late as 1851 before the Grand Lodge of Maine changed from working or conducting its business in the First to that of the Master Mason Degree.

It might be well to consider why some of the leaders of Freemasonry were concerned about the looseness of the ritual, as well as many other facts of the Fraternity.

Looking back to the year 1826, and the two decades that followed, it is found that in 1826, one William Morgan, who had purported to be a Freemason, disappeared. Freemasons were ac-cused of murdering him, although there has never been any evidence that he was harmed in any way. He merely disappeared. This set off a hue and cry against Freemasonry. In many in-stances, Grand Lodges could not find a quorum to meet. Lodges turned in their charters by the hundreds. Freemasons quit by the thousands. Freemasonry was in deplorable condition.

During this period many of the ritualists and the men who had been dedicated to the principles of Freemasonry were lost to the Craft. Many died. Others quit because of the persecution handed down to their families because they would not renounce their membership in the Order. For these and various other reasons, Masonic Lodges were not operating anywhere near their capacity.

This was the state of affairs in the late 1830s, when Alabama called for a Convention to rectify many of the things that had gone awry. These were some of the things causing the Convention meeting in Washington to make the recommendations it did. These were some of the things carried into the Baltimore Convention of 1843, the Convention which we have heard so much about.

The ritual in its various forms did take much of the time of those attending the Baltimore Convention from May 8 to 17, 1843, meeting in the Masonic Hall on Saint Paul Street with six-teen of the twenty-three Grand Lodges in the United States represented. But many hours were taken to discuss the several points brought out during the convention held in Washington. And it approved everything that had been accomplished in the District.

The evening session was opened with the ad-dress of the President of the Convention, John Dove of Virginia. His opening remarks stated the purpose for the Convention: “For the first time in the Masonic history of the United States of North America, the Craft have found it necessary and expedient to assemble by their representatives, to take into consideration the propriety of devising some uniform mode of action by which the ancient landmarks of our beloved Order may be preserved and perpetuated, and by which posterity in all times to come may be enabled to decide with certainty upon the pretensions of a Brother, no matter in which section of our blessed and happy land he may reside; and, finally, and we hope no distant date, to transfer those inestimable privileges to our Brothers throughout the Masonic World.” Dove’s statement shows that much more than the ritual was involved.

The following day, May 9, the “Committee on the General Object of the Convention” submitted its report. It said: “The objects of the Convention are two-fold, viz.: 1. To produce uniformity of Masonic Work; 11. To recommend such measures as shall tend to the elevation of the Order to its due degree of respect throughout the world at large.”

Four standing committees were appointed:

1. On the work and lectures in conferring Degrees.

2. On the Funeral Service.

3. On the ceremonies of Consecration and Installation.

4. On Masonic Jurisprudence.

It is interesting to note the prominent Masons who were appointed to the Committee on Work. John Dove, at the insistence of the Convention, became the Chairman. John Barney of Ohio, S.W.B. Carnegy of Missouri, Charles W. Moore of Massachusetts, and Ebenezer Wadsworth of New York were the other members.

On the morning of May 10, this Committee recited the lecture of the First Degree. The Convention adopted the work of the Committee by a vote of fourteen to one. Ebenezer Wadsworth of New York, cast the dissenting vote. The following day, the Committee reported “on the opening and closing of ceremonies of the First Degree” and their work was accepted by the Convention. Then the Chairman of the Commit-tee, John Dove, assisted by Charles Moore, reported the lecture of the Second Degree. This work was also accepted by the Convention. But evidently Ebenezer Wadsworth was not happy with the work that had been accepted by the Convention. He “requested to be excused from serving longer on the Committee on Work.” He was excused and Brother Edward Herndon, of Alabama, substituted.

At the Friday morning session, “the opening work of the Third Degree was accepted by the Convention with a vote of twelve to one “with New York dissenting.”

On Monday morning, May 15, the following was reported: “The undersigned Committee on the Dedication, Consecration and Installation of Lodges, etc., having had the several subjects submitted to them under consideration, beg leave respectfully to report that they have examined and carefully compared all the various authors and systems which they have been able to obtain, and present the following, viz.:

“That the forms in the ‘Monitor,’ under the authorship of M.W. Thomas S. Webb, republished in 1812, possesses the least faults of any which have been before them, and has a high claim to antiquity, and having been in general use as a standard work for nearly half a century, possess no errors of material as to re-quire alteration, except as follows.” There followed six minor changes that it recommended be made, three of them in the Installation Ceremony.

Concerning the “Certificates of Good Stan-ding,” the Convention said that the Washington Convention of 1842 earnestly recommended to the consideration of the Fraternity “such Certificate, and where it has escaped attention in the deliberations of any Grand Lodge, this Convention call it to their view, as being a check admirably calculated to preserve the Fraternity from unworthy Brethren from a distance, and an additional means of protection to the good and the deserving.”

The Convention adopted a resolution that was to have far-reaching and controversial effects:

That a Committee be designated to prepare and publish at an early day, a text hook, to he called “The Masonic Trestle-Board,” to embrace three distinct, full and complete “Masonic Carpets,” illustrative of the three Degrees of ancient Craft Masonry; together with the ceremonies of consecrations, dedications and installation; laying of corner-stones of public edifices; the Funeral service, and order of processions. To which shall be added the Charges, Prayers and Exhortations, and the selection from scripture, appropriate and proper for Lodge service. The Committee further report, that they deem it expedient that a work be published to contain archaeological research into the history of the Fraternity in the various nations of the world.

The Committee on Masonic Jurisprudence reported it had considered whether or not “the evils which this Convention has met to rectify and remove, have arisen from any defect or fault in the present system of organizations as adopted by the Fraternity of the United States.” It concluded the evils existed, mainly because of the individual action of the numerous Grand Lodges in the United States. Inter-communication between Grand Lodges did not exist. The “purity and unity” of work prevalent in Europe was therefore missing.

“UNITY throughout the whole Masonic family is essential,” claimed the Committee. “Any system of polity tending to throw obstacles in its way must be wrong. The simple truth that we are all Brethren of one family, and look up to one common Father, the Lord our God, is the basis of all the ancient constitutions . “

To correct the “evils” that prevailed, the Committee said it had considered two plans:

“1st. A General Grand Lodge of the United States. 2^nd. A triennial convention of representatives of the several Grand Lodges of the United States.”

It went on to state: “Your Committee, without encumbering their report with long arguments, beg to recommend the latter course as being that, which in their opinion, will best attain the end proposed.” So, contrary to what many Freemasons have been led to believe, the Baltimore Convention of 1843 did not recommend the establishment of General Grand Lodge. It did recommend “the several Grand Lodges of the United States to enter into and form a National Masonic Convention.”

The Jurisprudence Committee had also considered a question about whether or not a Lodge could try its Master. It concluded: “The Master is an integral part of its government, unable to sit in judgment on himself, and yet without whom the Lodge could not act, without, as it were, committing felon de se (suicide). The Committee offered the following, with which the Convention concurred.... “a subordinate Lodge has not the right to try its Master, but that he is amenable to the Grand Lodge alone.”

The Committee considered sojourning Masons as “freeloaders.” It believed all Masons living in the vicinity of a Lodge and not a member of it should be required to contribute “a sum equal in value to the annual dues per capita of the subordinate Lodge in whose jurisdiction they reside.” The Convention voted to recommend that all Grand Lodges take this recommendation under advisement.

In an attempt to bring unity “Throughout the world in all things pertaining to Masonry,” the Convention approved a recommendation to send “a Delegate from the Masonic Fraternity of the United States to their Brethren in Europe.”

On the evening of May 15 the Committee on Work exemplified the opening and closing of the Lodge in “the Third Degree.” The ceremonies for opening and closing a Lodge were exemplified on the morning of the 16^th. Then the Convention adopted a resolution thanking the Grand Lodge of Maryland for its hospitality. It was especially appreciative of Maryland assuming all expenses. This was followed by the presentation of the “Lecture of the First Degree.”

It was “Resolved, that the interest of the Masonic Fraternity, and the good of mankind may be greatly promoted by the publication of a periodical devoted to Free-Masonry. This Convention, therefore, cheerfully recommend the Free-Mason’s Monthly Magazine, edited and published by 13rother Charles W. Moore, of Boston, Massachusetts as eminently useful and well-deserving the generous patronage, support and study of the whole Fraternity.” The Convention concurred.

Each delegate contributed $5.00 to defray the expenses of printing. It was resolved to hold the next Convention in Winchester, Virginia, “on the second Monday in May, in the year I846.” This was never held.

The evening session of May 16^th was devoted to the degree work. “The President repeated the first section of the F.C. and M.M. Degrees; and Brother Moore, the second sections of the same Degrees. The Committee then exemplified the work in the Third Degree.”

On the morning of the last day of the Convention, the Master Mason Degree was exemplified. Then, while the President was absent from the hall, “Brother Carnegy took the chair,” and a resolution praising John Dove of Virginia was unanimously adopted. Albert Case of South Carolina was also thanked for his work as secretary. The concluding session was held in the afternoon of May 17^th. The Convention approved a letter, read by the Secretary, Albert Case, to be sent to “the Masonic Fraternity of the United States.” Each paragraph contained the flowery language of the day pleading with the Freemasons of the country to unite in love, friendship and brotherhood.

This letter, written immediately following the anti-Masonic craze that began in 1826, called upon all Lodges “to exercise their powers and cleanse the sanctuary” of unfaithful Masons. It concluded by asking all Freemasons to “Be true to your principles, and the great moral edifice will stand beautiful and complete. Together, Brethren, be true and faithful.”

The President thanked the delegates for the compliments paid him, and for their diligent work. He called upon the Chaplain to dismiss them with prayer. The Convention was then adjourned sine die.

The Convention was ended, but its accomplishments would change the face of Freemasonry throughout the United States.

National Advertising

In an earlier blog entry, speaking on Do We Need a National Grand Lodge, I offered:

5. Standardizing our message to the world is the one area where I think a national governing authority would be useful. For instance, the Shrine decided some time back that their reputation needed polishing. They undertook a national ad campaign, in magazines, newspapers, on radio and television, on bill boards, on trucks… everywhere, showing the iconic image of a Shriner carrying a girl on his shoulders with her crutches in his other hand. Thirty years later, the image of the Shrine is of a bunch of men in little cars, wearing silly hats and supporting hospitals for children. They could do this because THEY have a national governing authority, and can mold and direct their message. Blue Lodges could do that now, through the Committee of Grand Masters which meets every year now to discuss issues of interest to all the Grand Lodges. In a sense, we already have a national authority… only its not an authority and certainly not a governing one. Regardless, this national committee hasn’t even tried to undertake such a project for many good reasons, too many to go into in this article. However, that being the case, and they having never taken advantage of the opportunity, it again does not seem to necessitate a National Governing Authority.

After reading that post, Mark asked:

Could you please go into this in another article?

That is what I will undertake today. First of all, I must state that I am NOT a member of, nor have I participated in any way with the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America. The following are my opinions only and do not represent any Grand Lodge or Grand Officer's opinion. That written, lets begin:

Alluding to too many reasons to go into, the following are some of the reasons that I think account for a lack of movement on this concept.

1. Not every jurisdiction allows advertising. There is a strange tradition in freemasonry that does not allow us to ASK a good man to join. This has translated in some many jurisdictions to an aversion to advertising in any form. Some jurisdictions allow, some allow to a degree, and some deny it altogether.
2. Local Message. Another issue relating to advertising nationally would be the message. The Shrine, my exemplar in this article, crafted a very simple message. Their message was designed, in the beginning, to promote the image of the Shrine from a bunch of old skirt chasing clowns to a national charity dedicated to the health and well being of children. Crafting a national message that would appeal to all grand lodges would be a difficult task.
3. Interest. One of the greatest obstacles to overcome is inertia. "Thats not the way we did it... every before" is going to be hard to overcome, and not just in Grand Lodge Officers.
4. Operation. In my mind, the final objection that would be the most difficult to overcome is the manner of operation, and this alone could be the nail that seals the deal from every being considered. The other issues can be addressed.
   
