As many of you know in a week I start my Combat Skills Training course in New Jersey and from there will be deploying with the Army in Afghanistan. The only useful advice I got in the preparation for this life altering event from members in the military was from MSgt Sawyer.
He was deployed in a similar situation, and has already imparted the best advice possible. My last day of my civilian job was this past Friday, and he told me that if I needed to vent or talk about the stressful situation to e-mail him directly about it. Don't tell my wife or family, just him. He said that way I could have an outlet. I have been wanting to start a blog about my experiences with this event, and to save me the time of writing a blog entry, I am going to copy and paste my e-mails to MSgt Sawyer in the blog.
So if you care to read about the journey and experiences, I invite you to read , I know the language will be harsher than it has been in this blog, just in case you are offended by such a thing.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
My Weekend with Chris Hodapp
The 31st of January was the 84th anniversary of Perfect Union #10 a lodge I affiliated with about a year ago. The lodge has a younger line up, while most of it’s members are in their seventies. The Worshipful Master asked me if I knew of any good Masonic speakers, and Bro Hodapp was the first brother to pop in my mind. I went ahead and took the chance and e-mailed him to see if he could speak at the banquet, it was a chance I was glad I took.
I only knew Bro Hodapp from his books and his blog, and was unsure of the type of man he is, my wife was insistent that he was most likely a stuffed shirt, and not to be disappointed if all he does is sit and talk to himself all day long, thankfully she was wrong. Chris is a man who is easy to talk to and his knowledge of Freemasonry and his boldness on the subject is very refreshing. I don’t mean this in any sycophantic way, but rather as the God’s honest truth. Chris Hodapp is to Freemasonry what Suze Orman is to personal finance, when you watch her show people will call and ask some ridiculous questions about cashing in their 401k to pay for their credit card debt. Suze Orman will be firm yet funny in telling them that the individual has wasteful spending habits and they need to change their ways. While some Masonic speakers will lament on how the glory days of Freemasonry lie during 1948-1955, and that the hope of Freemasonry is putting an emphasis on Shrine membership, Chris Hodapp challenges the brothers to stand up and the opportunity to make Freemasonry relevant in today’s society. While our elders and leadership constantly tell us what we want (cheaper, faster, sloppier) he talks about how they never ever really asked us (the younger masons) what we want.
He is part Masonic educator and motivational speaker, when you hear him talk he puts the fire in your belly that makes you want to make a difference in your local lodge. His bold and righteous stance on some unpopular items, inspire you to have more courage and to stand up to those that disagree.
After he left I felt lucky, not only to meet and get to know him, but that Freemasonry is greatly enhanced by his presence.
I only knew Bro Hodapp from his books and his blog, and was unsure of the type of man he is, my wife was insistent that he was most likely a stuffed shirt, and not to be disappointed if all he does is sit and talk to himself all day long, thankfully she was wrong. Chris is a man who is easy to talk to and his knowledge of Freemasonry and his boldness on the subject is very refreshing. I don’t mean this in any sycophantic way, but rather as the God’s honest truth. Chris Hodapp is to Freemasonry what Suze Orman is to personal finance, when you watch her show people will call and ask some ridiculous questions about cashing in their 401k to pay for their credit card debt. Suze Orman will be firm yet funny in telling them that the individual has wasteful spending habits and they need to change their ways. While some Masonic speakers will lament on how the glory days of Freemasonry lie during 1948-1955, and that the hope of Freemasonry is putting an emphasis on Shrine membership, Chris Hodapp challenges the brothers to stand up and the opportunity to make Freemasonry relevant in today’s society. While our elders and leadership constantly tell us what we want (cheaper, faster, sloppier) he talks about how they never ever really asked us (the younger masons) what we want.
He is part Masonic educator and motivational speaker, when you hear him talk he puts the fire in your belly that makes you want to make a difference in your local lodge. His bold and righteous stance on some unpopular items, inspire you to have more courage and to stand up to those that disagree.
After he left I felt lucky, not only to meet and get to know him, but that Freemasonry is greatly enhanced by his presence.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Do We Have to Put a Square and Compass on Everything?
