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The 2009 Resolutions

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Before you jump on the R bandwagon.. when this was put into masonary it had nothing to do with the color of a persons skin.. ! it had to do with a lot of strange lodges.. some had women as member.. there were a lot of reasons why regular masonary would not reconize other lodges and had very little to do with race.. !

And on the other had don't know what all the whinnnnnning is about .. ! went to lodge the other night with a bunch of EA's and one was black and NOBODY pay any attention to his color.. ! any black in the state of Texas can join.. !

Well that is great to know but that is not the case across Texas. There have been several instance of open Racism in Lodges with NO ACTION. As far as the whining you speak of that is the younger guys looking at the state of Masonry in Texas and the direction and saying "Look, open your eyes, you guys are running us in the ground." Consider us the warning alarm that you hear when you are dropping altitude in a plane. You know the one that you hear when you are about to hit the ground a kill everyone on board. Yeah that’s us. Look at the stats. People are joining but not at the rate they are dying and on top of that we want to make it more exclusive.

There are 34 Lodges that are currently in arrears, and possibly have their lodges demise or merge. My Lodge membership has an average age of 70 years old with over 50% of our members over 70 and 75% over 60. We have 17 Master Masons under 40. I thought this is just a fluke but when I have looked at other Lodges it is THE SAME. Now do you hear what we are "whining" about. We don't need just need to get members in but we need to RETAIN. Most Lodges have a 10% - 20% active rate and only 1 out of 4 EAs become a Master. Tell you what, you just sit there and think that your Lodge is getting it right, and maybe it is, but we are looking at the status of Masonry in Texas, not just in one town. Because if that is true it is not the norm.

You want to know what the great thing about these stats are? In a few years we can look at the numbers and guess who will be able to change things, US. The people whining. You guys do what you need to do. Continue to shut Lodges down with inactivity but we are growing by the dozens each year and pretty soon it won't matter. My question is, have you left Masonry in better shape then when you joined? If so, then I think that is wonderful.
 

TCShelton

Founding Member
Premium Member
any black in the state of Texas can join.. !

Yeah, save that rhetoric for someone who hasn't seen if first hand, more than once, in more than one lodge.

For some reason this conversation reminds me of the picture of the three wise monkeys: one with his fingers in his ears, one with his hands over his eyes, and the other with his hands over his mouth.

I concur 100% with Brother Josh's assessment here. As much as we are the committee on "hope and change," according to you, you are just a masonic pall-bearer carrying this casket right into the ground.
 
J

JEbeling

Guest
We are made up on non-perfect people.. ! across this large state we have people who will always have different views of masonry.. ! but those who do un-masonic things are handled by the Grand Master.. ! the ones I have run into..? but not sure he has corrected every issue but I think he is trying.. ! and have not seen him back away for anyone.. !

I think what I read here is this doom and gloom.. ! and as I go around the state I don't see that..? I see masonry working.. ! young people working at masonry and enjoying it.. ?

I also see the numbers and am not sure that running out and changing masonry would bring in large amounts of EA's to our doors.. ! The reason men join Masonry are varied.. !
 
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TCShelton

Founding Member
Premium Member
but those who do un-masonic things are handled by the Grand Master.. !

Not the case at all, as several members of this forum can attest to.

When talking about the numbers, they are doom and gloom. We've lost what, 17,000 members in the last five years alone, and we are down @ 130,000 members since '61. Those numbers are a punch in the mouth to anyone trying to say that we are "booming," which is the most frequent term used by GL officials who I have heard speak on this. "We are bringing in new Masons by the handfulls," they say. Yeah, bringing them in, but we can't seem to get but 25% of them across the state through their 3rd degree. That is a surefire sign that something is wrong.

Unfortunately, all these "young EAs" we are bringing in don't count towards our numbers unless they actually get the 3rd degree.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Well I stand corrected. Brother Ebelling, I pray you are right but I have seen discrimination in Lodge. GL was involved and decided not to act. This has happened multiple times this year alone at 3 lodges around the state and will be glad to PM you details. I really can't understand how you call actual stats that is pulled from membership numbers as "Doom and Gloom" it is facts.

I am curious as to how Masonry can be working when we continue to have Resolutions such as #9 that are brought before our Grand West. Is this the status of Masonry that you speak of? I don't wnat to go out and let everyone in either. That is what happened in the 50's and 60's and look at the numbers. People that just join to do something with their time don't stay.

I think it is best to agree that we don't see the same thing in Masonry. I do see light at the end of the tunnel but it will be a long tunnel with much darkness to come.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
We are made up on non-perfect people.. ! across this large state we have people who will always have different views of masonry.. ! but those who do un-masonic things are handled by the Grand Master.. ! the ones I have run into..? but not sure he has corrected every issue but I think he is trying.. ! and have not seen him back away for anyone.. !

