What would you change?

[Warrior1256]

I certainly will never forget it. As to the EA coin thing I have never been a fan.

I like the lesson that it teaches.

 

[Ripcord22A]

Huh....ok....id like to see that. Neither Oregon nor NM do it.

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[Warrior1256]

Huh....ok....id like to see that. Neither Oregon nor NM do it.

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I guess this is one of those situations where lodges can differ from state to state or even from lodge to lodge in the same state.

 

[Ripcord22A]

The only variances ive seen lodge to lodge in the same gl is on the bible presentation and the apron lecture as there are multiple ones approved and who ever is goving that part has a preference

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[Bloke]

*Despondent sigh*

Last night I was out visiting by request to do a charge the lodge could not cover. Not driving, the lodge offered me transport and the IPM drove me home. I know him well and attended as much as I could during his year. It's a lodge my proposer got me involved in and three members there are members of my mother lodge. Two are father and son, and the father is 95 and been a Freemason since it was invented, the son was not going to join his dads lodge but another, because his dads lodge was going to fail (about 8 years ago) so he signed up for another... who promptly decided to hand in their charter, so he joined (I think was initiated) at his dads lodge on the condition they worked to revive the lodge. Lot's of brothers have been supporting them. There was talk of a merge between them and us at one point, but our culture, membership and location are different and I strongly felt it was better we twin (exchanging officers when required and that was only necessary for a few years, both lodges are now independent although the need to odd charge when people are away). Frankly, I also wanted to quarantine my lodge from some of the problems I saw there, and several of those problems are personalities, what we call here "the cringe factor" which is a behaviour which makes you cringe..

Both lodges have done well with candidates. The IPM told me they'd initiated about 28 guys in the last 4-5 years (that is huge here, my mother lodge has 24 over 8 years). Last night there were a lot of absences and the IPM drove me home. He's brought a lot of candidates in, but last night tells me a lot of who they have initiated and raised are not coming back. They don't see value because there is no education, there is grumpy past masters, poor food, poor standard of work characterised by old men forgetting lines and arguing about it and dumb things like footworketc etc. I think those things are important, but they need to be approached in a training/encouraging/ and correct context, no one will die if mistake is made, and candidates rarely know, but while we should be constantly improving, that is a journey of learning not recrimination. The IPM has exposure to a lot of lodges, including one in the USA where he is a member, he looks at the USA lodge and says the education and standard and the commitment is awesome, especially noting the need to prove proficiency. He gets a lot of our his USA membership but the single failure with these candidates is they dont feel brotherhood. Yes, they come to lodge and can see old guys who are friends, but they are not embraced in those groups, more importantly, they are not contacted between meetings, they read of the brotherhood in Freemasonry but did not finding it in Freemasonry.

*Despondent sigh*

I always say retention is a key, and the key to all things is lodge morale. So much supports lodge morale, but one of the big keys is friendship and fraternalism. We've doing well in those areas in my lodges... but so many men talk of going through divorces, sick children, unemployment etc and the only contact from the lodge was the annual phone call to ask why their dues are not paid.

Somewhere in there, recently someone wrote, the only way to save Freemasonry is by being Freemasons. That means in action, word, character but daily earning the title we all have - "Brother". Being upright, faithful and true brothers is the only way for us to truly succeed as an individual, as lodges and as an organisation... but when you hear about so much work going into a lodge, and of so many men disappointed in their (non) "fraternal" experience, its easy to get down (the trick for me is just be there...then pick myself up and change what's getting me down), but man, I hear this story about the lack of brotherhood like a broken record. It's like marriage failure due to infidelity, its an antithesis with an obvious result, why are people so dumb as to be surprised, just dont do it. Likewise, dont initiate men if you not going to approach it like giving birth to children, every masonic child you have you need to provide for, loved, and nurtured, it's a big commitment, we dont have 30 kids, we only have a few because that's all the resources and energy we have, why do we keep initiating men and then neglect them ?