Getting ready for this deployment I am trying to find a more comfortable grip for my M9 than military standard issue, the motivating factor is that during my upcoming combat training course I will be shooting/handling the weapon a lot, so I might as well make it as “comfortable” as possible. Looking for grips I came across the following picture:
While at first I was intrigued about the square and compass on a M9 grip, I thought about it and really to me it seems somewhat contradictory to the teachings of the three blue lodge degrees (I however think that it would be appropriate for the knights templar symbol to be put on a grip for instance). I mean how are you taking care of your brother man when you are about to put a cap in his ass? If the reason you do it is to identify yourself as a mason there are plenty of rings, money clips, wallets, bumper stickers, watches, hats etc that can do that for you, with out putting it on an instrument of destruction. On the other hand maybe someone feels that having those on the gun will help them remember the teachings when they employ it? Maybe the symbols on the gun will help circumscribe their desires?
I can’t decide if I am being an overly sensitive woman about the whole issue, or if maybe there is something contradictory about putting the square and compasses on a grip of a gun.
While at first I was intrigued about the square and compass on a M9 grip, I thought about it and really to me it seems somewhat contradictory to the teachings of the three blue lodge degrees (I however think that it would be appropriate for the knights templar symbol to be put on a grip for instance). I mean how are you taking care of your brother man when you are about to put a cap in his ass? If the reason you do it is to identify yourself as a mason there are plenty of rings, money clips, wallets, bumper stickers, watches, hats etc that can do that for you, with out putting it on an instrument of destruction. On the other hand maybe someone feels that having those on the gun will help them remember the teachings when they employ it? Maybe the symbols on the gun will help circumscribe their desires?
I can’t decide if I am being an overly sensitive woman about the whole issue, or if maybe there is something contradictory about putting the square and compasses on a grip of a gun.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Richard - My Brother, Friend, and Mentor
I am currently in Colorado visiting my family and my in-laws, having Christmas in Colorado was way overdue as I haven't saved up enough PTO to make the trip in the last two years, this year given the looming deployment, we packed up the dogs and headed north.
The day we arrived in Colorado is when I found out the news that our Scretary, Richard was in ICU and things didn't look good. All last week and during Christmas Mass I was thinking and praying for my dear friend Richard. He is going through chemo for lung cancer treatment. He was having a rough time, had become dehydrated to the point that his kidney's shut down and he was admited to the hospital. Yesterday I got the news from Bro Bill that he was moved from ICU to a regular hospital bed and was awake. When I called him, he was disoriented and just wanted to go home, I felt helpless here in Colorado, while he was laying in a hospital bed in San Antonio.
Richard is the kind of Mason that we should all be, he didn't play politics, but is heavily involved in the higher degrees of the York Rite and the Allied Masonic Degrees (he couldn't come to my initation because of his chemo treatment). But with all of that his best love is the blue lodge. He is a past master, but didn't try to run the show. He always wants to do what's best for the lodge. He challenged me to start Masonic education, and he also inspired me to start our lodge's website, and worked with me the entire time.
I hope that my brother, my friend and my mentor Richard has a quick recovery, and that he will be sitting in lodge during my January Masonic Education talk.
The day we arrived in Colorado is when I found out the news that our Scretary, Richard was in ICU and things didn't look good. All last week and during Christmas Mass I was thinking and praying for my dear friend Richard. He is going through chemo for lung cancer treatment. He was having a rough time, had become dehydrated to the point that his kidney's shut down and he was admited to the hospital. Yesterday I got the news from Bro Bill that he was moved from ICU to a regular hospital bed and was awake. When I called him, he was disoriented and just wanted to go home, I felt helpless here in Colorado, while he was laying in a hospital bed in San Antonio.
Richard is the kind of Mason that we should all be, he didn't play politics, but is heavily involved in the higher degrees of the York Rite and the Allied Masonic Degrees (he couldn't come to my initation because of his chemo treatment). But with all of that his best love is the blue lodge. He is a past master, but didn't try to run the show. He always wants to do what's best for the lodge. He challenged me to start Masonic education, and he also inspired me to start our lodge's website, and worked with me the entire time.
I hope that my brother, my friend and my mentor Richard has a quick recovery, and that he will be sitting in lodge during my January Masonic Education talk.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Alamo and the Last Class of Emblems
This past Friday was the annual visit of the Grand Master of Texas to Alamo Lodge #44 which is a tyled meeting held inside the Alamo. This is the first official visit of the GM to a lodge after his move to the Grand East. Last year was my first time taking part of the visit, and while it is memorable and somewhat moving to meet there, it can be somewhat uncomfortable if you show up alone, being the sole representative of your lodge. This year it was somewhat of a stretch for me to attend, Thursday while on Active Duty I was given my official tasking for the upcoming deployment along with training dates and found out that after the new year I will spend a grand total of 5 out of the next 13 weeks at home due to training requirements. Needless to say that on Friday my mind was elsewhere than the Grand Masters visit to the Alamo.
