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Dealing with lazy EA's

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I know that there are " lazy" EA's out there but not all of us who haven't completed out obligations as EA's are all "lazy" or bad workers. Those EA's may have other problems that you are not aware of

Precisely why their mentors & instructors should stay in touch with them- not to push or "beg" them, but so the Lodge will know their situation & let them know that their Brethren have not forsaken them.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Originally Posted by towerbuilder7
As a "youth " in Masonry, one should serve with freedom, fervency, and zeal.....after that one year Brother, I would politely inform the Men their affiliation would be discontinued.


Under current GLoT law, there is no provision for doing so.

Still more unfortunately, there's no current GLoT provision for "fervency, and zeal" service of MMs either.

There's always a catch ... isn't there?

:38:
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
Gee, maybe I should hope that I don't get that job with the on call hours, irregular schedule, and overtime. Doing what it takes to support my family might show that I have insufficient "ZEAL"...
 

towerbuilder7

Moderator
Premium Member
I can certainly appreciate the mindset and situations such as Brother "Rescue51" endured, and the comments made by Brother Bill_Lins77488.......In no way would I nor any Brother in my Lodge diminish the efforts of a Brother who has work, family, or Military obligations. These are things that are discovered during the Investigation process, and of course, that EA's sponsor would be the FIRST but certainly not the only Brother who would and should check on and encourage a good Man through his degree work. I am not familiar with GLoT law, as I am a Prince Hall GLoT member. However, I have observed only a few subtle differences in ways and means of accomplishing the same objective we both share-----fostering relationships with Men who aspire to become members of our Brotherhood. I was expressing my sentiments toward Bro. Bowden's question of how to deal with LAZY EA's, not Brothers with legitimate obligations. We had an EA in this current class who did not show the initiative of working toward becoming proficient with his Degree Work. His sponsor expressed concerns to the proper Officers in the Lodge, and like mentioned in a few posts above, the EA was spoken with, and Brothers expressed their expectations. We even allowed other members of his class to speak with him privately in their own manner, and they did the same. Brothers called him at home, checked on him regularly, and he would always claim that "things were getting better". There was no improvement in meeting attendance, memory work, and all we seemed to get were excuses. So, when proficiency testing came up, the other two members of the class scored well, and he did not. He was informed that he would not be eligible for Passing at that time, and that he would have to re-petition for any subsequent advancement, and we encouraged him to continue his studies. He never returned. This is an example of a time when Brothers should not beg nor continually lecture a Man about improving his study habits, or adjusting his priorities. We were never made aware of any LIFE obligations, work issues, or any other issue which may have inhibited this Man's progress. We do not make a habit out of shunning Men who are making honest, good faith efforts, or who have legitimate LIFE obligations; My post was directed in response to any Man who is not doing his very best to become a Master Mason, the way each of us did----perseverance, investment of time, and HARD WORK..............I am happy that Brothers can dialogue on this issue in a respectful and Brotherly manner..........I have also taken notes from the more experienced and well-informed Brethren who posted responses.....thanks for the LIGHT! Bro Vincent C. Jones, Sr., Bayou City Lodge #228, PHA, Houston, Texas
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Gee, maybe I should hope that I don't get that job with the on call hours, irregular schedule, and overtime. Doing what it takes to support my family might show that I have insufficient "ZEAL"...

Don't take it brother. I can tell you from personal experience there's not much ZEAL left after those 60-70 hour weeks. Just to find eight hours somewhere along the line.

Your point is well taken. Still there's the matter of "dead weight."
 

Angler

Registered User
I know that some of the younger EAs are a bit intinidated by the cranky old MMs. They look to us for guidance. I make clear to my students when I am available, how to communicate with me and what is "normal" in their studies. Then I suggest a schedule and confirm days and times. They really need that.

Constant positive reinforcement for a job well done produces motivated, conscientious students.

