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is freemasonry what you thought it would be when you first joined?

CLewey44

Registered User
No, Freemasonry, as I have experienced it in the 1 1/2 years I have been in it is not what I exexpected. My lodge is like a composite of every complaint about lodges. Boring meetings, no communication, no Masonic education, poor ritual work, VERY bad dinners (my dogs eat raw, I don't,) aprons that haven't seen bleach since it came in a glass bottle, and the list goes on.

90% of the members are "In Dues Only" members, who only stay current on their blue lodge dues because it is a requirement for the appendant bodies. I still haven't gotten my apron. I did however, recieve my dues renewal form.

This is why I no longer go to lodge meetings anymore, and may demit next year.
I hate to hear that. Hopefully you can find something in other bodies or "shop" around for a lodge that may be further away but only meets once a month or even every 5th Saturday kind of thing.

Btw, are you saying bleach used to come in a glass bottle?
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Btw, are you saying bleach used to come in a glass bottle?

It used to come in a ceramic jug but folks confused it with moonshine. So they switched to that newfangled glass stuff.

I came to Freemasonry for the civic activities. We actually do some of those.

I stayed for the fellowship. To me a Stated meeting is a chance to spend time with my Brothers so we conduct business to make sure everyone remembers to be there on the same day. As a result I'm never bored by Stated meetings. The reason I'm there is the Brothers and that's where they are.

I also came and stay for the philosophy and history. So I make up and present Masonic education talks at most Stated meetings and offer one from my repertoire any time I go for a visit. Actually presenting talks also helps me never be bored. It's even more interesting wen someone else gives a presentation.
 

JJones

Moderator
It definitely did not live up to my expectations.

There are several brothers working to improve the Masonic experience in their lodges and jurisdictions, however, and I applaud their efforts.
 

LK600

Premium Member
I'd say in some ways yes .. in other ways some improvements could be made. When speaking to a potential new candidate the question came up. Caught me a little by surprise.. thoughts ?[/Q

My answer to the original question would be both yes and no. To start with the negative, I must say that my original thoughts on The Lodge side of Freemasonry were probably unfair by being slightly unrealistic in my expectations of Brothers within the Lodge. I expected the Brotherhood to be without clicks and all Brother's being supportive and respectful of each other. Well, like any organization, there is some reflection of society in general within our ranks, and people will be human. Still, it was (and to some degree still is) a shock to observe and experience the bickering, infighting, and maneuvering.

On the positive side of things, everything I was looking for was there. If not openly practiced or understood, it was all contained within the material either in Lodge, or within the numerous books and papers written over the course of the last hundred and some years. I personally love to read, and thoroughly enjoy researching. I am looking to address those Brothers who do not enjoy those things in a manner that benefits them and helps them find whatever aspect of Masonry they are looking for.

As I and others have said previously, the Brothers do not exist to support the Lodge, but the Lodge exists to support the Brothers.
 

Olmecwarrior

Registered User
I agree with most of what everyone is saying. It's not what I expected fully, but does have the potential and I do recieve satisfaction of the fraction of what I am receiving through my blue lodge. I will say, if I had to rely on my lodge meetings, fish fry's, and the annual car wash we do, I would be totally dissatisfied. Instead, I supplement my Masonic experience by researching and reading from the thousands of books and literature devoted to freemasonry..... watching Masonic talk shows like Masonic Roundtable & Prince Hall Think Tank..... listening to Masonic podcasts such as X-Oriente & Whence Came You.... and engaging in the Masonic online world through Masonic communities like this and many others. These things give me hope that it can be better. So I'd advise brothers ( myself included) to be the change in your lodge and make it what you expect it to be. It may take a while to get others on board, but the possibility of your expectations being met and reality hopefully can meet somewhere in the middle.
 

LK600

Premium Member
...Instead, I supplement my Masonic experience by researching and reading from the thousands of books and literature devoted to freemasonry..... watching Masonic talk shows like Masonic Roundtable & Prince Hall Think Tank..... listening to Masonic podcasts such as X-Oriente & Whence Came You.... and engaging in the Masonic online world through Masonic communities like this and many others.

Very much the same here. I must say... I've learned more from my ever growing library than I have from being present in Lodge (and I enjoy my lodge).
 

Bloke

Premium Member
If I were to include this site, it's definitely raised my overall experience.
I agree.

I would also point out; who took responsibility for taking the initiative and then signing up here, and then kept coming back to either directly participate by posting or indirectly by reading, or just using the "like" button. In doing that, we all took some sort of active independent step in our Masonic Experience. . So many of us are told, you get our of Freemasonry what you put into Freemasonry, and again, so many are shocked when they do not take ownership of their own Masonic growth and make not effort, but leave it to others to spoon feed them, and they get disappointed with Freemasonry..

There is the lovely question to explore - "Is Freemasonry a Team Sport of an Individual Pursuit ? "
We know it is both because we cannot perpetuate Freemasons nor make Freemasons unless we are in a Lodge (a team sport) but also the hardest challenges are not learning likes or understanding arcane ideas or words, it is applying and living the values of Freemasonry in our daily lives as individuals. Further, coming to quickly understand that Freemasonry is not a 3 meeting mystical self help system, it is indeed a life journey. Symbolic/Speculative Freemasonry is indeed is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.. I have not yet mastered that and expect to keep discovering "hidden mysteries" until the day I die. However, like a football team, when comprised of individual highly fit athletes who seek out teams coached by excellent leadership, the team result will be better. Sadly, so many Brothers all over report they find their team leadership lacking. More sadly, so many men discard Freemasonry because it has not come up to their expectations in the first year or two.. or their love of a dedicated water boy or two, keeps them going back to the stadium.

But I am not an idiot, Lodges can be very hard places to be sometimes and at some point in everyone's journey, and often more frequently, require resolve... as does living an honourable and worthwhile life
 
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