This time was different, as I would be meeting a newly raised Master Mason from Round Rock (North Austin area) who was just raised on 28 October. He and I were both unable to attend Grand Lodge, I wasn’t able to because I had drill that weekend. Still, he wanted to come down and I was more than happy to host him in my adoptive home city. We meet up around 1830 and discussed the news of the day and about the same Masonic Discussion board that we frequent. After that we made our way with the crowd to the Alamo. There we waited outside and meet brothers from other areas and neighboring lodges.
After the opening of the meeting my mind was racing about how I was going to finish up everything before my life gets put on hold and I start my all expenses paid trip to Afghanistan. They had a moment of silence in the chapel for the fallen soldier’s of the Alamo. I started to think about the journey and lesson that Freemasonry, the journey that man makes from birth to death. These lessons have a greater impact during our various phases in life, the Fellowcraft for instance reminds men of their responsibilities towards each other and their fellow man for the betterment of mankind. Yet during the lecture of the Masters Degree we are reminded constantly of ours and everyone fate, the grave. The men that died at the Alamo, knew this better than most men as they most likely felt death at their backs the entire time, whether they survived or not. Then I thought of the Last Class of Emblems, which are very poignant on this subject.
The silence was broken by the gavel of the WM which startled me out of my deep thoughts, and yielded the floor to the GM. The speech this year was not as caustic as last year, and the GM said that all of us were leaders, and we need to lead by example in both Freemasonry and in life. I completely agree with this stance, and have found that as an officer leading by example is the most effective way to lead men and women, both through expletory behavior and technical knowledge.
After lodge we ate hot tamales’ and talked to the older brothers, later on I went downstairs and attended the Grotto meeting, we were having elections, as you all are aware I am entirely too young to ever hold office in the Grotto. :)
This time was different, as I would be meeting a newly raised Master Mason from Round Rock (North Austin area) who was just raised on 28 October. He and I were both unable to attend Grand Lodge, I wasn’t able to because I had drill that weekend. Still, he wanted to come down and I was more than happy to host him in my adoptive home city. We meet up around 1830 and discussed the news of the day and about the same Masonic Discussion board that we frequent. After that we made our way with the crowd to the Alamo. There we waited outside and meet brothers from other areas and neighboring lodges.
After the opening of the meeting my mind was racing about how I was going to finish up everything before my life gets put on hold and I start my all expenses paid trip to Afghanistan. They had a moment of silence in the chapel for the fallen soldier’s of the Alamo. I started to think about the journey and lesson that Freemasonry, the journey that man makes from birth to death. These lessons have a greater impact during our various phases in life, the Fellowcraft for instance reminds men of their responsibilities towards each other and their fellow man for the betterment of mankind. Yet during the lecture of the Masters Degree we are reminded constantly of ours and everyone fate, the grave. The men that died at the Alamo, knew this better than most men as they most likely felt death at their backs the entire time, whether they survived or not. Then I thought of the Last Class of Emblems, which are very poignant on this subject.
The silence was broken by the gavel of the WM which startled me out of my deep thoughts, and yielded the floor to the GM. The speech this year was not as caustic as last year, and the GM said that all of us were leaders, and we need to lead by example in both Freemasonry and in life. I completely agree with this stance, and have found that as an officer leading by example is the most effective way to lead men and women, both through expletory behavior and technical knowledge.
After lodge we ate hot tamales’ and talked to the older brothers, later on I went downstairs and attended the Grotto meeting, we were having elections, as you all are aware I am entirely too young to ever hold office in the Grotto. :)
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Living the Lesson of the Trowel
This past Thanksgiving was one of the more memorable for me, it was my Thanksgiving before my deployment to Afghanistan, and it was the first Thanksgiving that I shared with a brother. I invited our Tyler and his wife and one year old son out to share Thanksgiving. I am currently Junior Deacon of my mother lodge, and there is something about the relationship between a Junior Deacon and a Tyler, mainly because they are the team that ensures that the lodge is properly tyled. Heck, we even watch out for each other during balloting. Well the Tyler and I have become somewhat close friends and brothers that enjoy the company of one another. Since both of us are Texas transplants, I thought that our families could share Thanksgiving.