Next time you see a new EA at dinner, call him aside and give him your phone number. Tell him you want to help him with his work. The EA will get a great feeling that he is respected and valued as a man and a mason. You will be surprised how motivated they get.
 

dreamer

Registered User
Before a petitioner(whether he knocked on the door or was invited in) becomes an EA it is our responsibility to ensure we did the most we could during the investigation process. If, there is a spouse/girlfriend was she present during the investigation, was the petitioner informed of the time needed to do the proficiencies, does he have time to attend meetings, does he think we will unleash the "so-called" secrets and that is all he wants. Do we ask him what does he expect from the Fraternity, Lodge or Brothers. Do we tell the petitioner should he become a Brother what we might expect of him. Of course, a petitioner can answer in to what we are expecting to hear, but we have to ascertain much as possible to determine if the person would make a good mason as well as being active(we can only pray), so that neither him or us become disappointed. And should he become an EA are we there every step of the way! Some lodges may be very good at this, while some lodges are more interested in getting new members. What can we expect an EA to think, or for that matter show up again or complete the proficiency if we lose touch with him. Again, it's not fair to him and it's not good for the Fraternity. Just my short opinion.
 

Timothy Fleischer

Registered User
Since this post began, the Grand Master announced his keynote program for 2012:
Pass it On.
Look into it for every candidate and implement the help it has for the candidates and young brothers.
It will help build the bond between teacher and student in many ways and make our ties to the Fraternity that much stronger.

When I went through, I met regularly with my teacher at his home. He opened it to me and invited me in once a week. We did not practice at the lodge. I was not able to attend Lodge until I was raised, so there was a long time between when I was initiated and raised. But it built a strong relationship with my Mentor.

If each of us will take one new brother under our wings and give him the time he deserves, we will built better Masons.
NOT ON THE PHONE
NOT AT THE LODGE

Face to face in our homes.

My two cents.
 

TexasMason73

Registered User
With a low post count and myself being an EA, my opinion might not account for much but here it goes. I was Initiated on January 30th at Orphan's Friend Lodge #17 here in Grimes County, Tx. The lodge has an appointed instructor as I am sure most all lodges do. The instructor had been working really hard to get a member thru his FC so I told him that when he had the time and was ready to let me know and I would be there. I didn't want to overload him for the main reason he is 82 years old. The WM opened an EA lodge every month so that I could sit in and pick up on bits and pieces. I finally started my lessons during the second week of March. I let the Instructor set the times and days in which we met. It was Mon. Wed. and Fri. for 1 1/2 hours each day at his home. I am not sure how all other Lodges operate but here you turn in the 1st section by itself and then the 2nd and 3rd together. I was able to turn in the 1st section at the last stated meeting on 4/2/12 without any assistance. In the same meeting the Instructor received his 40+ year pin. During this time period I was told that the Lodge had several other EAs that had been initiated last year but never heard from again even after trying to contact them. My point being. If a man wants to be a Mason then you would not have to try to persuade them to take on the responsibilities that are required to be such. Focus your energy on the more interested and dedicated, to help guide him thru the journey.
 

Colby K

Premium Member
I am recently raised and just starting my journey but I have already experience a lazy EA. At first we invited him through email, he'd never show. Next we invited him via phone calls, he'd make promises but still never show. Finally we offered to come to him and help him. He told us that now wasn't a good time because he was too busy with "life." At that we backed off to allow him to work out what issues he told us he had. We live in a rather small community here of about only 2-3 thousand Americans. We use a facebook group as a kind of craigslist. During this time that the EA was too busy with life he was looking to start taking piano lessons and Italian lessons and posting the "want ads" on the facebook group. This frustrated all of the brothers that were trying so hard to assist him. In the end he informed us that he wasn't interested in being a mason anymore. All of our other EA's have been extremely motivated and on top of it so this was a learning experience. We now handle the lazy EA differently and allow them to choose to do the work. We are always there to assist when requested, but they have to want it bad enough to request in the assistance.
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
I would like to confirm RayW's comments. He was in fact my teacher, and remains so. The setting the schedule is very important in my opinion. As are goals, at least loose ones. I always had a ballpark time frame I was shooting for to turn in my work, and I find that sans at least a fuzzy deadline that things tend to fall off my radar in this busy world. Things without a deadline (at least a loose one) tend to get pushed for things that do. That is why I'm looking to pick a date for certification to work towards actually.

I'm thinking that Grand Lodge might be an interesting carrot to put in front of a couple of EAs we currently have.