 

[rpbrown]

"That's what I thought the first time I attended a Texas first degree. Instead of explaining that's what being correctly prepared meant and that's why it happened, a Brother demonstrates charity in action by handing over a coin. It's a meaningful and moving addition once I thought about it."

I agree. And I also think this shows that Masonry is meant to show help and kindness to others, particularly a brother Mason.

 

[Elexir]

I agree. And I also think this shows that Masonry is meant to show help and kindness to others, particularly a brother Mason.

Why particulary kindness to a brother?
Is a brother mason more worth then a non-mason?

 

[Brother JC]

Each to their own. Not an addition I agree with, and one I would rail against in my jurisdictions.

 

[chrmc]

My pet peeve about US Masonry is the progressive line. It moves people out of their position just as they've gotten good at what they are doing, and it puts most lodges in the situation that they promote unqualified men just to fill chairs.
I'd love to see good WMs site for 2-3 year in order to really get something accomplished.

Same goes for Grand Lodges. With as many duties that a GM has, and only 12 months to do them how are they ever supposed to take us anywhere?

 

[CLewey44]

My pet peeve about US Masonry is the progressive line. It moves people out of their position just as they've gotten good at what they are doing, and it puts most lodges in the situation that they promote unqualified men just to fill chairs.
I'd love to see good WMs site for 2-3 year in order to really get something accomplished.

Same goes for Grand Lodges. With as many duties that a GM has, and only 12 months to do them how are they ever supposed to take us anywhere?

This is a great point but maybe make it optional. Some fellas may not want to commit to something up to 3 yrs. It's a big partaking for sure.

 

[MarkR]

...With as many duties that a GM has, and only 12 months to do them how are they ever supposed to take us anywhere?

I don't know about your jurisdiction, but here the GM has so many demands on his time, that three years would kill him, his marriage, or both. They're somewhere but home virtually every night.

 

[Bloke]

I don't know about your jurisdiction, but here the GM has so many demands on his time, that three years would kill him, his marriage, or both. They're somewhere but home virtually every night.

GM here does two years, and 2 years prior as Dept GM. When Installing, most GMs here take their wife, who hangs out with other team members ladies and join us for dinner.... our last GM, I hardly saw him at Lodge without his wife when acting in official capacity. At a lodge I co-founded, my partner gave the response to the visitors toast... it made sense; she knew many of the brothers from my lodge and she did a wonderful job. First time I'd ever seen it (about 4 years ago). I am seeing more of this, Master's wives giving at least a speech, they say some lovely and often interesting stuff, and are strong supporters of their partner's masonic activities....

 

[Warrior1256]

My pet peeve about US Masonry is the progressive line. It moves people out of their position just as they've gotten good at what they are doing, and it puts most lodges in the situation that they promote unqualified men just to fill chairs.
I'd love to see good WMs site for 2-3 year in order to really get something accomplished.

Same goes for Grand Lodges. With as many duties that a GM has, and only 12 months to do them how are they ever supposed to take us anywhere?

This is a great point but maybe make it optional. Some fellas may not want to commit to something up to 3 yrs. It's a big partaking for sure.

I don't know about your jurisdiction, but here the GM has so many demands on his time, that three years would kill him, his marriage, or both. They're somewhere but home virtually every night.

GM here does two years, and 2 years prior as Dept GM. When Installing, most GMs here take their wife, who hangs out with other team members ladies and join us for dinner.... our last GM, I hardly saw him at Lodge without his wife when acting in official capacity. At a lodge I co-founded, my partner gave the response to the visitors toast... it made sense; she knew many of the brothers from my lodge and she did a wonderful job. First time I'd ever seen it (about 4 years ago). I am seeing more of this, Master's wives giving at least a speech, they say some lovely and often interesting stuff, and are strong supporters of their partner's masonic activities....

Good points from all around the table.