5. And last, but certainly not the least is that each grand lodge is sovereign, and therefore this coordinated advertising campaign would need to be organized across 50 (or more) independent grand lodges. Very difficult.
   

For instance, allowing or not allowing advertising can be addressed by changing the perspective. "We're not advertising for members, we are simply telling people that we exist so they can make up their own minds" is one method of addressing the concerns that I have heard used. This objection can be overcome with just a bit of sophistry and discussion.

The "Local Message" objection can be overcome in the same manner as the Shrine did. The message is crafted so it doesn't address any local issue, it is more like a Public Service Announcement: Freemasonry, serving society since 1563 or some such equally generic message. It will be difficult to design, but this is simply a matter for brainstorming. Another solution would be to create a number of messages and then rotate their usage.

The "Well, we've never done it that way before" objection is one we hear all the time, and not just in craft masonry. As a professional teacher and business manager, I hear this darn near five or six times a DAY. This is one objection that we can deal with through basic change management techniques. Difficult, but because we are all brothers, its doable. The question will be: Can we get the Grand Officers to SEE the benefit of the change.

Grand Officers tend, by and large, to be very conservative men. Their job is not massive change, but to conserve the craft for future generations intact. More, Grand Officers represent the craft they are called to lead. If the brothers they lead do not support advertising, then neither will the Grand Master.

The killer will be operation. The functional details will be the most difficult. WHO will design the ads, who will place the ads, how will the benefit from the ads be tracked, who will pay how much? This last is a difficult one all by itself. Will the benefit be allocated by the size of the membership of each grand lodge, or simply allocated based on the number of grand lodges participating? How much will be allocated to this project, and where will the ads run all need to be addressed.

An issue that recently came up in California regarding an advertising campaign was results. I speak here only from what the ad manager told me, so its just one man's opinion. I was told that we included a toll free number for people with questions to call. This required someone to answer the calls, then allocate the interest calls to the various lodges to follow up on.

Let me share two examples with you of the problem of allocating "leads" to lodges. When I first joined freemasonry, I moved after being initiated. When I settled in a new city, the first call I made after my telephone was unpacked, was to the lodge in that city. I got an answering machine and left a message... and did so five times over the next two weeks. I never got an answer, so I called a lodge a little further away, the master there drove to my house and put a petition in my hands.

My brother recently expressed interest in joining a lodge... fortunately, there was a masonic lodge two blocks from his house. I gave him the number, and he called the lodge... and called the lodge... and called the lodge. I called the lodge. They never called him or me, and he joined the Lion's Club and became active as a Boy Scout leader. He may join a lodge someday, but they did not bother to call him back.

I offer these two apocryphal tales as exemplars of what the Grand Lodge's know exist in the real world. Lodges don't always follow up on leads, no less on the calls from men who state they want to join. How would we deal with hundreds of good men applying to join, once they knew how to join? If we are going to spend money on crafting a message and getting the message out, we need to be able to follow up with the result.

More even than this, there is no point in starting on such an enterprise if we are not willing to commit to the long term. An "advertising" campaign such as this must be planned in terms of tens of years, and must be run across a number of markets, magazines, newspapers, bill boards, radio, television, internet and other mediums. The message must be simple, clear, and their must be a clear action to take.

The Shrine hired an advertising agency and committed a budget to carry it forward. They can do so, since they have an "Imperial" governing body, that can commit funds from all sources every year. Freemasonry, blue lodge, does not have the same type of central organization. The Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America does not have that type of purvue or brief for its operation.

First of all, the Conference is a totally volunteer group, and at that, is an advisory group only. It has no authority to undertake such a program, though it is a good venue for proposing such a program and how it might work. However, every grand master that agrees would have to bring it back to HIS grand lodge to get the brethren's support.

This brings into play the last issue, grand lodge sovereignty. There would be no central organizing authority, so the project would be pulled 50 (or more) directions from the inception, and even an advertising agency cannot serve two (no less fifty or more) masters.

Personally, I would like to see it worked out, because the benefit to the craft would be immeasurable, but the damage to the craft, if we had fifty (or more) messages could be just as bad, or worse, than no message at all.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Politics and Lodge

We all know that politics and freemasonry do not mix. What, though, does this mean, and why is this prohibition in place?

What is politics?

Politics, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is:

Etymology: Greek politika, from neuter plural of politikos political
Date: circa 1529

1 a: the art or science of government b: the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy c: the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government
2: political actions, practices, or policies
3 a: political affairs or business; especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government) b: political life especially as a principal activity or profession c: political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices
4: the political opinions or sympathies of a person
5 a: the total complex of relations between people living in society b: relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view (office politics) (ethnic politics)

As we can see, at its simplest, it is an art or science, the political opinions or sympathies of a person, competition between cometing interest groups or individual for power and leadership. It is a striving and a contention for the hearts and minds... and for power. The power to control, to guide, to rule, to enforce one's opinion through influence and political power.

There have been calls recently, for the lodges to get involved in politics, for the Grand Lodges to get involved in politics, as some of the Grand Lodges do in France, to the detriment of the craft.

Why are politics forbidden in lodge?

As can be seen from the above definition, politics is all about influencing others to a particular point of view. How does attempting to influence your brother from one point of view to another in any way represent Freemasonry? We are a philosophical, spiritual fraternity, with a stated goal of improving the man.

The man is improved in the craft, and by the influence of our principles and teachings, may go out in the world and work to improve it. Yet, we know that not all masons agree on every political, social or moral issue. How then can the craft, as a whole, either as a single lodge, or a grand lodge, come out as supporting any one particular issue?

There will always be brothers that disagree, and one of the principle operating tenets of our craft is seeking only that on which we can best work and best agree. If one man disagrees, then the lodge cannot take a position. What if two lodges take differing sides in an issue, how does this support working together on that which we can best work and best agree?

No man represents the whole of the craft. Even the Grand Master only represents the will of the brethren in his jurisdiction, not all of freemasonry. There are some issues that we would think: well, everyone will agree on THIS. Lets look at that concept for a moment and see.

Every right thinking man realizes that racism is wrong... don't they? Oh, wait, maybe not. There are still grand lodges in the US that do not allow black men to join. Well, lets try another. Every moral man thinks being involved in the sale of alcohol is unmasonic, right? Oh, wait, no, that's not right either. There are several grand lodges in the US that will expel a brother if he is involved in the sale of alcohol, even in a restaurant.

Well, every right thinking mason knows that women can't be masons, right? No, wait... that doesn't seem to be true, either. Ok, we all agree that no man should be expelled from freemasonry without a fair trial before a jury of his peers where he can present evidence in his defense... oh, wait, a grand master was recently expelled without a trial for objecting to the actions of a sitting grand master, and several brothers have been expelled without a trial as well, and without a hearing, and without recourse. Well, then, what about...

We can do this all day long, and we will always find someone that disagrees or holds a contrary opinion... and rightly so. We are not a monolithic organization that tries to tell its membership how to think and how to act, and who to vote for and how to campaign/vote on issues. Freemasonry is about improving the man, and leaving it to the man to act and think as he will.

What about discussing political/social issues in lodge then?

This is a good question. Can we seriously and without rancor discuss the political and social events of the day? In some cases, the answer is yes, but in some, the answer is no. Can two brothers on opposing sides of the abortion issue discuss it openly and honestly? Maybe, but this is an emotional issue, to its challenging and risky.

Can a lodge openly discuss and debate political candidates without falling to pieces? There is a possibility they can, though the question has to be asked: WHY should they? Lodge is not about political issues. The stated purpose of freemasonry is fraternal affection, self improvement, the spiritual quest. Lodge is a place of peace (or should be) a place where men of disparate faiths, creeds and beliefs can come together and work side by side toward a common goal.

Why bring a known divisive element into the mix? It serves no purpose of Freemasonry's, and only serves the agenda of brothers that bring politics to lodge. Their only goal is the engendering of common opinion and support for their cause, to seek common cause with their brethren. In so doing, they bring into the lodge that which should never be present: the Seeds of Discord.

Should lodges take political positions?

Given that the very nature of politics is divisive, how can a lodge, let alone a Grand Lodge, take a position on a political/social issue as a group? More to the point, WHY should Freemasonry do so? Freemasonry is about the internal. The Freemason, as a man in a society, may, and should, apply the tenets of the craft to his society, measuring it by the 24" gauge, applying the square of morality, testing its truth by the plumb and holding the society to acting on the level. The craft itself, by its very nature, cannot.

Each man must act on his own, and never act in the name of masonry for his own selfish purposes. One may, and in fact, should advocate for what he believes, but when one brother, as a mason, states his position on any issue, he implies that all masons should and might hold the same position, and if another brother does not, he has introduced into a relationship something that should never be between them as masons.

We should, as masons, seek that on which we can best work and best agree. We should, as free men, seek out ways to improve society according to our understanding of the craft and within the experiences, abilities and knowledge that we have. As the purpose of the craft is to improve the man and help him on his spiritual journey, the craft should not take positions.

As always:

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Antimasonic Harrassment

Antimasonry is an interesting subset of the conspiracy kook... by and large, the anti mason claims to be Christian, usually of the fundamentalist (think Jim Jones and David Koresh) subset. While claiming Christ's mantle, they are hateful, spiteful, mean, nasty, and generally folks you would not tip your hat to on the street, no less speak to at any length.

Many, like the man who claims to be a reincarnation of Jesus, none other than the lizard shape shifting tin foil hat brigade general himself, David Icke (we think its pronounced: ickie) try to make a living at defaming good and honorable men. It has been ickie's life's mission, ever since he realized he was really g-d, and not really a third rate soccer color announcer, to slam Freemasonry with every silly, half baked slander that popped into his fevered brain. Of course, it sells books, tapes and DVD's, which seems to make him a pretty lucrative living among the brain cell challenged segment of the population.

Among the "Christian" antimasons, some aren't satisfied with defaming and lying about Freemasonry with every breath, they also advocate ambush "proselytizing", and taking superior numbers, as if to browbeat someone, before speaking to a mason. They advocate isolating the mason, almost as if they are holding an intervention rather than a spiritual discussion. See the Ephesians 5:11 website if you want to see but one version of this nonsense... and no, I won't provide the URL to that hate site. Do a Google search if you really want to waste brain cells on their claptrap.

Some even claim to be Catholics, with the goal of Stopping Freemasonry. As if. Many Popes have tried, half heartedly, to stop Freemasonry and all they have done is increase its numbers. The problem, you see, is that Freemasonry speaks to freedom of thought, freedom of religion, freedom to chose your leaders by election, freedom to to speak, freedom to assemble, freedom to, well chose in all things.

Its a strange situation we have here. Freemasonry does not care about Catholicism, any more than any other religion. We leave that to the brother. As far as Freemasonry is concerned, a Catholic can be a Freemason just like any other intelligent, honorable, upright and moral man. It is Catholicism that has the problem with Freemasonry, and the rhetoric employed seems to be one more of philosophical opposition rather than religiosity.

The Roman Catholic Church objects to our stand on freedoms, not for our stand on religious issues. We stand for freedom, the church stands for repression and parking your brains and will at the door. Of course they would object to us... and not all Catholics do object. Many are members of lodges around the world. Its the leadership, and not all of them that oject.
Can't have that in a fundy world... freedom is anathema to them, because, well, you might not chose what they want you to chose, and can't have that. As for that free thinking thing, well, these fundys want you to think what they want you to think, and no other thoughts... they are dangerous, those free, unguided thoughts.