We talked over wine and cheese and our wives took a mile and a half walk with the baby while we talked all things Masonic. We toasted to the lodge and the great coming revolution in Freemasonry. We talked about our experiences in the military and his life goals and we capped the feast off with a great Cognac, overall it was a great evening. While Freemasonry teaches us to build spiritual temples it’s the brotherhood that is at the core of the tenants of Freemasonry, the lesson of the trowel is especially poignant regarding the brotherhood:
The Trowel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to spread the cement which unites a building in one common mass; but we as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who can best work and best agree.
I am thankful for my experience thus far in Freemasonry, and I hope that it continues to be a positive influence in my life.
We talked over wine and cheese and our wives took a mile and a half walk with the baby while we talked all things Masonic. We toasted to the lodge and the great coming revolution in Freemasonry. We talked about our experiences in the military and his life goals and we capped the feast off with a great Cognac, overall it was a great evening. While Freemasonry teaches us to build spiritual temples it’s the brotherhood that is at the core of the tenants of Freemasonry, the lesson of the trowel is especially poignant regarding the brotherhood:
The Trowel is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to spread the cement which unites a building in one common mass; but we as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who can best work and best agree.
I am thankful for my experience thus far in Freemasonry, and I hope that it continues to be a positive influence in my life.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Tired & Cranky
Normally I don’t complain about my life in this blog, but it does have a Masonic connection. I was Hawaii this past week, now I am sitting in LAX waiting for my flight back, oh by the way it’s 10:45pm, and I won’t arrive home until 8:30 am, with three lay over, hence the title.
My Masonic complaint is that this past week there was a lodge meeting in Hawaii that was holding a raising. I got excited and went and contacted the lodge and in the e-mail I wrote “Please let me know if I may attend your raising”, and I never got a response back. Hence I didn’t go, so my question is for the six people that read this blog, should I just go anyway when a lodge never contacts me back? I feel the digital cold shoulder and I think “Yeah, I shouldn’t go”, I guess if they really didn’t want me there they would e-mail me back, but I have a hang up for some reason. The thing is that this has happened to me several times, and I am sure I missed some great work because of it.
I think I will just show up in the future, even if I get the digital cold shoulder.
My Masonic complaint is that this past week there was a lodge meeting in Hawaii that was holding a raising. I got excited and went and contacted the lodge and in the e-mail I wrote “Please let me know if I may attend your raising”, and I never got a response back. Hence I didn’t go, so my question is for the six people that read this blog, should I just go anyway when a lodge never contacts me back? I feel the digital cold shoulder and I think “Yeah, I shouldn’t go”, I guess if they really didn’t want me there they would e-mail me back, but I have a hang up for some reason. The thing is that this has happened to me several times, and I am sure I missed some great work because of it.
I think I will just show up in the future, even if I get the digital cold shoulder.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veteran's Day Masonic Education Piece
Tonight I am doing another Masonic Education presentation for my lodge, I am doing it on the Veteran's of our Lodge, more specifically Elmer Sampson, who wrote of a lodge meeting he attended was read as the Grand Master's Address, which highlights brotherly love in times of war.
I am also including a presentation on the Empty Chair Degree that was written by Bro Milo, I think that it's appropriate.
Lastly we are going to discuss the Solders Address which was given to soldiers after receiving their EA, this was removed around the 1940s, but is a good discussion piece.
I hope that we have plenty of Masonic discussion, beyond bills, and repair costs.
-Bro Vick
I am also including a presentation on the Empty Chair Degree that was written by Bro Milo, I think that it's appropriate.
Lastly we are going to discuss the Solders Address which was given to soldiers after receiving their EA, this was removed around the 1940s, but is a good discussion piece.
I hope that we have plenty of Masonic discussion, beyond bills, and repair costs.
-Bro Vick
Friday, October 31, 2008
We’ll Grind That Axe For A Long Time Part Deux – Halcyon Lodge Revisited
Here we are approaching the holidays, soon Thanksgiving and Christmas advertisements will flood our collective minds as we are facing a looming recession, and one out of four home owners loan is worth more than their property.
A year ago the Masonic blogging community was all a buzz about the cessation of Halcyon Lodge #498 from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, while brothers and on lookers where starving for information, very little was released by either the band of brothers of the newly formed Halcyon #2 or the Grand Lodge of Ohio, after a while the case subsided as other Masonic misdeeds came to light (Grand Lodge of West Virginia has been a big one). Late last night in one of my sleepless wonderings, I notice that someone left a comment in a post that was written a little less than a year ago on this blog, he wrote:
Read for yourself the FACTS of the accusations. Seek the WHOLE truth! Find the puppets who were used by former brothers to front thier bogus chairity.
