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Brothers, I am Confused

Darren Raleigh

Registered User
What you described is being told that you would need to be voted on to become a member. At which point you left utterly ignoring being welcomed as a visitor. No wonder the word confused is in the subject line.
I didn't see you there, how do you know more about what happened than I do?
You seem determined to put me in the wrong here. I was welcomed as a visitor by the WM and the SD. Then the Secretary took me aside and told me to sod off until after I'd been investigated and voted upon. Most people with an opinion here seem to think that the Secretary shouldn't have done that. Yes, I left to avoid having at least one Lodge officer embarrassed. I had clear messages from three people: two (the WM and SD) said I was welcome; one (the Secretary) said I wasn't.
Why am I the one who has done wrong here?
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
I didn't see you there, how do you know more about what happened than I do?
You seem determined to put me in the wrong here. I was welcomed as a visitor by the WM and the SD. Then the Secretary took me aside and told me to sod off until after I'd been investigated and voted upon. Most people with an opinion here seem to think that the Secretary shouldn't have done that. Yes, I left to avoid having at least one Lodge officer embarrassed. I had clear messages from three people: two (the WM and SD) said I was welcome; one (the Secretary) said I wasn't.
Why am I the one who has done wrong here?

I don't know if anyone is saying your have done wrong. We are saying there was some confusion or miscommunication on the part of multiple people, and it turned into an unfortunate incident.
Based on your described scenario - although admittedly unfamiliar with your jurisdiction - the WM and SD might have over extended, and the secretary was trying to tidy things up. In most jurisdictions, if you haven't paid annual dues in more than a decade, a man can not attend a tiled meeting; it doesn't matter who invited him.
Or, perhaps the secretary was confused on your desired intent.
Many of us here are long-time Masons who have served in some pretty senior positions. We are familiar with the workings of the fraternity and its practices. By your own admission, you were active for no more than four years and have been out of the craft for 11. Good counsel is only good if it is taken as such.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I don't know if anyone is saying your have done wrong. We are saying there was some confusion or miscommunication on the part of multiple people, and it turned into an unfortunate incident.
Based on your described scenario - although admittedly unfamiliar with your jurisdiction - the WM and SD might have over extended, and the secretary was trying to tidy things up. In most jurisdictions, if you haven't paid annual dues in more than a decade, a man can not attend a tiled meeting; it doesn't matter who invited him.
Or, perhaps the secretary was confused on your desired intent.
Many of us here are long-time Masons who have served in some pretty senior positions. We are familiar with the workings of the fraternity and its practices. By your own admission, you were active for no more than four years and have been out of the craft for 11. Good counsel is only good if it is taken as such.

pretty much this. If you are not current in dues, you cannot attend a tiled meeting. The WM and SD should have asked to see a dues card. If you were out of state, you could have been denied by simply not going up and through Grand Lodges to announce you as a visitor.

Basically, the secretary stepped in and said, "hey, you guys did not do your due diligence in making sure this Brother was current."

In my jurisdiction, you would need to reapply for reinstatement, possibly be investigated and have a clear unanimous ballot to return to your mother lodge. Only then could you get clearance from your GL to affiliate with your new lodge.

The secretary could have been more tactful about it.

Also, there is a part in the opening of our lodge. "Br. SW,, are you satisfied that all present are master masons? Bro JW? Are the brethren satisfied with each other?" At this point, the Secretary or any other Brother could call on you if they do not recognize you.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
... If you are not current in dues, you cannot attend a tiled meeting. The WM and SD should have asked to see a dues card. If you were out of state, you could have been denied by simply not going up and through Grand Lodges to announce you as a visitor..

It might well apply to this situation - but here, we do not use dues card and do not have much interest in them.. we would be much more interested in proving you that your paperwork.. that said, Constitutionally, a non-financial and unaffiliated mason can actually visit our lodge once a year - so rules vary from place to place..
 
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