This came up because of the last post, Membership "Decline" where I noted that Freemasonry's numbers are no longer declining, but are, in fact, turning around... especially in California. This forum received a number of... hateful, spiteful comments from someone claiming to be a Catholic Christian, claiming that Freemasonry, and this blog, had it in for Catholics, and among other things, that we were damned... by him, in particular. Several times, in fact. Good thing g-d is more open minded and loving than his self appointed ground crew!

The author of this blog, in fact, was stalked by a certain ex con (who was sent to prison for stealing from his clients at a jewelry store he owned) for almost two years. This from a "man" who claimed to be a Roman Catholic fundamentalist (he thought Ratzinger was too liberal), and seemed to feel that stalking someone was a Christly type behavior... go figure.

This raised an interesting point... several in fact. We know the fundy's hate Freemasons. So much so that it is rare we have not been exposed to one (or more) or these pinheads at one time or another. Its almost a rite of passage as a Mason to have some pinhead walk up to us and tell us we are damned, or devil worshipers or some such nonsense.

The good news is that the antimasonic hysteria is actually dying down! Six years ago, if you looked on the internet to find out about Freemasonry, you found pretty much nothing but hate sites. Today, searching on Freemasonry a man can find THOUSANDS of masonic sites, and a smattering of antimasonic sites. Our message is getting out, and the public, g-d bless them, are hearing the truth as opposed to the twisted lies and deceits of the nutters.

The REALLY good news for Modern Man is that the public, thanks to movies, books, magazines, newspapers, radio and a Masonic Presence in the community, has come to a better opinion of the craft. Our members are recognized these days as the good and honorable men they are, and of course, this translates to more men petitioning the lodges for membership.

Looking at one of the worst antimasonic hate sites, FW, using their chat/discussion area as a measure, we can see that there have been less than 4 posts in the last 4 months! This used to be a hotbed of antimasonic plotting and conspiracies, stalking and attacks. Today, it is a hulk of its former self, and the hit generator they are using develop the only hits they are getting. G-d IS great and merciful! (As if there were any doubt)

We have turned a corner, metaphorically speaking, and its about time. A tip of the hat to all the brothers that have worked so hard to speak out about Freemasonry.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Membership “Decline”

There are those that claim that Regular Freemasonry’s membership is in a freefall decline. Those of us that are regular masons have denied that, and noted that the decline is due, primarily, to the passing of our older brothers as the Great Architect of the Universe calls them to that lodge which never closes.

The Grand Lodge of California has seen the decline slow, and begin, in fact, to reverse itself as we continue the upward trend in degree conferrals which started over seven years ago. For example, in the fiscal year:

2006 our lodges conferred 4,260 degrees, 1,840 Entered Apprentices, 1,223 Fellowcrafts, and 1,197 Masters.

2007 our lodges conferred 4,405 degrees, 1,951 Entered Apprentices, 1,236 Fellowcrafts, and 1,218 Masters.

As a matter of note, 2007 had more entered apprentices initiated than any other year since 1988, and more total degrees since 1991. In 2007 alone, we received 1,968 petitions for membership.

The membership is growing again, with more and more petitions and more and more masters being raised. Its great to see, and puts the lie to the predictions (actually hopes) of those opposed to regular Masonry and their claims of doom and gloom for Freemasonry.

Why is the fraternity growing?

Well, the honest answer to that has little to do with the Fraternity’s efforts per se. The change is due to a perfect storm of public awareness, offering the candidates what they are seeking, giving them value for their time, a younger membership, and filling the vacancy in their hearts that our modern society is creating.

Public Awareness

Due to movies like National Treasure, magazine articles like Inside the Masons in News and World Report, episodes of The Discovery Channel Conspiracies and Myths and The Secret of Freemasonry, books like Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, Brad Meltzer’s Book of Fate and numerous articles and press articles, Freemasonry has attracted a lot of attention. Men are looking for meaning in their lives, and they are seeing Freemasonry for the first time, and in it, are seeing the answer to their need.

Society is increasingly void and vacuous of morality, of a sense of right and wrong. Freemasonry is offering what it always has… a Peculiar system of morality, taught by allegory and illustrated by symbols. Freemasonry offers something greater, something timeless and valuable, and as a result, men are flocking to the craft.

Offering them what they seek

One item that can be missed in the numbers offered above is the number of Entered Apprentices that are coming back for their Fellowcraft degree, and the number of Fellowcrafts that are being raised as master masons. This has always been an issue, as we have always seemed to initiate 8 for every 5 that come back for their Fellowcraft degree. The Grand Lodge has looked for the reason for this, and I suspect the reason is disappointment.

We will always have men disappointed in what they find, due to inaccurate expectations. I know a man in Oregon that joined the fraternity, expecting to see child sacrifice, black magic and a secret cabal bent on taking over the world. Needless to say, he did not find it, and never came back for his Fellowcraft.

Time is valuable

There are some, I am sure, who were not impressed with the level of knowledge they found in their lodge, nor in the quality of their degrees. It would be foolish to assume otherwise. There are a hundred reasons a man does not come back for his Fellowcraft, or Master Mason degree, but they all pretty much boil down to a lack of value for their time.

In Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, one of the issues he raises is that men are busy, they have endless distractions available to them in the time they have left over from work and commuting. The time a man spends with anything is an investment, and most want a return for their investment, and if they don’t see one, seek something else.

Freemasonry promises a timeless ritual, fellowship, morality, philosophy and knowledge. We all know that they find most of this, though sometimes not enough. The Grand Lodge of California has created a Masonic Formation process, one that teaches the lodges how to give the candidates what they are seeking, to form them into masons.

The lodge membership is getting younger

Another change that we are seeing in the lodges is a declining average age. Historically, since the formation of the Grand Lodge of California, the average age of joining has been 45… for over 150 years. Today, the average age of new masons is approaching the mid 30’s. This is due, in part, to lowering the minimum age for joining from 21 to 18, and the other reasons noted above.

Today, they are finding the craft to be younger, more vibrant, more responsive. Its no longer an old man’s coffee club, not that it ever was… however, there was a time not so long ago that a young man, knocking at our doors, found himself in the company of his grandfather and great grandfather, and its always difficult for a young man to see someone fifty years his senior as a brother and fellow.

Today, many lodges are visibly becoming younger, and with a younger lodge comes greater vibrancy and activity, and like a reverse “Catch-22”, the lodge cycles up into greater and greater life and excitement as more and more young men join. This is also in part what is happening in California.

Finding what is missing from society

Another reason for the change is that young men are finding society to be… uncaring, cold, and solitary. Some see a lack of moral value, and a lack of perceived value in the individual. We have a president who recently received oral sex in the Oval Office and claimed it wasn’t sex. We have politicians of every stripe saying and doing whatever they think they need to do to get them elected. We see our leaders being arrested, indicted, and resigning their offices and high stations in disgrace.

These young men want guidance, they want a firm line, they want tradition, history and fraternity, things that society is not offering them. They see these movies, read the books and articles, and come to the doors of our ancient and honorable craft seeking that which society is not offering them.

It would be nice if the Grand Lodge could take credit for all the positive changes. Truthfully, the Grand Lodge has been responsive to the needs of the members all along and has a concerned and dedicated staff that has served the craft well. Our Grand Masters have been good masons who have carefully tended to the current and future needs of the craft, and our Grand Secretary, V.W. John Cooper has been a visionary who has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the craft.

Freemasonry is on the correct path in California.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Masonry Needs to Change

Masonry Needs to Change!

This is the battle cry of a few, very vocal men. Yet, there are several problems with this "Masonry Needs to Change" argument, and many, admittedly right things about it. Its the manner of seeking the change that we must seek out a balance upon.

1) They want masonic education above and beyond what is currently available.
2) They want less fish frys and more masonic activities
3) They want less "interference" from grand lodge
4) They want autonomy in their lodges
5) They want the freedom to try other things
6) Less racism in lodge
7) Less "Old Boys"

Lets examine these arguments for a moment.

1) They want masonic education above and beyond what is currently available.

On this, they are probably right, though short sighted. You see, going back over 200 years, the same comments have been made. Freemasonry is a personal search, not a college education. A brother is given the fundamentals upon which to erect HIS personal masonic superstructure. It has been up to the brother to study, to search, to contemplate, to discuss and to work at that education. Could the education and discussion be more open and available? Sure, you bet. As a matter of fact, grand lodges are recognizing this, and moving to address the problem. The Grand Lodge of California, Arizona, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, and Oregon are just a FEW that are creating programs and putting them in place. I am ON the Masonic Formation Task Force in California, so I have a pretty good grasp of the efforts being made here along those lines. It has been received enthusiastically here.

2) They want less fish frys and more masonic activities

Ok, this is a fair criticism as well. They need to get on it and offer these things. If people participate, then it is wanted, if they don't participate, then it is not wanted. No organization will spend time and effort on something that three out of a hundred want unless the three are willing to get up and put in some effort.

3) They want less "interference" from grand lodge

This is the one that I find most irritating and easiest to dismiss. Children want less guidance from their parents, students want less guidance from their teaches, and some employees want less interference from their employers. Freemasonry has, over time, created a set of rules based on experience, to guide. The grand lodge is US, the members. Its not some entity out there in somewhereland that sits around thinking up ways to thwart the actions of a lodge. It follows traditions and the demands of the members over time. Since WE are the grand lodge, complaining about the grand lodge is complaining about yourself and your brothers, because the majority have created the grand lodge as it is today.

Realistically, if you feel the grand lodge is interfering, you need to go out and get a majority of your brothers to agree, then move to get grand lodge to change. They will not change without a good reason, nor did they put the rules they have in place without being pushed to over time by the brethren who saw a problem the rule addresses. In my grand lodge, for instance, there is a rule that the brethren cannot spend more than 30% of the lodge income on fraternal activities. Seems a little silly when your lodge is earning tens of thousands of dollars per year, until you look back on WHY the members of the grand lodge implemented the rule... because the master and wardens of a lodge enacted and got the lodge to vote for bread and circuses for a few years, bankrupting the lodge.

Sort of like the ex members of Halcyon did, voting the assets of the lodge out into an "independent" charity in violation of the rules of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, then "surrendering" their charter when the Grand Lodge called them on it so they would not have to return the multi million dollar asset to the lodge and so they could keep using it. The rule preventing that action was in place BECAUSE someone else tried exactly that dodge before, and is in place to prevent it happening again.

4) They want autonomy in their lodges

What does "autonomy" mean in this case? To be fair, it means being able to try out new things, like renting the lodge to a boxing school part time or to a church or to the county as a voting place, or, to a woman's lodge to generate income. Sometimes it means creating new programs the Grand Lodge has forbidden or has an objection to. More often than not, it means not having to obey the rules and regulations of the grand lodge that they may find inconvenient or problematic or troublesome. It means they set their opinion and ego above that of the grand lodge. Not a very masonic point of view.

Masonic would be trying to work out a change with grand lodge instead of telling them to go pound sand or whining about how they can't get their way.

5) They want the freedom to try other things

Ok, I am really on board with this one. There are many things that I would like to do in ritual, for instance, that my Grand Lecturer will not "let" me. For instance, I would really like to use the Chamber of Reflection in the conferral of the first degree. Or having the three principle officers step down onto the level in closing when the master asks how masons should meet, act or part. Or wearing white gloves, or... there are many things that I would like to change (some I cannot write, indict, print...). HOWEVER, there is a procedure for making changes, and a reason for having everyone working the same ritual... there is nothing that says I cannot exemplify other rituals or procedures... Also, in my grand lodge, if I feel strongly enough about it, I can try to effect change through legislation or by working with the ritual committee.

There are other issues, and I can understand and sympathize with brothers who feel stifled... but I would suggest that leaving the craft and starting another lodge/grand lodge/orient/whatever because one could not get his way might demonstrate more that the brother in question does not really understand freemasonry more than anything else. Its about working together, not one's ego. Its about accepting the things you can't change and working to change what you can, and knowing the difference between the two.

