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Questioning My Decision to Become a Mason

David612

Registered User
Not for me. I prefer trying to make things better than when I found them.
Yeah it’s a nice idea but in practice if you get everyone just tying to change the lodge into what they want it to be you will just have a lot of infighting nonsense-
By the OPs report it sounds like he’s the odd man out-
It would be more pleaseing to align with brethren that share your focus.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
My Mother Lodge didn’t fulfill my expectations so I visited another and discovered the Brethren that had literally been hidden from me. I still cherish that second lodge the most.
I would definitely get your MM Degree then go visiting to see if you can find a better lodge or like minded men.
you may also find your place in the appendant bodies.
All I can recommend is finding a more appropriate lodge-
I would definitely go ahead and be raised and then I would visit other lodges in your area to see if one meets your expectations of Masonry.
You can decide that the Order is important enough that you want to make a difference and try to revitalize your Lodge. Expect resistance and phrases like, "We've never done it that way", or "We've always done it this way", or "Nobody wants to do that." And a host of many more reasons why any revitalization won't work.

Best advice I can give, get into the line and become part of the group that makes the decisions.
Good advice!
If it wasn't for sites like this I would had stopped a long time ago.
I, too, have learned A LOT on this site!
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
What I have found at the lodge barely qualifies as a "Knife and Fork Lodge."

I have seen shriveling lodges saved by young blood. Be the change you seek.

There's something not obvious about the Masonic plan to make good men better. It's not even that we don't discuss how it happens nor that many of us have no idea how it happens. It's that it's up to each one of us. Individual initiative.

I've asked about Masonic education in the lodge-short talks and reasearch papers- "We don't do that" is the answer.

YOU do that starting now. Start by reading the work of others. Move on to presenting your own thoughts.

A lot of Brothers are here for the fellowship. They become old friends but in time become clicks. It happens and many don't learn to resist it. Being a knife and fork lodge is exactly what they want. These are the men who keep the lights on for whoever shows up and starts doing activities. Every tempt is made with walls and every wall must be made of blocks. These Brothers are those blocks.

If you want your living stone to be a part of the lodge's ornamentation, be that.
 

David612

Registered User
I think it’s worth spending some time observing how things operate in the craft-
In my area for example you have the opportunity to become involved in the board of the temple, involved with the lodge management committee, investigation committees, building committees, masonicare officer and so on however, let’s be real, that’s not freemasonry- it is required for freemasonry to continue and it could be argued that learning administrative skills is making men better but your local school can do that and get you a recognised accreditation too.
You need to figure out what YOU want from the craft and persue that actively- you will hopefully find brethren who share your interest and expand your circle.
 
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Bloke

Premium Member
When I became Master of my home lodge I instituted some changes at opening and closing. One of the old guard told me "We don't do it that way here". My reply? "We do for the next 12 months".
Exactly. As long as a WM is not trying to bring strippers in, what he says goes. As a member of the "old guard" and a PM, that has usually served us well.... it has lead us down some not-so-great ideas - like a WM talking about education without actually doing it.. but I am a big believer of electing decent WMs and then let them be a WM.... it is why, as Sec, I call them "boss".... mind you I've deal with decisive ones, but never a bossy or a WM who tried to micromanage me... but it will happen... then I will come back and read this post :)
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
it is why, as Sec, I call them "boss".... mind you I've deal with decisive ones, but never a bossy or a WM who tried to micromanage me... but it will happen... then I will come back and read this post :)
Many thanks to you and all lodge Secretaries! I have always said that a lodge can survive a bad Master as long as they have a good Secretary!
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
As long as a WM is not trying to bring strippers in, what he says goes.:)
Had to go there, didn't you... ;-)
Masonic pin.jpg
 

Keith C

Registered User
This may be a scenario where a woman would be allowed to be present during a stated. There are exceptions to every rule...

You could easily have a woman do a presentation before opening the Lodge, we have had many presentations by non-Masons in this way. You just have to get the program done first, then open the Lodge and do the business that can only be done in a Tyled Lodge.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
You could easily have a woman do a presentation before opening the Lodge, we have had many presentations by non-Masons in this way. You just have to get the program done first, then open the Lodge and do the business that can only be done in a Tyled Lodge.
Thats true too.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
You could easily have a woman do a presentation before opening the Lodge, we have had many presentations by non-Masons in this way. You just have to get the program done first, then open the Lodge and do the business that can only be done in a Tyled Lodge.
Done the same way here.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
This may be a scenario where a woman would be allowed to be present during a stated. There are exceptions to every rule...
We do something here called "an open investiture" where non-freemasons come into the lodge and see the investiture of all officers (except the WM which a MM cannot see because it is done in an Installed Board) where the words are unchanged and only signs omitted; my sisters and partner have been in the lodge to see this.... but we close it before they are admitted.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
We do something here called "an open investiture" where non-freemasons come into the lodge and see the investiture of all officers (except the WM which a MM cannot see because it is done in an Installed Board) where the words are unchanged and only signs omitted;
This is the way that officer installations are done in my jurisdiction, including WM, so that family members can attend.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
You could easily have a woman do a presentation before opening the Lodge, we have had many presentations by non-Masons in this way. You just have to get the program done first, then open the Lodge and do the business that can only be done in a Tyled Lodge.

There is also a system called the "Stated meeting dinner". The lodge is opened. The lodge is called from labor to refreshment. There is a dinner (refreshment) that is usually in the dining room but that can be in the lodge room. The lodge room is purged of non-masons. The lodge is called from refreshment to labor. The business resumes. In the case of an actual Stated meeting dinner the wives have a program of their own during the business.

The last time I attended a blue lodge that used this process I lived in Seattle metro. It's my understanding that there are entire states were the process is not even taught as an option. But every ritual I've learned had calling from labor to refreshment and back as an option. Here is Texas the only group I know that does this is my Shrine. My wife loves being at the wives' programs during the Shrine stated meeting as she remembers them from when we lived in Seattle metro.

In my Illinois blue lodges I've been to presentations from members of the Masonic Homes board. The lodge used the process so she could give us her presentation while at refreshment from a Stated meeting. There's no need to do the presentation *before* the meeting. You just need to know the ritual to call from labor to refreshment and back, and to know this is one of the reasons we have that feature in our ritual options.

I also remember calling from labor to refreshment for one of the youth orders to come in to demonstrate a living cross ceremony with each of the girls reciting ritual as she took her place in the formation. I don't remember which of the two orders it was but I do remember it being a wonderful bit of lecture ritual combined with floor work ritual. Then they left and we called from refreshment to labor to resume the business.
 
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