I think what I read here is this doom and gloom.. ! and as I go around the state I don't see that..? I see masonry working.. ! young people working at masonry and enjoying it.. ?

I also see the numbers and am not sure that running out and changing masonry would bring in large amounts of EA's to our doors.. ! The reason men join Masonry are varied.. !

I would love to see measurable things. What has the GM done this year? What numbers is your Lodge bringing in? What are young people enjoying most? How many master masons has your Lodge made this year in relation to members lost? I can get you some of these numbers. The Lodge Directory has you at 100 members this year. Now I don't have last years but the difference should be + if it is as good as you say.

We can sit here all day long and say what we "think" we see but when you look at the numbers its not true. We did this in our last meeting and the look on our members faces summed it up. When we gave them stats one member even put his head in his hands. It semms we are doing good but look at the stats that's all I am saying Brother. Look at the measurable things. I am looking for facts to support what you are saying that's all.
 

david918

Premium Member
I would love to see measurable things. What has the GM done this year? What numbers is your Lodge bringing in? What are young people enjoying most? How many master masons has your Lodge made this year in relation to members lost? I can get you some of these numbers. The Lodge Directory has you at 100 members this year. Now I don't have last years but the difference should be + if it is as good as you say.

We can sit here all day long and say what we "think" we see but when you look at the numbers its not true. We did this in our last meeting and the look on our members faces summed it up. When we gave them stats one member even put his head in his hands. It semms we are doing good but look at the stats that's all I am saying Brother. Look at the measurable things. I am looking for facts to support what you are saying that's all.

We still have 100 members but have a request for a demit to be read at next months meeting ,working on getting 4 brothers from Minnesota becoming dual members.That good ole Texas hospitality at the cook off last summer payed off.That's the good news now for the bad El Campo has raised 2 Master Masons this century have had numerous EA's but only 1 has advanced to become a MM
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Brother David, you see the numbers first hand as I do. I remember you posting almost identical stats as far as membership demographics in the Membership Stats Thread. This is exacly what we are looking at here. I have not heard one Grand Lodge Offical say there is going to be a huge decline in membership because the gap. All I hear is Masonry is alive and well and how we need to get 4 people to join and such. How can we be alive and well when you look at the FACTS and they say otherwise? That's all we are looking at. We are not saying its a bad thing but we do need to reanalyze what we are focusing on. We get EAs as well but we, for the first time, are retaining them. We are focusing on the future not today or "The Glory Days" and how it used to be done. Times have changed and we have to as well. We need to embrace technology and use it to our advantage. With the free publicity that is being cast on Masonry we go and publish this resolution. If that get out into the public and people that are looking into Masonry see the stuff happening in GA and in our own Jurisdiction why would they join?


To get back on track:
Resolution number 9 will do nothing but make this gap larger because we are proposing to take away the one thing US young guys (the Future) look to Masonry for, which is an organization that allows people to learn from each other based on a diverse background, or the oppurtunity to meet people that we normally would not have met. It allows us to learn about tolerance and such. By allowing Resolution 9 to pass is bigotry. Period. You are discriminating against ANY other religion other than Christianity. Don't say Jewish and Catholics and other religions use the Holy Bible, we covered them when we used the KJV of the Bible and that is not right.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
By the way, I am getting off the soap box. At this point I think you truly understand what the facts indicate or you don't. I know the best Masonry is around the corner but we will shrink dramatically. I originally felt like 70,000 but I would not be surprised to see us drop to around 55,000 before we close the gap. But by dropping I feel that a rebirth of Masonry will occur and we will immerge stronger than ever.
 
J

JEbeling

Guest
#9 will go down.. ! its dumb and its somebody's pet peeve .. !
 

tomasball

Premium Member
In the interests of information, without lobbying: the National Association of Masonic Scouters is a nation-wide organization founded around four years ago to foster and develop support for the Boy Scouts of America by and among Freemasons while upholding the tenets of Freemasonry. It is recognized in twelve Grand Jurisdictions. They hold meetings at large Scouting events. In states where lodges can sponsor Scout units, they promote that. In states, like ours, where lodges can award the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award, they promote that. In general, they try to find ways for Masonry to support the Scouting program, and at the same time increasing awareness of Masonry among Scouts and Scout leaders.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
This seems like a good thing. We had a poll a while back about scouting and Masonry and I was originally aginst it. However, after reading the Brother's comments I really think it may help raise awareness and have changed my views on Boy Scouts and Texas Masonry. At this point I am for anything that will shine Masonry in a good light.
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
Doom and Gloom is a tough pill to swallow and I am all for the posative attitude in fact I think it is a way of life but the reality of the sitiuation constitutes we be realist. We can all see the summit but getting there is a whole other story. I have sat in Lodge with a few black men and rarley have their race not been an issue. I have seen so called Masons walk out of degrees, I have seen so called Masons not shake the hand of a new brother or petitioner, I have heard so called masons admit to their bigotry and unwillingness to allow a black man in lodge to a GL offical none the less which he himself has the priveledge of being as well and nothing was done. This is just my experience which i felt was icsolated till this site came along and I heard the horrible stories that go unchecked. I also see EA running from masonry as soon as they see this bigitory. So call it what you will but from our chair Masonry is in a whole other state of affairs than what is being publicly said and all we want is some kinda of change.
 