6) Less racism in lodge

Ok, I am fully on board with this one... but... there is always that but, isn't there? This is something that is not going to change overnight, and while it is morally reprehensible and unmasonic, in this masons opinion, one has to work TOWARD change rather than demanding that everything be done TODAY. Slow and steady wins the race, and while its not immediately satisfying to our needs and wants and desires (and g-d KNOWS Americans want what they want WHEN the want it, and want all problems to be resolved in an hour less commercials.

I have called for all lodges that recognize Prince Hall to withdraw amity from those who don't... on reflection, this is one of those emotionally satisfying positions that in the real world, would likely have the opposite effect from what I intend. The issue really isn't Prince Hall recognition, its allowing men of all colors, creeds, national origins and religions to join regular lodges. Prince Hall recognition is just a symptom, because, as Br. Arthur Peterson pointed out, it would just result in TWO SEPARATE Grand Lodges existing, one black, the other white. Separate but equal is not equal. "They" are still "over there" and not a part of "our lodge". I do not pretend any longer to have the answer, but I do think recognition and intervisitation between "mainstream" and Prince Hall lodges is a good FIRST STEP.

7) Less "Old Boys"

By this, they mean the grand line is pulled from the friends and associates of the current grand officers, thus perpetuating what they see as all that is "wrong" in freemasonry. I don't see this, being a member of the Grand Lodge of California, where anyone can be nominated for the Grand Oriental Chair at any Grand Communication from the floor.

None of these issues, however, in my mind, justify leaving the regular grand lodge system and starting up a new lodge/grand lodge/grand orient/whatever. That is just me, however. I am a member of a progressive Grand Lodge. I see these men leaving mainstream freemasonry, (and lets be honest, it hasn't been an exodus, or even close to a trickle) to go do "something else". These men know in their hearts that what they are doing is, in the long run, futile, for them. However, and argument has been made that their efforts will act as a wake up call to the mainstream grand lodge system. And it has.

The grand lodges are watching these startups, not with fear or trembling, and certainly not with benign amusement. They do see it as a symptom of a problem that many ARE addressing. The Grand Lodges also see many of the Grand Lodges stepping up and making changes... traditional observance lodges (Dennis Chornenky and the Masonic Restoration Foundation) , Esoterik Lodges (William Isabelle) and so on are examples. Masonic Formation by many of the grand lodges is also a symptom the grand lodges recognize the need and the demand be the brethren.

Some are slower than others. We need to face the fact that masonry was designed to be slow moving. It takes 4/5ths to make a change in most jurisdictions, and there is nothing people hate/fear more than change, so they fight back against it. Freemasonry has changed more in the past six years than it did in the 20 preceding it, and more changes are coming. There will still be those, who through lack of patience or lack of understanding, or through feeling pushed out will quit, or go to another lodge system. That is sad, but change always brings casualties.

My grand lodge has staunched the loss. We are now raising as many as we are losing through death, dimit and NPD, and members are staying as the craft is giving them what they need. Not everyone is as lucky, and I realize that, but I would enjoin my brethren to work in the system to effect the changes that are needed. Freemasonry was injured by the hippie era, as those "flower children" rejected everything their parents stood for... including the craft. Fortunately, THEIR children do not, and are seeking the lodges out and joining.

The average age of joining is getting younger. For almost 150 years, the average age of joining freemasonry was 47 in California. Today, it is in the mid 30's, albeit much of that is due to our allowing 18 year olds to petition and join. The fact is, the face of freemasonry is younger, more educated, more spiritual (strangely, given our culture), and they are seeking that which freemasonry offers. All we have to do is... give it to them.

And the Grand Lodges are seemingly starting to get it, despite frenetic claims to the contrary.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

True Brothers

This last week has been a very trying one for my family. Starting last August, while I was still in Saudi Arabia, my wife started suffering from shortness of breath. This was particularly trying because she has high blood pressure and diabetes... not that the two are a problem in and of themselves, but because as a result of her having these two illnesses, I could not buy health insurance for her.

There seems to be something wrong with a system that allows something as essential as healthcare insurance to be denied because someone is sick... but that's likely another subject for another forum.

When I came back to the United States, we were automatically covered under my employer's health plan (where my wife cannot be denied coverage... go figure). The doctor examining my wife took an x-ray, and informed us that her heart was seriously enlarged, which was compressing her lungs and that she was on the verge of a heart attack.

Two days later, she is having trouble breathing and having chest pain, so off we go to the emergency room. Long story short (yes... I know, too late) she spent the last week in hospital being subjected to a number of tests. The last test, after everything else had been tried, was a cat scan... where they discovered she does not have an enlarged heart, but 950cc of fluid in the sac around her heart.

They removed that, and she is now resting comfortably...

However, the point of this, as much as I am overjoyed that my lovely bride is once more hale and hearty, is not the trials and health tribulations of my wife. The point is that the brethren of my lodge, the senior officers: Wr. John Cover Spear, Master, Br. Ron Dudec, Senior Warden, and Wr. Pat Janitell, Junior Warden and my, well, mentor, Manny Blanco, all chose to today to come by and visit my wife.

Its almost expected that we extend brotherly love to our brothers in the lodge, but its wonderful to see the brothers take the time to stop by to see my wife, to wish her health in person. I am a member of a wonderful lodge, my friends, and a member of a wonderful Grand Lodge.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

How good and how pleasant it is...

Six years ago, I was hired by a good man to work at the Documentation and Training Manager for a network security company. He was a good boss, an honorable man, straightforward and trustworthy. At the time, I had not yet joined the fraternity, though I was five months away from it when he hired me.

Unfortunately, I only worked for him for five months. He took his new family, his wife and new born son, and took a new job in the mid west. Several months later, I was laid off in the dot com bubble burst, and I lost track of him.

The other day, we ran into each other through Plaxo, a web based personal connection tool. As we reconnected, I mentioned that I had joined Freemasonry. Well, he writes back that he is Senior Deacon of his lodge! He has also recently joined the craft, and is pursuing not only freemasonry, but membership in a Traditional Observance Lodge, esoteric masonry, and philosophical studies.

Its a small world, and good to reconnect to a former boss who is now a brother.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Just Three Things

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -

1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person -

1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose-

1. Integrity
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -

1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3.Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain -

1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person -

1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Three Rungs of Jacobs Ladder

1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Charity

Three Great Supports of Freemasonry -

1. Wisdom
2. Strength
3. Beauty

Three principle tenets of freemasonry -

1. Brotherly Love
2. Relief
3. Truth

The power of three, in life and in Freemasonry.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons, may brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Internet Freemasonry

The network, from the intimate connections of its several parts, denotes unity.

Internet masonry is an oxymoron. I write this because masonry is a personal journey, made with the assistance of brethren. The internet, by its very nature, is NOT personal, and ANYONE can claim to be a mason, and what would we have as proof? The internet is a tool, one of many, and it allows us to meet, virtually, men who in real life, we might never have the opportunity of meeting and knowing. It is a tool by which we can share our thoughts, our research, our opinions, informed and otherwise, and thereby grow as men and masons.

Regularity on the internet is a foolish discussion, for as I noted above, who really knows? Are you sure that I am a regular mason, made within the body of a just and legally constituted lodge of master masons? Well, Bill will avouch that, as will Happy Zealot and Jason Smith and a few others who I have had the privilege of meeting in the real world. Yet, how do you really know their posts aren't just me with a sock puppet? You don't, and that is the g-d's own truth. So arguing about it, running people off, insulting people because you don't agree with their opinions is... well, ridiculous. So is the argument.

Its only relative to the tyler of a lodge, who's duty it is to keep off cowans and eavesdroppers.

Now, some may disagree with the UGLoA, the GOoUSA, Euclid Lodge, Vulcan Lodge, "Halcyon #2", the Grand Lodge of St. James, the American Masonic Federation, Le Droit Humaine, GOdF etc etc... but the internet seems to be the place to explore those differences, to understand the why's and wherefore's, instead of spending time and effort running them down out of hand.

We have this wonderful tool, the internet, which allows us to meet people from different places, different obediences, and get to understand them and their points of view. It allows us to meet men, and women, that we otherwise would not have considered, or dismissed out of hand. A regular mason rarely meets a non regular mason, a co-mason, or a female mason EXCEPT on the internet, which creates wonderful opportunities.

It offers the best, for instance the Lodgeroom US, the Lodgeroom UK, and the Three Pillars, and the worst, for instance MFoL.

What we all need to keep in mind is the internet is the great equalizer. All of us meet on the level here, in cyberspace. It is a great communication tool, but should never be confused with a lodgeroom. Esoteric Masonry, ritual masonry, can be discussed here, within the limits of your obligation. If a person does not feel comfortable with discussing certain issues, they can forgo them, or, as has been done on some forums, a "tyled" area is created where only one kind or another of the many types of masons can go and discuss freemasonry.

There is something here for everyone... just keep in mind, unless you have met the person, or know someone who has met the person you are talking with, you have no way of knowing whether they are regular... or not. The interenet is not a tyled lodge, however, so it is silly to act as if it were, and even sillier to try to enforce "regularity" on an internet forum.

I have had many occasions of late to be disgusted with internet freemasonry. Actions which, as California Freemason I would never have been aware of have been shoved up my nose: Halcyon Lodge in Ohio, the United Grand Lodge of America/Grand Orient of the United States and the Flying Monkeys to name just three. On the other hand, what has kept me going are the good and honorable Freemasons I have met on the internet, Giovanni Lombardo, Bill McElligott, Cliff Porter, Prometheus, Jason Smith and many others, men who I would never have known BUT for the internet.

The internet is hardly the salvation of Freemasonry, nor will it damage our ancient and honorable craft. It is just another communication tool, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Just my opinion. As always, I welcome yours.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

The Noontime of Masonic McCarthyism

NOTE: The following was sent to my anonymously, and is signed with an anagram for McCarthyism. It seems to be circulating on the web. Lodgeroom US recently suffered a similar attack to that which is noted on The Burning Taper in the article. We fended it off by banning the subject which the Flying Monkey's Abused...

If you have any information, please email me.

Washington DC -- January 1, 2009 -- You’d never expected it to happen within such well-established and stable fraternity but it has. Not since the Morgan Affair and most recently the “P2” incident has there been such a frenzy of activity within the Masonic Order. Brothers are coming together and lists are being made and acted on. The party line is being drawn with a red-hot branding iron and seemingly benign Brotherly activities are being scrutinized under an increasing high magnification microscope.

Independent online Masonic activity has all but come to a halt. Masons worldwide have been “outed” as supporting the enemy. GL’s are taking action, filing charges against any who are even remotely connected with “supporting” non-regular masons. Brothers are shunning all communications with those accused. Businesses run by the accused are failing. Persons of interest are being tracked 24/7. Paranoia is at an all time high and membership roles are soaring unbelievably high.

For those not in the know, please take note that “THE” New Masonic Era is not upon us but it is with us right now and like or not, names are being taken and butts will be kicked. And people are taking notice.

Who would have thought that a mere year ago the dawn of a new day for Masonry was launched by a small group of self-styled Masonic vigilantes called “the flying monkeys” who were fed up with what they perceived as a impure element on the internet. These Masonic Puritans showed all the classic signs at that time of a dysfunctional group of individuals with nothing better to do with their time. But funding came swiftly from deep pocket sources and with the aid of the internet, word got out quickly that this group was not to be messed with.

The name of the group was coined by a person who once ran the now defunct on- line web-log “The Burning Taper.” Early in their history, the group descended upon this site and mounted a strategic attack. It all but forced the site owner to close down aspects of the site until the attack was called off. The site was never the same and the group takes credit for what they call a “positive change” in the on-line Masonic experience.