Typos a side, the individual peaked my interested from that I went to the blog of Vox De Maat, which appears to be a blog set up by an anonymous blogger to combat both the boisterous nature of the supporters of Halcyon #2 and the silence from the Grand Lodge of Ohio. The blog itself has only three posts, but the most interesting of those posts is the blogger did a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) on the case and was given an exact copies of the charges filed, in it we get the perspective of the incident from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, something that has been lacking in the diatribes and internet ramblings.
This post is not meant to cast disparagement on the GOUSA, but rather to shed further light on an on going conflict, and to better understand the situation. Anonymous bomb throwing will not see the light of day, reasonable debate and disagreement will, so play nice.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
You Didn’t Ask, But I Though I Would Tell You Anyway
Recently on another Masonic Blog the author asked a group of select individuals on how to save Mainstream American Freemasonry from Extinction, by making you Grand Master of an American Jurisdiction for 5 Years, and what would you do. This has intrigued me, and I have thought about it off and on, and want to write something about it. While I wasn’t asked to participate in that particular blog, I do have my own my blog, so why not use it?
To begin this I would say that I have been from one side of this country to the other and have visited Masonic Lodges in between, and what works in Santa Fe, New Mexico might not work in Alexandria, Virginia and for that I give your rule number one, if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. Bottom line if a lodge is bringing in new members, having a positive impact in the community, teaching esoteric work, or whatever than there isn’t a justification or a reason to mess with the way that lodge is doing business. That being written, there would be some changes that I think could help jump start Freemasonry in the 21st century.
Offer up a choice of blue lodge types: I think that anyone that has been a Master Mason for six months knows that there are vast difference between lodges, even within a Masonic District, I would like each Masonic District to have at least three types of lodges available, Traditional Observance “like” Lodges, 20th Century Traditional Lodges, and Community Outreach Lodges. Traditional Observance “like” Lodges would have a heavy emphasis on ritual and esoteric work, would meet in dark suits or tux have table lodge once a month, and require papers written by it’s members. 20th Century Traditional Lodges, are the lodges that most people think of today, with an emphasis on fellowship (fish fry’s, pancake breakfasts, etc) is proficient at the ritual, and does small charity events. Community Outreach Lodges while meet all of the tenants of a Masonic lodge do extensive work in the local community and other Masonic charitable organizations.
I believe a key in to attracting quality candidates is giving them an option to choose which lodge meets their needs, all potential candidates who are serious about joining Freemasonry would be briefed on each lodge and encouraged to visit each type to find which Masonic journey route they would like to go. Some candidates want to join the same lodge that Father or Grandfather joined, and that’s fine, but we want to give everyone a choice in the type of lodge they would join. Far be it for me to say that only one kind of lodge is the only way to save Freemasonry.
Now living in a state like Texas and realizing that there are large rural areas that can hardly support one lodge let alone three, I refer you to rule number one, and would allow the members of that lodge to decide their best route given their membership (again, it’s about choice and the choices the brothers want to make).
Celebration of your Lodge’s Heritage: In the race to cure “Masonic World Hunger” (MWH) most have forgotten the little things that build pride and attract membership, that’s the foundation and the beginnings of your lodge. I don’t care if a lodge was founded in 1797 or 1997 it has a unique story of brotherhood and leadership that needs to be celebrated both within the walls of our temples and in the local community. That is why I would dedicate October as a month that all lodges celebrate their founding and telling the story of how they came to be, both within a tyled meeting and the community at large.
Encouragement of Younger Brothers Involvement @ Grand Lodge: A common theme that we get in our fraternity is why we aren’t attracting good men anymore, one of the factors in my mind is that Freemasonry in America has become an aging institution that isn’t putting it’s best and brightest and younger members forward, instead we rely on retired lawyers, judges, and doctors to be our face. While that brings a sense of stability, it isn’t doing much to attract men in their 20’s and 30’s. We need to celebrate our younger members, their professional achievements and have them be actively involved @ the Grand Lodge level. I am not saying that after a guy is raised slap a DDGM badge on him, but there are plenty of ways to encourage involvement at all levels, without being a Past Master, this can encourage something other than the old grey hairs we see in our local newspaper.
