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Where is the value add?

David612

Registered User
So my lodge just celebrated their 90th which makes me very happy, but after this past meeting where there was nothing beyond a business meeting and a meal I’m finding it hard to find the value here, I’m only a few months in (8-9 meetings) I love the guys in my lodge but really is this what I’m gonna get out of freemasonry?
Cleaning dishes, more lodge business meetings and the occasional education tid bit..
at times I think I’m better just buying books and educating myself, sure I’d attend lodge but skip the south as I’m just not getting value there.
I’m very frustrated, my brothers are great guys and are full of Masonic knowledge, what am I missing here...
Am I expecting too much?
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
What do you mean by this?

Sent from my SM-G386T using My Freemasonry mobile app
Most if not all the members in my Lodge sit on the south side during the meetings at my lodge. So if someone said that in my lodge, I'd take it as skipping the meeting. It's the best conclusion I could draw on that.

Then again, there is an allusion to the JW chair during the third (jurisdictional)
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
I go for the fellowship. You experience experience meetings and ask if there's more. I experience business meetings and say that's what they are for.

Time for you to attend other than just the Stated meetings where we pay our bills. Interested in ritual? Degree team time. Interested in charity? There's a group of brothers in every district that do that. Interested in history and meaning? Time to stand up at every Stated meeting and make a presentation, oh and also notice which appendant body offers that material. There are more than just Lodge of Research.
 
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Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I go for the fellowship. You business experience meetings and ask if there's more. I business experience meetings and say that's what they are for.

Time for you to attend other than just the Stated meetings where we pay our bills. Interested in ritual? Degree team time. Interested in charity? There's a group of brothers in every district that do that. Interested in history and meaning? Time to stand up at every Stated meeting and make a presentation, oh and also notice which appendant body offers that material. There are more than just Lodge of Research.
I also find that going through the chairs helps although he's making a time commitment if he chooses to explore leadership.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Time for you to attend other than just the Stated meetings where we pay our bills. Interested in ritual? Degree team time. Interested in charity? There's a group of brothers in every district that do that. Interested in history and meaning? Time to stand up at every Stated meeting and make a presentation, oh and also notice which appendant body offers that material. There are more than just Lodge of Research.
Very true!
I also find that going through the chairs helps although he's making a time commitment if he chooses to explore leadership.
Agreed!
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
So my lodge just celebrated their 90th which makes me very happy, but after this past meeting where there was nothing beyond a business meeting and a meal I’m finding it hard to find the value here, I’m only a few months in (8-9 meetings) I love the guys in my lodge but really is this what I’m gonna get out of freemasonry?
In the USA, yes, mostly.
Cleaning dishes, more lodge business meetings and the occasional education tid bit..
at times I think I’m better just buying books and educating myself,...
Just? You'd be better off doing this REGARDLESS of your lodge experience. Education is a SOLO journey, unless you hunker down and bring it INTO the lodge.
... sure I’d attend lodge but skip the south as I’m just not getting value there.
I’m very frustrated, ...
You're not alone, and please understand, most of it is self caused. Freemasonry was never designed to educate. It was designed to train and the target audience is replacements.
...my brothers are great guys and are full of Masonic knowledge, what am I missing here...
Am I expecting too much?
Yes. You are expecting too much. However, don't stop expecting it! You can be the change you seek and you can provide the very thing to others who are like minded and like hearted. All it takes is self initiative, self direction and self study. If you add to all this finding others who want to play along, you have the lodge you expected. If you want to know what is possible, check out all the links on my signature. I expected too much too and made an entire network of like minded and like hearted brothers as a result of my own initiatives, directions and study efforts.
 

David612

Registered User
I think the above is indeed correct, personally I think I need to just focus more on what I want to get out of my experience, while it is great to sit and chat with the blokes who have gone befor you I personally am looking for more esoteric knowledge, more philosophy and more intellectual work.
I will say however as far as being the change I want to see, it’s not really my race to run, I do read and educate myself but where I am in my life, new career, looking to start a family, homeowner etc I’m not going to spend the little bit of time I have trying to change it.
 

JJones

Moderator
So my lodge just celebrated their 90th which makes me very happy, but after this past meeting where there was nothing beyond a business meeting and a meal I’m finding it hard to find the value here, I’m only a few months in (8-9 meetings) I love the guys in my lodge but really is this what I’m gonna get out of freemasonry?
Cleaning dishes, more lodge business meetings and the occasional education tid bit..
at times I think I’m better just buying books and educating myself, sure I’d attend lodge but skip the south as I’m just not getting value there.
I’m very frustrated, my brothers are great guys and are full of Masonic knowledge, what am I missing here...
Am I expecting too much?

I went inactive for a few years shortly after I was raised for this same reason. This happens very often, unfortunately, and it wasn't until I came across this website and to educate myself that I came to realize that our organization is nowhere as mundane as our stated meetings has led me to believe.

Education yourself but remain active. Share what you've learned with other brothers and make education presentations during stated meetings. You're not the only mason who feels this way but too many men shrug their shoulders and walk away instead of working to create the change they desire. It's a tough but worthwhile endeavor and both yourself and your lodge will benefit from it.
 

acjohnson53

Registered User
What he is saying is that it's the same all over which you expect more from your Lodge instead of the same ol open and closing, occasional degree work. But it was told to me that our Lodge does not do fund raisings, make our self visible to our community, and giving to a cause...."I was told that", Now I was raised in the early 90's in a military Lodge where every year where I was stationed our Lodge was very visible, we donated back packs and school supplies, we had car washes to support that, in other words we kept that money earned working for a cause....Where as Freemasons we are bounded by these three words, "Faith, Hope, and Charity. Being that the holifay season is upon us let's keep in our thought...
 

David612

Registered User
I went inactive for a few years shortly after I was raised for this same reason. This happens very often, unfortunately, and it wasn't until I came across this website and to educate myself that I came to realize that our organization is nowhere as mundane as our stated meetings has led me to believe.

Education yourself but remain active. Share what you've learned with other brothers and make education presentations during stated meetings. You're not the only mason who feels this way but too many men shrug their shoulders and walk away instead of working to create the change they desire. It's a tough but worthwhile endeavor and both yourself and your lodge will benefit from it.
Thanks for your input Brother.
I think you are right on the money.
 

JJones

Moderator
Thanks for your input Brother.
I think you are right on the money.

Thanks. It's also been mentioned that you might look into Traditional Observance lodges (TO lodges). I've visited one of these and really enjoyed it but there isn't one close enough for me to visit regularly. That one visit was one of the best Masonic experiences I've had though, so you might consider looking for one in your area and try it out.
 

David612

Registered User
Thanks. It's also been mentioned that you might look into Traditional Observance lodges (TO lodges). I've visited one of these and really enjoyed it but there isn't one close enough for me to visit regularly. That one visit was one of the best Masonic experiences I've had though, so you might consider looking for one in your area and try it out.
I’m not sure that there is anything like that in my area.. I’ll email grand lodge and see what they come back with.
 

David612

Registered User
im not in the USA so my chances of finding a lodge like this are minimal.
I’m interested to see what GL come back with.
 
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