With success there, the group then mounted strategic attacks on other Masonic forums that they viewed as collaborating with the enemy. Because of their methods, one forum after another fell and the majority of on-line Masons soon stopped posting. Some sites were merged, some sites were closed and others were taken over by members of the group to become machines for further propagation of their agenda.

Who was their enemy? It was hard to understand at first. It seemed that anyone that didn’t think as they did was a strong draw for their attacks. Later on, it became clear that this was a ploy and that the enemy was merely anyone that they could bully into allowing them the power to take over.

How did they get so strong? A noted Masonic psychologist and a fellow noted historian, who both requested to be kept anonymous because of their fears of the group, made the following information available:

• Their group activities fostered isolation of their individuals preventing reality checks that would prevent members from using rational thinking.
  
• Fear and projection were amplified by “leaks of information” that enemy tactics were influencing the more impressionable of their group.
  
• Anyone who didn’t keep their approved party line and parrot it back regularly would be intimidated into professing their belief in writing for all in the movement to see or risk being thrown from their group.
  
• Paranoia, anger, depression and anxiety were the dominating feelings generated by its members.
  
• Members were encouraged repetitively to deny discussion of anything that wasn’t approved by the leaders.
  
• Any flexibility demonstrated in thought or rethinking what the party line was would be met with immediate intimidation.
  
• Their “cause” was strengthened by a black and white ideology handed down from the main organizers thus fostering an all of nothing, them or us mentality.

Our sources claim it does not take much to consolidate such a group once the numbers reach critical mass.

What is now evident is that, much like the America of the McCarthy era, anyone who speaks of Masonry in any way had better be speaking the party line preached by this group.

Can they be stopped? Our sources say most likely not. Grand Lodges are enjoying the fall out. Masonic membership roles are increasing at record levels since the majority of the worldwide Masonic culture no longer trusts on-line activity and other media sources. Masons have taken to going back to Lodges once again to find out what is going on in their Masonic world.

Meanwhile the group continues to grow and gain power. They have reached into and drawn members from every known Masonic organization that was left after the great die-out in mid 2008. As historians have recorded, near every single non- regular mason, their respective organizations and those who have been accused of collaborating with them have stopped practicing due to fear and lack of funding. Most all of those affected are lucky to be able to predict where their next meal will come from due to the far-reaching influence of this group.

---------------

Have you been affected? Take a walk through this simple quiz. Please circle either “True” or “False” for each statement that applies:

True/False 1. Masons I know unscrupulously accuse people of disloyalty (as by saying they were un-Masonic.)

True/False 2. Masons I know use unfair investigatory or accusatory methods in order to suppress opposition.

True/False 3. Masons I know publicize accusations of Masonic disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence.

True/False 4. Masonic witch-hunts - searching out and harassing dissenters – are being carried out by Masons I know.

True/False 5. Masons I know have used disrespectful and abusive language that both belittles and intimidates other human beings to forward an agenda of hate and fear.

True/False 6. Masons I know have been harmed either indirectly or directly by one or more of the above listed activities.

Reporter -- March Mystic

What is Whispering Good Counsel

In the third degree, the candidate is taught that:

...you might whisper good counsel in his ear, gently admonishing of his errors, and in a most friendly manner, seek to bring about a reformation.

What does that mean to us as masons? It seems to mean that if you see a brother failing to live up to the moral standards, rules, regulations, traditions, constitution and edicts of Freemasonry that you should whisper good counsel to the brother.

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? What then is a brother to do when his whispered counsel is not well received. What do you do with a brother, that instead, chastises a brother for daring to correct what he sees as an error, when he is raked over the coals and held up to public ridicule?

As brothers, we are called to correct, aid and assist our brethren. Before we do so, we should ask ourselves four things:

1. Is the counsel correct, and more, is it going to be useful? In some Grand Jurisdictions, it is against the masonic code to sell alcohol, or be a part of a business that distributes alcohol. Would it be useful to tell a brother in another jurisdiction where it is NOT against the code that it is unmasonic to do so?
2. What is the purpose of the counsel? Are you trying to truly help a brother by pointing out something he may have missed, or are you trying to show moral superiority by doing so. Masonic charity is not just giving money and time to the lodge and the brethren, it is about an attitude of BEING charitable. If the purpose of whispering good counsel is to aggrandize yourself, remain silent. Whispering good counsel is supposed to be a friendly act, not an assault.
3. Will the counsel be received? If you know that whispering good counsel will not be received by the brother, if you recognize from his past deportment that he not only KNOWS his actions are not in keeping with masonic law and custom and that he is deliberately carrying out the act, prudence dictates you follow the lesson of the first degree and maintain silence with that brother.
4. Last, will the counsel be helpful? This seems pretty straightforward, but it can be a serious consideration. In California, the obligation specifically requires a brother to give due and timely notice of approaching danger, but if the approaching danger is something the brother cannot avoid, then whispering counsel to him would be a waste of time. Only the brother can make that judgment, and it should be seriously reviewed.
5. The counsel should be private, just between the two brothers, otherwise it is not whispering.
   

There was a situation years ago that a Junior Warden faced. He had been given information "on the square" to be held in the faithful repository of a faithful breast. It did not concern murder or treason, or even at that time, felonious conduct, but he was given this information as due and timely notice of approaching danger. In California, the Junior Warden of a lodge is the one that receives masonic complaints/charges and then investigates and if necessary, prefers the charges through the lodge.

Was he obligated to warn the brother who was the subject of the information or keep the information as a secret given to him in trust? Was he required to whisper good counsel to the brother in question? Did he have an obligation to the lodge that superseded his obligation to the brother?

These were serious questions. The Junior Warden kept the secrets that had been entrusted to him, and did not warn the brother at the center of the issue, for in doing so, he would have violated the trust. The Junior Warden did not warn the lodge, since that too would have violated his obligation to keep the secrets entrusted to him.

Events unfolded over the fullness of time, and it all worked out it should according to masonic tradition and rules.

The internet is an interesting animal all on its own, and present challenges to our obligations as well. For some reason, people on the internet like to try to hide behind online aliases, some just like them but sign their real names and affiliations along with the nicknames. This is mentioned not as a criticism, implied or explicit, but as a manner of noting that because of the nicknames, some brothers say and do things on the internet they would never do in person.

How does this apply to whispering good counsel? A PhD brother recently noted, correctly, that 93% of communication is non verbal, that is, intonation, body language, facial expressions and so on. As a result, we are reduced to the medium of simple words here, the remaining 7%. Due to this, the opportunities for miscommunication abound. As an example, remove 93 out of every 100 letters in this article, and you will see that you are left with little.

Couple the opportunity for miscommunication endemic in written only communication with the relative anonymity of the internet, and it becomes very difficult to "read" a brother, to understand him. Internet interactions therefore, are very challenging, and if you couple THAT problem with personal issues that some brothers may carry with them, and the tenets of freemasonry can become pretty darn tenuous.

No one single tenet of freemasonry informs our lives as masons, it is the totality of the craft. We cannot be prudent if we do not temper our words with justice and fortitude. We cannot aid and assist a brother unless we properly understand the meaning of faith, hope and charity. We cannot keep the secrets of a brother as our own unless we have fortitude and prudence, the ability to maintain and prudential silence while reprehending with justice and a faith in the divine in all men.

Moreover, before whispering good counsel, we should practice charity, to give our brother the benefit of the doubt, to always consider that there is more than one side to any story, and that your opponent is rarely a villain in his own eyes. Not that any brother is a villain, but as a means of considering that the way you see it is not always the way it is... there are always facts, interpretations, and viewpoints other than our own.

We ARE called to whisper good counsel. It is our duty, but we must temper that obligation with the rest of what Freemasonry teaches us. Moreover, whispered counsel should be... well, whispered. On the internet, that means using private email, not posting on blogs, forums, or other public areas. In person, it means just between the two brothers. If a third brother is needed, then the advice, which is really what whispered counsel is, may not be well received.

I personally learned these lessons recently. I thought I was whispering good counsel, and posted a comment on a comments section of a blog. Of course it blew up into MUCH more than it was, and the situation cycled WAAAY out of proportion to the actual and real situation at hand. Darn near every one of the five rules posted above were violated in the two sentence note: It was not well received, it was not private, and it's offer was more seen as bullying than whispered counsel.

Yhe point was not made in private, the receiver was embarrassed, which resulted in the normal, human reaction of striking back, which lead to me being embarrassed which lead to a whole series of incredibly stupid, inconsiderate, and conduct unbecoming masons on both sides. Really stupid because one brother did not stop and consider before acting... and that is another problem created by the internet... it creates an instant method of acting that, in normal situations, would be put off until a "better more appropos" time.

The good news is this lesson (unfortunately in retrospect) has been learned. The bad news is there is no way to repair the damage... perhaps a tincture of time and a hefty dose of freemasonry will allow the situation to be repaired. Either way, the lesson can be shared...

Here is another thought though, and related to the first: Every coin has two sides.

The OTHER side of whispering good counsel is receiving it! Implicit in our obligation to OFFER good counsel is our obligation to a brother to hear him out and carefully consider his words when offered good counsel. Charity means that we apply the most charitable ear possible to the words being offered, that the brothering offering it to us has taken time to think about it, has wrestled with his conscience, has carefully considered, and is offering you a precious gift.

Especially if you do not agree, it is our obligation to hear him out, to carefully examine what he is saying, to thank him for taking the time and effort to offer it. Even if you do not agree with him, masonic charity all but demands that you at least thank the brother for coming to you. Masonic Justice also all but demands that you give him the courtesy of thinking about what he brought to you. We are all blind to some things.

Its all about Freemasonry.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Do We Need a National Grand Lodge?

The question that has been raised is: Do We Need a National Grand Lodge?

No.

Well, that ends that, doesn’t it?

Ok, that’s hardly worth reading, so lets look at the issue seriously for a moment… but just a moment.

Periodically, the issue of a National Grand Lodge comes up, with brothers taking one side or another, and of course, a few in the middle. The issue of a National Grand Lodge first came up after the American Civil war (the one we call the Revolutionary War), when, at the instigation of American Union Lodge he was suggested for the office of Grand Master of a National Grand Lodge -- a non-existent body. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and some others agreed, but too many others disagreed with the concept of a National Grand Lodge and the idea was dropped.

The issue is raised by brothers who, seeing the plethora of rules (and sometimes conflicting rule) under which the almost 100 regular Grand Lodges in the United States operate, desire to establish a single, unified, overarching authority. Their purpose, while laudable, seems contradictory to the traditions of Freemasonry that have been established over the previous 300 years.

We all know that there exists the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), but, what exactly does it Unite? The Grand Lodge of Scotland (GLoS) and the Grand Lodge of Ireland (GLoI) are independent Grand bodies, in amity with the UGLE, and those august bodies are both members of the same United Kingdom. This is very little different from the relationship that the various regular Grand Lodges enjoy with each other, and, frankly, with the UGLE, GLoS, and GLoI.

So, what does the UGLE unite? The answer is, it unites the Moderns and the Antients into one Grand Lodge. Time is too short here to address that whole issue, suffice it to say that was an early schism in the Grand Lodge of England, the one that was formed in 1717. The "Antients" wanted to “preserve” the mystic elements of freemasonry and the "Moderns" wanted to create a more progressive Freemasonry, one of enlightenment through morality, science, contemplation and natural philosophy. In 1813, the "Antients" won the conflict which had started in 1751 and the Masonry we have today is a result of that victory.

They united themselves, the Antients and the Moderns, so the United Grand Lodge of England is more accurately, the Grand Lodge of England, they are still the Premiere Grand Lodge from which all Regular Grand Lodges descend. They are the fount of today’s modern Freemasonry, for even the Grand Orient d’France, the primary “other” Freemasonry in the world was originally chartered by the UGLE.

