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Investigation question

SeattleMason0613

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
I wasn't on the investigative committee but I was present and asked the petitioner this question...

If you were master of your lodge and your lodge was failing and most likely wouldn't be around next year due to lack of membership.
Three young petitioners come in and you first get a very bad vibe from them and after getting to know then you know deep down they would not make good brothers.
Would you for the sake of saving your lodge allow these brothers to be elected to receive the degrees of masonry or would you deny them and this ending your lodge?

I want to know what you would do and why?


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P

Plustax

Registered User
Too many hypotheticals. Not realistic to present to a petitioner who probably doesn't even know about Worshipful Master much less about Freemasonry. It's like asking if 2 soldiers were injured laying on the ground & one was a close friend, only one could be saved.... who would you save? I just don't believe it's a fair question to ask someone who know very little about masonry. Question... you being a mason with knowledge, how would you answer it and why?
 
JJones

JJones

Moderator
Given the scenario? No, I'd keep them out.

My reasoning is that there's no guarantee that they'll stick around and stay active enough to keep the lodge open anyhow. Not only that but I've found that negative people are very poisonous to a lodge so even if they -did- stick around they'd probably do more harm than good and discourage men who are actually good from joining.

IMO letting unfit people join for the sake of numbers has caused enough problems for Freemasonry.
 
BroBook

BroBook

Premium Member
SeattleMason0613 said:
I wasn't on the investigative committee but I was present and asked the petitioner this question...

If you were master of your lodge and your lodge was failing and most likely wouldn't be around next year due to lack of membership.
Three young petitioners come in and you first get a very bad vibe from them and after getting to know then you know deep down they would not make good brothers.
Would you for the sake of saving your lodge allow these brothers to be elected to receive the degrees of masonry or would you deny them and this ending your lodge?

I want to know what you would do and why?


My Freemasonry
Click to expand...

What may I ask was his reply?


My Freemasonry
 
SeattleMason0613

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
It's a very fair question you don't need to know anything about freemasonry to really answer this question. It's simple do you save the lodge by initiating unfit people or do you let it die and not. I would let the lodge die. I don't feel that any one lodge is worth poisoning the good of masonry. It shows what the person cares most about if they can't answer it right off the bat.


My Freemasonry
 
SeattleMason0613

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
It's a human moral intuition question...used in psychology and I would do nothing I can't choose between two human beings.


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Z

Zack

Registered User
JJones said:
Given the scenario? No, I'd keep them out.

My reasoning is that there's no guarantee that they'll stick around and stay active enough to keep the lodge open anyhow. Not only that but I've found that negative people are very poisonous to a lodge so even if they -did- stick around they'd probably do more harm than good and discourage men who are actually good from joining.





IMO letting unfit people join for the sake of numbers has caused enough problems for Freemasonry.
Click to expand...

Thank you Brother JJones.
 
rpbrown

rpbrown

Premium Member
I agree with Brother Jones on this.
1) who is to sat that they would make a good Mason? Gut feelings usually are correct.
2) What if they dont stick around to help the lodge
3) and I feel this is the most important, what if they do stick around and join other lodges to spread their agenda/poison throughout Masonry.

Keep them out rather than taking that chance.
 
SeattleMason0613

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
His reply was to not allow them in lodge. However it took quite along time for him to answer this he beat around the bush asked allot of if and or questions, tried to make other suggestions. But after I reminded him that it is a simple question in or out?...he replied with not allowing them to be initiated and thus ending the lodge


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BryanMaloney

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
Were I asked that, I would have had to have answered honestly: "It would be extremely arrogant and presumptuous of me to make such judgments when I do not know if I am even to be initiated."
 
P

Plustax

Registered User
That's why I made my comment about it not really being a fair question at that point in time. Here is a person that's brand new, ony knows what he's read about Masons or has been told about this "group" of men. He's interested enough that he'd like to learn more by requesting to join this fraternity, has no idea about "bad apples" or "poisoning" or anything of the sort and yet, during his very first visit by these 3 gents ( or 1 or maybe even 5), he's asked "what would you do if you were in charge" of letting masonry die honoranly or live on with a 50/50 chance that people coming in MIGHT be bad for masonry. Personally, I think that's a lot to lay on a person that knows very little on the inner workings, architecture, history or retention issues (if any) that may be taking place. It could really get to him.... "did I give the correct answer, am I going to be accepted based on what I know up to this point"? Many petitioners are very nervous (including wives) when being visited the very first time (no matter how much we try to relax them).
 
SeattleMason0613

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
That is kind of insulting towards me to be honest with you...I believe I'm in no wrong in asking a hypothetical question which I insured to the candidate it was. If you think I'm wrong in doing so...so be it? I value your opinion and see exactly were your coming from I just don't agree 100%


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crono782

crono782

Premium Member
You're right, there's no lasting harm in the question. Personally, however, I think the question was unfair to ask a new candidate who knows nothing about our troubles within. To ask them to enter with a clear mind, but then burden them with worries about the craft seems counterproductive. But to each IC their own.
 
SeattleMason0613

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
I was not on the investigation committee simply asked to step in and ask a question and that's what I asked. No one in my lodge who heard it had no objections.


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