ddreader

Premium Member
Premium Member
its the internal and not the external qualifications that recommend a man to be made a mason. i will tell you that trashy men come in all shapes, sizes, ages and colors, etc... so do racist. masonry is not perfect. it never will be. all we can do is try to leave it better than we found it. that's my goal! if you want ea's to come back after they are initiated. you have to make them feel like they are an important part of what is going on. they joined a men's fraternity, for fellowship, if you do not have anything fun for them to do. i promise you that they will find something better to do. do some research find out what your lodge did in the past. our older brothers were our age once. what did they do to promote masonry? maybe some of those things will work now to. make masonry something they want to do, every body wants to have fun. so make it fun.
 

ddreader

Premium Member
Premium Member
as for #9, ( judge with candor, admonish with friendship, and reprehend with justice.) we should look into our masonic teachings, and what they mean to us. this is one of those times when you get the chance to be a true mason. this brother for what ever reason thinks this is valid thing to do. we as brothers should respect him, and his ideas just as much as he should respect ours. i do not think #9, is in the best interest of masonry. but for some reason he does. this one of those times when you get the chance to be a real masons, mason. you will be asked by ea's, fellow crafts, an master masons what you think. so think before you speak. we can agree to disagree, with brotherly love ,and respect for each other, at controversial times like this. remember the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of god. show your ea's. fellow-crafts and brother master masons. what it truly means to receive MORE LIGHT IN MASONRY! remember leave it better than you found it.
 

ddreader

Premium Member
Premium Member
now then this what i think about #4 have any of you ever heard the phrase, we have nobody showing up for M.W.S.A meetings in our district? why? this would be a good time to here what you think about this problem. and how to solve it. maybe a little change might be good,and spark some new interest. i have no problem letting past presidents be regular members, maybe it will increase participation, how can that hurt? maybe they will bring some other brothers with them when they come. these brothers care about this organization, or they would not be past presidents. we listen to our past everything else with respect. whats the difference here.
 
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Gerald.Harris

Premium Member
Premium Member
now then this what i think about #4 have any of you ever heard the phrase, we have nobody showing up for M.W.S.A meetings in our district? why? this would be a good time to here what you think about this problem. and how to solve it. maybe a little change might be good,and spark some new interest. i have no problem letting past presidents be regular members, maybe it will increase participation, how can that hurt? maybe they will bring some other brothers with them when they come. these brothers care about this organization, or they would not be past presidents. we listen to our past everything else with respect. whats the difference here.

Good point Brother Dennis. I know that then MWSA of the 31st Dist , voted this down last year. I am not sure why, but it was voted down. I believe like you, that the brethren who have served as a President of the association showed a great amount of interist in the association once befre, so why not retain them as a voting member for future decisions.
 

ddreader

Premium Member
Premium Member
as for #5 the cow. sets the standards by which we are to fallow when it comes to esoteric work. you know, constitutions, resolutions and edicts, bylaws rules and regulations, stuff like that. that being said. and this is my opinion. you do not have to agree with me. but at least try to respect it. as i will always respect yours, be it pro. or con. when you get to the east, west or south. in your lodge you are. the representatives of what masonry should be to all the members of your lodge. in the south you are youth. learning how to lead and guide your brothers. in the west manhood. you are leading and promoting peace and harmony in the the lodge. and in the east age. you know how to lead, do whats best for your lodge, and masonry no matter what your personal views are, because its not about you. its about whats best for your masonic family. and promoting masonry to the best of your ability. every time you open your mouth, people listen to what you have to say. and how you say it. they watch how you lead. you should be the role model for your lodge ,and should try to set the standard by which all other brothers should act. this just touches the surface of how i feel about this. now then. lets just say that i am a new ea, our fellow-craft ,or even a master mason, and i have watched you go from chair to chair, every year and when you get to the east, and you can not open our close a lodge proficiently to the cow. standards,( i did not say perfectly as we all make mistakes, i am by no means perfect in any way.) and the people watching you, think like me. i will leave it at that.
 
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