The question then is: Why a National Grand Lodge of America? Well, one already exists for the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodges. It fell apart in 1877 (an issue that is still in dispute), and still exists to this day. There also used to be a United Grand Lodge of America, a pretender to Masonry that existed mainly in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, and has recently changed its name to the Grand Orient of the United States.

However, there is no Mainstream, Regular Grand Lodge of the United States. The purpose of this article then, is to examine why we should, or should not establish such an organization.

Why:

1. To standardize issues of regularity.

2. To standardize rules and regulations.

3. To standardize ritual.

4. To standardize the way Grand Lodges operate.

5. To standardize our message to the world.

6. To eliminate racism in the little pockets where it still exists.

Why not:

1. Regularity, while it is handled in a variety of ways across the world, pretty much follows the recommendations of the Commission on Regularity, a committee of the Grand Masters in all the grand lodges in the United States. As an example of this, the Grand Lodges in the United States all recognize as regular, the Grande Oriente d’Italia, while the UGLE recognizes the Regolare Grande Loggia d’Italia.

The point here is that the Grand Lodges in the United States are already working together on this issue, and with very rare exceptions, are all on the same page. This issue is does not seem sufficient to justify a national authority.

2. Rules and Regulations are fairly standard, and where they are not standard, it is due to local conditions. One issue that is mentioned most often in this regard is that a few of the Southern Grand Lodges hold that selling or dealing in alcohol will prevent a man from being considered for membership, and will subject a brother to a Masonic trial and possible expulsion.

Another issue is Grand Lodges that retain the ability of the Grand Master to expel masons at sight, as well as make masons at sight. While most grand lodges do not seem to allow this authority to the Grand Master, it is quintessentially Masonic to consider that a man who rises to the Grand Oriental Chair is of such character that he will not abuse the authority. Once more, these are relatively minor issues, differences in law and process and do not seem sufficient to justify a national authority.

3. Ritual should be an issue for the individual lodges, and should probably not even be an issue for a grand lodge to decide upon. The idea that a national body could provide guidance to local lodges just does not seem appropriate, and therefore does not seem sufficient to justify a national authority.

4. Operations of a Grand Lodge are in large part, dependent upon local conditions. The operation of the Grand Lodge of California will be different than the operations of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island. The needs will be different due to the difference in members, the difference in local laws and so on. These differences are also, to a large extent, better determined by the local lodge/Grand Lodge than a body entirely removed.

To be sure, there are differences. For instance, the Grand Lodge of California’s constitution requires all decisions and edicts issued by the Grand Master between sessions of the Grand Communication to be ratified by the voting members. The voting members are the elected Junior and Senior Warden, the Master, and a single past masters vote, coupled with the votes of all the Past Grand Masters, the District Deputy Grand Masters, and the elected Grand Officers, the Grand Master, the Deputy Grand Master, the Senior Grand Warden, the Junior Grand Warden, the Grand Secretary, the Grand Lecturer and Grand Treasurer.

Legislation can also be proposed by the brethren, with the signature of three master masons. This legislation is voted on at the Grand Communication, and if it receives the 5/6ths super majority, it will pass. If it only receives a majority, it is carried forward to the next Grand Communication, and if it receives 60% plus one vote, the legislation passes.

It is not always the case that the Grand Master and Grand Lodge has such a rein by the brethren, and while it is true that a certain degree of standardization can be useful, it does not seem that the need for this comes anywhere near to rising to the level that would justify a national governing authority.

5. Standardizing our message to the world is the one area where I think a national governing authority would be useful. For instance, the Shrine decided some time back that their reputation needed polishing. They undertook a national ad campaign, in magazines, newspapers, on radio and television, on bill boards, on trucks… everywhere, showing the iconic image of a Shriner carrying a girl on his shoulders with her crutches in his other hand.

Thirty years later, the image of the Shrine is of a bunch of men in little cars, wearing silly hats and supporting hospitals for children. They could do this because THEY have a national governing authority, and can mold and direct their message. Blue Lodges could do that now, through the Committee of Grand Masters which meets every year now to discuss issues of interest to all the Grand Lodges. In a sense, we already have a national authority… only its not an authority and certainly not a governing one.

Regardless, this national committee hasn’t even tried to undertake such a project for many good reasons, too many to go into in this article. However, that being the case, and they having never taken advantage of the opportunity, it again does not seem to necessitate a National Governing Authority.

6. Racism is ugly, and it is certainly not a Masonic virtue. Quite the opposite. The problem it, if that was a stated goal of the National Governing Authority, there are 12 Grand Lodges extent that would never go along with it. As a result, we would end up with a national body that 12 out of a hundred would not recognize or be recognized, and regularity would be compromised.

While it is anathema to Masonry that racism is allowed to even exist, at this point there is little the regular Grand Lodges can do other than withdraw recognition from those 12 Grand Lodges, wait a time with patience until they join the 21^st century, or continue what is being done… whispering good counsel to seek to bring about a reformation.

This issue alone, if addressed, would mean the death of the idea of a National Governing Authority, and if this issue is NOT addressed, a National Governing Authority would have no moral authority under which to operate. It would be hamstrung on its first day. Therefore, if for no other reason than this one, there should be no National Governing Authority.

One last consideration is that we already have almost a hundred Regular Grand Lodges in the United States, each with a Grand Line of Officers, a Grand Lodge building, a Grand Charity of one kind or another and so on. Many would argue that the Grand Lodges are already bureaucratic and overly intrusive into the operations of their lodges.

Adding an additional layer of bureaucracy would seem, therefore, to be contraindicated. It’s a nice thought, on an emotional level, to have one single overarching National Grand Authority, but on reflection, it just does not seem to be a practical idea, on many levels, and is one that is just not needed.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Court Says Freemasons Fall Under Religious Protection Law

http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=14306

by Heather Donckels

Excerpted from: Religion News Service

Freemasonry may rank with Christianity, Judaism and Islam as an official form of "religious exercise," a California court of appeals suggested in a ruling on Oct. 3. As such, Masons would fall under the protections of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), the landmark law that says government may not infringe on religious buildings without a compelling interest.

"We see no principled way to distinguish the earnest pursuit of these (Masonic) principles ... from more widely acknowledged modes of religious exercise," the statement said. The case involves the Los Angeles Scottish Rite Cathedral (LASRC) and the Scottish Rite Cathedral Association of Los Angeles (SRCALA). The court concluded that "chief" Masonic principles include "the reverence of a Supreme Being and the embrace of other forms of religious worship."

The court said it could find "no decisions analyzing whether Masonic practices are sufficiently religious in nature to qualify under RLUIPA,"which says the government cannot "impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person."

The court's statement countered a lower court's opinion that "the `Freemason' organization is (not) a religion."

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Masonic History of the Grand Lodge of California

From Masonic Formation Material
For the Entered Apprentice Degree
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of California F&AM

You know, or should know, that Masonry in its modern Speculative form began with the organization of the first Grand Lodge and of the Grand Lodge system in London, England, in 1717. It is also important to be aware that the earliest known record of an American Lodge is dated at 1730, only thirteen years after the constituting of the Mother Grand Lodge. In parallel with the evolution of the USA, Masonry moved from East to West. From England to New England, across the fruited plains, majestic mountains and beautiful deserts, to the Golden Coast in the West pioneers, travelers and seekers of all description sojourned, and settled.

The history of the Grand Lodge of California is inseparable from the history of the State of California. Those same brave pioneers who came west in search of wealth, fame, and opportunity came to bring their beloved fraternity, and all that it entails, with them. In some cases, bringing Masonry to “The New Frontier” was their primary purpose. Grand Masters of Eastern jurisdictions issued Charters to western-bound sojourners, giving them the right to work as Lodges in the Wild West, under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Grand Lodge. Other Grand Masters issued Dispensations, giving groups of Masons who found themselves in this Masonic Wilderness the right to meet and organize as California Masonic Lodges.

In 1849, gold was discovered near Sutter’s Mill. Word quickly moved eastward, and men accordingly began to move west. Such a long, difficult and dangerous journey is not to be undertaken lightly, or alone. Men seeking their fortunes knew that to go it alone was an invitation to disaster. Accordingly, they banded together into traveling parties, and sought ways to fulfill the need for fraternalism and mutual assistance. Some had long been Masons, others joined Masonic Lodges, and together, as Brethren, they made their way West.

It is unsurprising; therefore, that many prominent leaders in this new frontier were members of our fraternity. With the number of Masons, and the prominence the Craft played in their lives and the lives of others, the obvious action was to create a Grand Lodge of Masons in California.

As early as March of 1850, Masons in California attempted to form a Grand Lodge. That attempt failed, but the following month saw success. Invitations were issued to all the Masonic Lodges known to be in California, and all past Grand Officers of other jurisdictions known to be living here, to send delegates to a convention. At this convention, a new Grand Lodge was to be formed. On April 17th, 1850, in Sacramento three Chartered Lodges presented credentials, and three Lodges under dispensation sent delegates.

The oldest recorded California Lodge is California Lodge # 1, which was chartered by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia as California Lodge # 13. The vault of Western Star Lodge #2, in Shasta City, California, contains many valuable relics, memorializing its move from Benton City, near Chico, in 1851. Others show the number 98, which was issued by the Grand Lodge of Missouri on May 10, 1848, when it was first Chartered.

The Grand Lodge of Connecticut issued a Charter to Connecticut Lodge No. 76 on January 31, 1849. When the Grand Lodge of California was formed in 1850, it became Tehama Lodge No. 3.

The Grand Lodge of California, in April of 1850, thereby consisted of three Chartered Lodges. Total membership in those Lodges was 103. An inauspicious beginning, perhaps, but it led to fantastic growth.

In addition to Lodges Chartered by other jurisdictions, there were eleven dispensations issued by Grand Masters from Eastern jurisdictions. A few eventually became Chartered Lodges. Others thrived for a time and then faded away. The rest just never manifested at all. In most cases, a dispensation would be issued for a Traveling Lodge, to a group of Masons headed west. These early California Masons would hold meetings when and where they could, and some held together long enough to take hold in a California community.

The Grand Master of Indiana issued a dispensation to form Sierra Nevada Lodge, in Grass Valley, in 1848. The Lodge eventually failed, and its members later formed Madison Lodge, which was chartered under the Grand Lodge of California.

In 1849, the Grand Master of Louisiana gave a grant, similar to a dispensation, to a group that eventually became The Pacific Lodge at Benicia, and later was chartered as Benicia Lodge No. 5. The Lodge building they built was the first in California, and is still standing. In it are the first jewels used by the Lodge, made of tin and cut from cans of food. In the Lodge room, on the altar, is another relic from 1850, their Holy Bible.

Another dispensation issued by the Grand Master of Louisiana formed Davy Crockett Lodge No. 7. Ruben Clark was Master in 1851, and served the State of California as Architect and Builder of the State Capitol building in Sacramento. 1852 saw the name changed to San Francisco Lodge No. 7, as the Lodge moved from the jurisdiction of Louisiana to the Grand Lodge of California.

The Grand Lodge of California gained three more Chartered Lodges.

In September of 1850, the Republic of California became a State in the United States of America. Five Months earlier, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of California was formed. Jonathan D. Stevenson of San Francisco became the first Grand Master. On April 19, 1850, assisted by a full corps of officers, he opened the first session of the Grand Lodge of California in ample form.

From 103 members in three Chartered Lodges, the Grand Lodge of California grew. By November of 1850, Jennings Lodge No. 4 of Sacramento; Benicia Lodge No. 5; Sutter Lodge No. 6 of Sacramento; Davy Crockett No. 7 of San Francisco; Tuolumne Lodge No. 8 of Sonora; Marysville Lodge No. 9; San Jose Lodge No. 10; and Willamette Lodge No. 11 of Portland, Oregon, were chartered. The Grand Lodge of California had grown to 304 Masons; nearly tripling its size in members and quadrupling in Lodges in seven Months.