I am also of mixed feelings now about the value of opening lodge in EA. I'm thinking it might be best to have one or two called meetings a month planned to be done in EA, while the stated and perhaps one other called meeting planned to be MM. My reasons are long winded and I could ramble about them, but the important bit is to retain something for the candidate to work toward, and to ensure the full weight of the MM obligation is imposed upon every member conducting the business of the lodge.
 

anthonywilson

Registered User
The Worshipful Master at my Lodge always says "We can get you through the door, after that, it's up to you." There's a factor that wasn't addressed, maybe the fraternity didn't match up to the expactions that the EA had. Maybe he was looking for the "dark, evil, satanic" cult that sacrifices animals. Or maybe he was searching for something that would enhance his psychic and magic powers. It sounds silly, but I've talked to a few people that think that's what I learn/do at the Lodge. So rather than go to the Worshipful Master and say "I want out," he'd rather let his one year time frame run out.
 

Pscyclepath

Premium Member
Sometimes life does get in the way... Last night, I had the privilege of serving as senior deacon as we conferred the FellowCraft degre on a brother who had taken his EA obligation over 28 years ago... Brother L. had family obligations, then some health problems, then eventually hooked up with our lodge and attended my EA initiation back the first of February. It took a lot of work to get him back through his EA proficiency, as that sort of memory just doean't work as well at 76 years as it did way back when, but we got him through, and with the earnest advice that we won't let him take that long to turn in for his masters. In fact, he was passed last night, and we're starting on his FC proficiency by taking him visiting to another FC degree tonight at a neighboring lodge...
 

jjjjjggggg

Premium Member
There was a guy who showed up and asked for a petition. He immediately introduced himself and show up to the dinners before meetings so the brothers could get to know him.

After being initiated he took the initiative and started cleaning the lodge on his own, and helping serve dinners. He'd stick around during the meetings, though he wasn't allowed in, and helped clean up.

Since being raised he still shows up to meet several times a week with his mentor to work on floor work, clean the lodge, and has begun memorizing the junior deacon position to help fill in when the appointed one doesn't show up. He also started taking the educational correspondence courses offered by his grand lodge and visiting area lodges to meet more brothers and to support the one receiving the degree.

His reason he says is because he wants to show how much he appreciated the brothers for bringing him in and for them to be proud they made the right choice. He says he also believes in what masonry offers and hopes that by his example it will draw other young men in to see how great freemasonry is.

Point is, he didn't wait for others to to make it interesting for him, or pat him on the back, or build his self-esteem. He got to work and is still going strong.
 

Levelhead

Premium Member
No one called me to study, no one reminded me to do anything. I took it upon myself to meet with my coach on my time and study.

If an EA don't have time or motivation to even learn his chetachism then he wont have time to help out, and volunteer. We need help at breakfasts, family nights and so on. Its nice for an EA to show initiative by coming down and helping.

Some people are in it to " say they are a mason" and some people are in it to "live as a mason". There are members and there are brothers.

If an EA needs to be called or reminded then they will need to be called or reminded when the lodge needs help.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
Some people are in it to " say they are a mason" and some people are in it to "live as a mason". There are members and there are brothers.
Yes, and some of each kind are EA's and some of each kind have been Masons for decades. I understand getting mad and wanting to dump on someone. When I was new I asked for help to learn the ritual and no one had the time or cared enough to help me. It works both ways.

But the fact is that how I treat you is not about who you are or how you act, it is about who I am. Period. I learned that in Masonry.
 

RyanC

Registered User
I'm a new MM but I know that in say the last five years their has been about 4 to 5 Brother in my lodge that have not gone past the EA degree, I understand that a grow man should not be begged to show up. But would it be wise to contact this people, see why they have not progressed, and what could be done to change things and get them back active.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I was going to post almost the same thing as Ashlar. The EA always came across to me as the stage in Masonry where the wheat gets separated from the chaff.

I've noticed that if someone isn't interested in learning what they need in order to advance, it will often be the most apparent with EAs. I say if they aren't interested, let them be.
I agree. You are either interested in continuing or you are not. Being recently raised I can still readily remember that when I reached EA I was eagerly looking forward to studying and advancing.
 

DJGurkins

Floresville #515
Premium Member
Hello Brothers
I was initiated last year in March. I started showing up at the lodge one night before a meeting and haven't stopped. I was Raised in August. When I was initiated the WM. told me he was available on Sun mornings around 9am for study and another Brother told me to call anytime I was off and he would help as well. The point is they started the ball and then it was up to me to continue to push it as hard and as fast as I wanted or needed.
 
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