Community Work with Other Masonic Organizations: To help build relationships and ease tension I would work with The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas in a joint Community Outreach program to positively impact a community hit by disaster (hurricane, draught, etc). This would be a partnership between two non-profit organizations with one common goal, the relief of our common man. This would hopefully lead to both sides of the aging organizations to realize that they are not in competition with each other for membership and start to heal scars that were brought by the past. We have already recognized each other; why not work together in the areas that we have commonality.
These are the initiatives that I would feel would help our Fraternity, would it solve “Masonic World Hunger”? No, but giving brothers and candidates a choice in their Masonic experience is a key component, along with showcasing younger brothers and having a positive impact on the community beyond raising small amounts of money, but giving time and labor can have a lasting impression.
Just my thoughts, but as always I welcome yours.
To begin this I would say that I have been from one side of this country to the other and have visited Masonic Lodges in between, and what works in Santa Fe, New Mexico might not work in Alexandria, Virginia and for that I give your rule number one, if it isn’t broke, then don’t fix it. Bottom line if a lodge is bringing in new members, having a positive impact in the community, teaching esoteric work, or whatever than there isn’t a justification or a reason to mess with the way that lodge is doing business. That being written, there would be some changes that I think could help jump start Freemasonry in the 21st century.
Offer up a choice of blue lodge types: I think that anyone that has been a Master Mason for six months knows that there are vast difference between lodges, even within a Masonic District, I would like each Masonic District to have at least three types of lodges available, Traditional Observance “like” Lodges, 20th Century Traditional Lodges, and Community Outreach Lodges. Traditional Observance “like” Lodges would have a heavy emphasis on ritual and esoteric work, would meet in dark suits or tux have table lodge once a month, and require papers written by it’s members. 20th Century Traditional Lodges, are the lodges that most people think of today, with an emphasis on fellowship (fish fry’s, pancake breakfasts, etc) is proficient at the ritual, and does small charity events. Community Outreach Lodges while meet all of the tenants of a Masonic lodge do extensive work in the local community and other Masonic charitable organizations.
I believe a key in to attracting quality candidates is giving them an option to choose which lodge meets their needs, all potential candidates who are serious about joining Freemasonry would be briefed on each lodge and encouraged to visit each type to find which Masonic journey route they would like to go. Some candidates want to join the same lodge that Father or Grandfather joined, and that’s fine, but we want to give everyone a choice in the type of lodge they would join. Far be it for me to say that only one kind of lodge is the only way to save Freemasonry.
Now living in a state like Texas and realizing that there are large rural areas that can hardly support one lodge let alone three, I refer you to rule number one, and would allow the members of that lodge to decide their best route given their membership (again, it’s about choice and the choices the brothers want to make).
Celebration of your Lodge’s Heritage: In the race to cure “Masonic World Hunger” (MWH) most have forgotten the little things that build pride and attract membership, that’s the foundation and the beginnings of your lodge. I don’t care if a lodge was founded in 1797 or 1997 it has a unique story of brotherhood and leadership that needs to be celebrated both within the walls of our temples and in the local community. That is why I would dedicate October as a month that all lodges celebrate their founding and telling the story of how they came to be, both within a tyled meeting and the community at large.
Encouragement of Younger Brothers Involvement @ Grand Lodge: A common theme that we get in our fraternity is why we aren’t attracting good men anymore, one of the factors in my mind is that Freemasonry in America has become an aging institution that isn’t putting it’s best and brightest and younger members forward, instead we rely on retired lawyers, judges, and doctors to be our face. While that brings a sense of stability, it isn’t doing much to attract men in their 20’s and 30’s. We need to celebrate our younger members, their professional achievements and have them be actively involved @ the Grand Lodge level. I am not saying that after a guy is raised slap a DDGM badge on him, but there are plenty of ways to encourage involvement at all levels, without being a Past Master, this can encourage something other than the old grey hairs we see in our local newspaper.
Community Work with Other Masonic Organizations: To help build relationships and ease tension I would work with The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas in a joint Community Outreach program to positively impact a community hit by disaster (hurricane, draught, etc). This would be a partnership between two non-profit organizations with one common goal, the relief of our common man. This would hopefully lead to both sides of the aging organizations to realize that they are not in competition with each other for membership and start to heal scars that were brought by the past. We have already recognized each other; why not work together in the areas that we have commonality.
These are the initiatives that I would feel would help our Fraternity, would it solve “Masonic World Hunger”? No, but giving brothers and candidates a choice in their Masonic experience is a key component, along with showcasing younger brothers and having a positive impact on the community beyond raising small amounts of money, but giving time and labor can have a lasting impression.
Just my thoughts, but as always I welcome yours.
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