The day following the formation of the Grand Lodge of California, the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin issued a Charter to Lafayette Lodge No. 29, in Nevada City. While technically a breach of courtesy for one Grand Lodge to issue a Charter to a Lodge in the area of another jurisdiction, this was done in all innocence. Communications and transportation were not then what they are today. In addition, they did not have the Internet to make things as speedy as we know them. In 1851, a fire destroyed the Charter, and the Lodge was immediately re Chartered as Nevada Lodge No. 13. It remains so known to this day.

The year 1850 was a busy year for the Grand Master of Illinois. He issued dispensations for two Lodges in California. The first, Laveley Lodge in Marysville later became Marysville Lodge No. 9, and still later changed it’s name to Corinthian Lodge No. 9. The second Illinois Lodge in California, Pacific Lodge, near Oroville, held it’s meetings at a place called Long’s Bar. Formed in 1850, it faded from the scene, and it’s members were allowed to affiliate with California Lodges.

Grants and dispensations were also authorized and issued by Grand Masters of New Jersey, Virginia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Florida. None of these lasted very long, most never advanced beyond the Traveling Lodge stage.

Human organizations tend to grow, change and shrink. By 1860, two Lodges had moved to the jurisdiction of Oregon, 13 had surrendered their Charters; two had lost them for cause. Grand Lodge now consisted of 128 Lodges and 5055 members.

With a stabilizing population, the establishment of more cities, towns and communities, and the settlement of this wild new frontier winding down, more growth, changes, and evolution inevitably follow.

Mining has been, from the beginning, a major industry in California. Wherever a successful mine can be found, a town to support that mine will be nearby. Fascinating names were established for these towns and no less fascinating names for the Lodges Chartered therein. A few examples include: Rough and Ready at a camp by the same name in Nevada County; Indian Diggings Lodge in El Dorado County; Saint Mark 's Lodge at Fiddletown; Oro Fino, at a town by that name in Siskiyou County; Violet Lodge at Spanish Flat; Rising Sun Lodge at Brandy City; Mount Carmel Lodge at Red Dog, Nevada County. These and more, added color to the local landscape, and made Masonry a part of the community.

Brother John Whicher, former Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of California tells an interesting story of a characteristic mining camp in the early days of California. "Of the numerous mining camps of early days, " says Brother Whicher, "one only need be noted. The largest mining camp in California was Columbia, in Tuolumne County, known as the 'Gem of the Southern Mines'. Gold was discovered there in the spring of 1850, and within one month, the stampede from nearby camps resulted in a population of 6000 miners. Every week brought more treasure-hunters, and flush times counted 30,000 men madly digging in the hills thereabouts, 15,000 being in the city limits. By 1865, Columbia was dead. It contained forty saloons, a long street devoted to fandangos and hurdy-gurdies, four theaters, one Chinese theater with a stock company of 40 native actors, three jewelry stores, a bull ring, 143 faro banks with a combined capital of $2,000,000, four hotels, two military companies, two hose companies, three express offices, four banks, four newspapers, two churches, a Sunday school, a division of the Sons of Temperance, and Columbia Lodge No. 28, of Masons.

The principal bank was that of D. O. Mills, the steps leading to the building being of white Columbia marble, and the counters of mahogany. It contained huge gold scales with a capacity of $40,000 in dust and nuggets. The camp produced within a radius of three miles and shipped $125,000,000 in gold. The Masonic Lodge was a power in the work of maintaining order and decent government, but after the gold-fever and the mines had subsided, the membership fell to a low ebb, and in 1891 the old Lodge, established July, 1852, consolidated with Tuolumne Lodge No. 8, at the historic town of Sonora, where it still carries on. There are innumerable ghost cities on the Mother Lode, but Columbia was the gem of them all."

Many of these Lodges no longer exist. Towns, particularly mining towns, were successful only as long as the mines they supported produced a profit. During our 150 years as a Sovereign Grand Lodge, nearly 300 Lodges have become extinct. Freemasonry in the Grand Lodge of California, notwithstanding, has still survived. At the 2004 Annual Communications, there about 74,000 Masons in around 350 Constituent Lodges, which can be found in every city and in or near most of the smaller towns in the state. The age of the average California Mason is 68 years.

In the earlier days of the settlement of California, most of the growth was in the North end of the state. More recently, the South end has seen the same pattern. In 1860, San Diego Lodge No. 35, Los Angeles No. 42 and Lexington No. 104 were the only Lodges in the Southern half of the state. That was in 1855. Today nearly 45 percent of California Lodges are south of Tehachapi. In the County of San Diego, at the southern end of the state, there are currently 26 Chartered Lodges.

A fraternity, any fraternity, is whatever its members make it. Who those members are will play a large part in making it what it is. Let us look at some California Masons with whom you may – or should – be familiar.

La Loge La Parfaite Union Lodge No. 17 in San Francisco, commonly called "the French Lodge", has the honor of being the first non-English-speaking Lodge in California. And, in addition to being a Lodge with great individuality, because of its using the French ritual, it stands out as well as the Lodge whose Master (1898 and 1899) Alexander Kaufman Coney, saved the life of a Brother who later became President of Mexico. In his early years, Coney went to sea and sailed all over the globe. During these years he became a Mason in Silentia Lodge No. 198, New York City, in 1875. And, during these years as Purser of the vessel City of Havana, while docked in New Orleans, he managed to assist a stranger who came aboard the ship one summer evening. After some conversation, the stranger introduced himself as a Mexican revolutionary leader named Dr. de la Boza. He identified himself as a Mason as well, for whom the Mexican government had offered a large reward. He asked Coney, as a Brother Mason in distress, to conceal him aboard the ship until the vessel reached Vera Cruz. Coney knew it was against ship rules to take anyone aboard in this manner, but he knew that here was a Master Mason in distress and it was his duty to help him. On the way, the vessel stopped at Tampico where Dr. de la Boza had an extremely narrow escape from being caught, again with Coney’s direct assistance. He finally escaped in the darkness of night when the vessel finally reached Vera Cruz. He continued with his revolutionary efforts, eventually rising to the Presidency of Mexico.

Coney, however, did not know what became of him until several years later while he was on a visit to Mexico City. While sightseeing in the city one day, he was recognized and brought by several uniformed officers to the Presidential Palace. There he learned, to his amazement, that the Brother whose life he had saved was not a Dr. de la Boza, but General Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico.

Coney turned down a check for $50,000 (the amount of the reward that had been offered for General Diaz when Coney had originally assisted him to escape his enemies). Thereafter, he became Diaz’s lifelong friend, and served as Mexican Consul General in St. Nazaire, France; in Paris, and later in San Francisco. He affiliated with La Parfaite Union in 1878.

James W. Robinson, one of the organizers of San Diego Lodge No. 35, born in Ohio, migrated to Texas in 1824. He took up the practice of Law in Nacogdoches, and became very active in State politics. On November 12, 1835, the Texas provisional council elected him Vice President of the Texas Republic. He was later appointed one of the first district judges of Texas. In December 1836, he was captured in the Battle of San Antonio and was taken to Mexico City as a prisoner of war. He was able to persuade General Santa Ana to free him in order for him to try to arrange an armistice. In 1850, he and his wife moved to San Diego where he built a two-story adobe house in the middle of the intersection of two streets, which he occupied for the remainder of his life.

Hilliard P. Dorsey, the first Master of Los Angeles Lodge No. 42, in 1854, came from Georgia, where he was born in 1821. During the Mexican War, he served as a Captain of the Mississippi Regiment under Jefferson Davis. He came to California in September 1849. He pioneered in the cultivation of walnuts near San Gabriel. However, he is most remembered for having fought a duel with another Lodge member during his year as Master, even though Grand Lodge had ruled that dueling between Brother Masons would be penalized by expulsion. Nevertheless, the duel took place two weeks later; each suffered a severe wound, and Grand Lodge expelled them both.

Domenico Ghirardelli, the founder of one of California’s oldest business firms, Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Company, was a member of Lodge La Parfaite Union No. 17. He was born in Raphalo, Italy, in 1817, and migrated first to Lima, Peru, where he became close friends with James Lick. In 1849 when news of the California gold discovery reached Peru, Ghirardelli followed Lick to San Francisco. After first trying his luck as a miner, he soon returned to his confectioner’s trade, and opened a "Candy & Syrup Manufactory", producing only the best French and American candy. Over the years, the business evolved, until it finally focused only on chocolate in its North Beach site in 1895.

Peter Lassen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1800, and in 1830 he came to the United States and worked his way through St. Louis, Missouri, and overland to Oregon City. From there, he made his way south to San Jose in 1840-41, where he worked as a blacksmith. He moved on to Sutter’s Fort, and in 1844, he became a Mexican citizen and was granted a ranch area in what is now Tehama County. After the Mexican War, he traveled overland to Missouri with Commodore Stockton, and then returned in an immigrant train of 12 wagons with the Reverend Saschal Woods, carrying the Charter of Western Star Lodge No. 98, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Missouri. This Lodge was supposed to have been opened on Lassen’s property, in a small settlement he established on Deer Creek. However, it moved to Shasta during the gold rush of 1849-1851, and Lassen became the Charter Junior Warden of Western Star Lodge No. 98 (now No. 2). He was killed somewhat mysteriously in 1859 while prospecting for gold in the Honey Lake region of what is now Lassen County.

Initiated Three Times

The first Master of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 44, Philip Shepheard, was initiated three times and passed twice!

Born in Plymouth, England, in 1813, his early life was as a sailor. During his seafaring years he was initiated an Entered Apprentice in a French Lodge that met in a cave near Alexandria, Egypt. However, he had to leave before he could be passed, so he applied for his Fellowcraft degree in an English Lodge at Kingston, Jamaica. However, his French work was so different from that of the English Lodge that he had to be initiated again. Then once more before he could be passed, he had to sail. He tried again in New York, and here again the work was so different from either the English or French that another initiation was in order. But once again, he had to leave before getting the Fellow Craft degree. Finally, while in port at Rio de Janeiro, he was passed in St. John’s Lodge No. 703.

He arrived in San Francisco as Captain of the vessel Arkansas in December 1849, and applied to California Lodge No. 1 for the Third Degree. But, by then, he had such a jumble of French, English, and American work in his mind that the Lodge decided that he had to be passed again. He finally became a Master Mason in California Lodge sometime between November 1850, and May 1851. In 1853, he withdrew from California Lodge to help organize Mount Moriah Lodge No. 44, and he remained a member until his death in December 1865.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

The Grand Lodges

Who is the Grand Lodge, anyway? Who are those guys to tell us what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, what we can teach and how we should teach it, the rituals we should use and the rules by which we should act as masons?

Those are the questions I read on the internet. Well, who are these guys anyway??

YOU.

Huh? What’d he say?

In a regular Grand Lodge, the Grand Lodge is you, the members of the constituent lodges. Like the United States government, the power, the authority, all flows from the members and the chartered lodges. Its really that simple.

Go back to the beginning and take a look at the history of the regular Grand Lodges. I will use the Grand Lodge of California, F&AM as an example of what is usual in the formation of a Regular Grand Lodge.

On April 17th, 1850, in Sacramento three Chartered Lodges presented credentials, and three Lodges under dispensation sent delegates. The oldest recorded California Lodge is California Lodge # 1, which was chartered by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia as California Lodge # 13.

Western Star Lodge #2 (or 98) which was issued by the Grand Lodge of Missouri on May 10, 1848, when it was first Chartered.

The Grand Lodge of Connecticut issued a Charter to Connecticut Lodge No. 76 on January 31, 1849. When the Grand Lodge of California was formed in 1850, it became Tehama Lodge No. 3.

Three regularly chartered lodges come together, and the three can form a new Grand Lodge in a territory where a Grand Lodge does not already exist. A Grand Lodge cannot exist, cannot come into being regularly, without three legally chartered lodges. The power and the authority of all Grand Lodges comes from the lodges, and the members that make up those lodges, that constitute it.

Every Grand Lodge has a constitution, a set of rules by which the Grand Lodge operates, and no Grand Lodge operates without the consent of the brethren. As with any organization, especially a volunteer organization, power, that is in this case, the authority to rule comes from the “ruled” members, and without their consent to be ruled, there is no Grand Lodge.

So, next time you hear someone complain about their Grand Lodge doing this or their Grand Lodge doing that “to” them, remind them that THEY are the Grand Lodge. Its not just a group of amorphous anonymous ascetics “somewhere at Grand Lodge” telling you what to do. They are your representatives, they are YOU.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

The Five Faces of Freemasonry

Freemasonry has stood the test of time, and as we move toward the end of the first decade, admittedly two years off, things are getting better for our ancient and honorable craft. The decline in numbers is slowing or turning into growth, Masonic Education is again being implemented in lodge, and changes are being implemented in most jurisdictions to keep Masonry fresh and relevant to today’s masons.

So today, I wanted to take a look at the five faces of Freemasonry and what they mean to our craft.

The First Face of Freemasonry: Younger Masons

More than ever before in the history of the craft, the fraternity is appealing to younger men, so the first, and most hopeful of the faces is the “youthening” of the craft. Movies, books, educational specials, newspapers, magazines, and word of mouth have raised the visibility of the craft. Couple that with the social vacuity, the internet, increased work and family demands, and you have a population of men seeking… more.

Young men today are seeking more value, more real and sincere fellowship, more social relevance, a sense of belonging to something more important than themselves. Politics is vacuous and worse, its backbiting, self aggrandizing politics of personal destruction, with no side seeming to offer anything of great value but more bloviation, and the work environment isn’t much better.

Job security is non existent, and friendships and connections made through work are tenuous and fluid. Men want and need something stable in their lives, something with meaning, something unchanging, timeless and yes, spiritual All of these factors, and many more have young men are flocking to the craft seeking the meaning and the sense of belonging that is missing in today’s increasingly isolated “society”.

The Grand Lodge of California noted at a recent Junior Warden’s Retreat that since the formation of the Grand Lodge of California in 1850, the average age at which a man joins a lodge has been 47. This was unchanged for 155 years. However, in 2005, the Masonic code was changed to allow men of at least 18 years to join, and since then, the average age has dropped to 37.

Freemasonry recognizes that change and is making adjustments which are overdue, to address the needs of these, in most cases, well educated members. These are men which have researched the craft before joining, have often read books about it, and made an informed decision and are truly seeking to better themselves and society through freemasonry.

These men want the education, philosophy, history, and in many cases, the esotericism which Freemasonry holds out and lays claim to providing. They want more than their father’s and grandfather’s social and moral club, they want it all. Morality, belonging, brotherhood, spirituality, personal growth, social value, and philosophy… which brings us to Masonic Education.

The Second Face of Freemasonry: The Esoterics and Education

Freemasonry in the 17^th century was a philosophical/social/moral support society. Freethinkers of the day gathered to discuss the issues of the day, to share their successes and failures, and to aid and support each other. There have been esoterics in Freemasonry from the beginning, though in recent decades, they have taken a much smaller seat in the lodge in favor of simple brotherhood.

To a certain extent, the current “flavor” of freemasonry is more exoteric than esoteric, to the point where the esoterically oriented mason can find himself alone in lodge in his search for more light. We all search for light in different ways, and for some brothers, exoteric Masonry, fellowship, morality fulfills all their needs. This type of Masonry is often referred to derogatorily as “Fish Fry” Masonry, which is unfair to our exoteric brothers.

Freemasonry is about balance in all things. Too much esoteric or too much exoteric and the purpose of Freemasonry is lost. Regardless, Freemasonry teaches us tolerance, and of late, esotericism in Freemasonry is once more growing and receiving the respect that it is due as a vital part of the craft.

A part of education is ritual, tradition, contemplation, majesty… in a word stateliness. We learn in a number of different ways, reading, watching, listening, and participation. There are few teaching methodologies that reach a man on all four levels, that reaches right into his psyche like ritual. Some lodges treat ritual as a time for play, some for letter-of-the-law, and some for an approach that is at once serious and overwhelming in its grandeur.

The experience by the candidate in his degrees is a matter of how the ritual is enacted, the mien that the officers and brethren bring to the lodge, how the candidate is prepared, the education process after the degree, how the candidate is treated by the brethren. It is the gestalt of the degrees and education afterward.

In part, a response to this growing interest in esoteric and more “traditional” style Masonry are the European Style Lodges being formed across the United States. Though these European Style Lodges are not exclusively esoteric in nature, they are given over to the philosophical contemplation, study and discussions of issues Masonic.

This type of lodge is also called Traditional Observance Lodges. Whatever they are called, these lodges are a growing phenomena, spreading across the United States like a grass fire. More Grand Lodges not only allow, but encourage it with each passing year. Currently, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana, Virginia, Washington D.C., Maine, New York, and California have a growing population of these European Style/Traditional Observance lodges.

Parallel to these European Style Lodges are many grand lodges re-engineering Masonic Formation, that is, holistic Masonic formation programs. They are gathering together existing materials, expanding on them, creating program and methodologies that lodges can use. Masonic Formation is a resource to the lodges, providing materials, ideas, and resources to assist them in educating and forming masons.

Yet, in all good, there is an admixture of bad. As young men are joining freemasonry to receive the benefits and responsibilities of our ancient and honorable craft, we have a few, vocal, internet savvy brothers who may not have clearly understood the lessons they received in the first degree.

The Third Face of Freemasonry: Masonic Impatience

Freemasonry teaches us that Time, Patience and Perseverance will accomplish all things, and that as masons we should act with justice and temper our actions with prudent judgment. There is a small problem however, and in large part, I suspect this is due to the internet.

Some few men, and its really a small number, have lost track of the lessons of Freemasonry… a less just opinion would be that they did not learn the lesson in the first place… and set themselves up as judge, jury and executioner of the fraternity they claim as their own. Instead of working within the system, they decide that their obligations do not obtain except where they decide.

Of course, these men are not always wrong. There are serious issues that need to be addressed by the brethren. There are cases where, for example, a grand master summarily ejects brothers from Freemasonry entirely, without a trial, and a case recently where a grand master set aside the legal vote of the brethren at the grand communication, and then ejects brethren for objecting to that action.

We all know Freemasons aren’t saints… we are men, good men for the most part, working hard for the benefit of the craft. If you are reading these words, its likely you have an internet connection, and have followed the antics of certain brethren who have decided that they know better what is good for Freemasonry.

These are brothers who violate Masonic tradition by agitating for political candidates as masons, who defame every grand lodge officer at every turn, who defame any mason who likes, admires and enjoys his Freemasonry. Every group has them, malcontents and agitators who do not work for the best interests of the group, but only for their own selfish wants and needs.

These men do nothing to help, and are content to do nothing but complain. They most often do this complaining from behind shadowy aliases, then scream like scalded cats when a brother dares to draw back the sable curtain they hide behind, claiming the protection of the obligation they revile at every turn.

The good news is this face of Freemasonry is only internet based… and their words are read by less than 1,000 men WORLDWIDE. They do no damage to Freemasonry, and for the most part, are harmless brothers with delusions of grandeur and power that is, fortunately, well out of their reach.

The Fourth Face of Freemasonry: Non-Regular Masons

There are some who would argue that non regular Masonic obediences AREN’T Masonry at all. The reality is that, as the saying goes, “if it acts like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are, it’s a duck.

The problem is, because these other obediences are not regular, that is, part of the Grand Lodges in Amity with each other, it is difficult to for the average mason to separate the wheat from the chaff. Also, frankly, there is little interest by most regular masons TO take the time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Most regular masons, and that is the majority by far of all masons in the world, are satisfied to leave the whole issue to their respective Grand Lodges.

Most regular masons “know” who the non regular masons are. First of all, they are referred to officially by all regular Grand Lodges as “Clandestine” and “Irregular”. Primarily, they are the female only lodges, co-ed lodges, and other “Grand Lodges”, like the Grand Orient of the United States, the United Grand Lodge of America, and the American Masonic Federation.

Yet, these non regular masons are ALSO a face of Freemasonry. The state of California alone has over 50 organizations that style themselves as Masonic, though only two, the Grand Lodge of California F&AM and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California, Inc are considered regular. The others vary in their practice from regular, other than that they admit women, to wildly non Masonic.

This is not, however, a new phenomena. Breakaway lodges without a warrant or charter and self forming “Grand Lodges” open, and often as not, as quickly close, and have done so ever since June 1717 when the first regular grand lodge was formed at the Goose and Gridiron by four extent lodges.

Regardless of the official position of any grand lodge, and here is a good time to remind my readers that I am NOT an official spokesman for any grand lodge, I speak only for myself, there are non-regular (clandestine to use the correct masonic word for it) women only, male and female joint lodges, and of course male only lodges. Most of these lodges can be found only in very large cities.

The numbers I have indicate there are about 100,000 women masons worldwide, and perhaps that many again that belong to co-ed Masonic lodges. Throughout the world, there are about 3.5 million regular masons, and perhaps another 1 million total masons from the various other male only orients and non regular grand lodges around the world. This means there are about 5 million masons of all kinds, who can be found in every country in the world.

The Fifth Face of Freemasonry: Men who are Happy the way Masonry Is Today

Lest we forget, the last face of freemasonry is the brothers who, for the most part, make up freemasonry today. These are the brothers who make up the lodges in great part, and are the backbone and support of the craft.

These are the men who more often than not are the officers in your lodge, they are the Lodge Secretaries, the Tylers, the committee members, they are the men who have kept freemasonry alive. More often than not, they are veterans, and they are happy with the craft as it is today. They have attitudes and ideas from years gone by, but those are ideas that have, for the most part, worked for them.

We should ever remember and honor them. I mention this as there is a tendency among some younger masons to push the older men out of the way, to shunt them aside. Not all that is new is good, and not all that is old is bad. They are, after all, our brothers.

Conclusion

Masonry is a wide and varied initiatic society that, far from declining, is actually restoring itself, as it always has done. Time, patience and perseverance are the watchwords of our ancient and honorable fraternity. Like any mature organization that is spread all over the world, Freemasonry presents a number of faces, all of which reflect a part of the whole.

It’s an awesome time to be a mason!

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Late Night at the Lodge

Thursday night at Moreno Valley Lodge, we had the positive pleasure of initiating 4 brothers. Two were born in Lebanon, one in Syria, and one from the United States. I noted that it was a late night because in California, the first section of all degrees is conferred individually, a process that takes 15 minutes (usually), with about 10 minutes between each degree to reset and catch your breath.

We opened as usual at 6pm Moreno Valley Time (this is anywhere between 6pm and about 6:30pm) and started on the first conferral at 7pm, completing the first section of the four degrees by 10:15pm, which was pretty good time. We were very fortunate in having a Past Master from Henry the Navigator Lodge 9360 in Vilamoura, Portugal and a Past Master from Menifee Valley Lodge #289 in Sun City and 24 other sideliners in addition to the officers.

In California lodges, the Junior Warden usually sits as the master when conferring the first degree, and on this night, one of the first degrees were conferred by the Junior Warden, Wr. Pat, and another by the Senior Warden, Br. Ron, another by the Master, Wr. John, and the fourth, by Wr. Tim, the officer's coach. Everyone did a good job, of course.

I was Junior Deacon, which is a pretty easy chair in California lodges... The Senior Deacon does 90% of the floorwork and conducts the candidate in all the degrees. He must have gotten about a two mile walk out the degrees, but never broke a sweat and did an awesome job, as did all the officers that night.

Altogether, a wonderful night of brotherhood and good work.