dfreybur
Premium Member
A Masonic trial is a tiled event which means none but Masons may be present. It makes no sense for a non-Mason to file charges that would lead to a Masonic trial where the accuser would be excluded.
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Have standards really been lowered?
- Thread starter LAMason
- Start date
A Masonic trial is a tiled event which means none but Masons may be present. It makes no sense for a non-Mason to file charges that would lead to a Masonic trial where the accuser would be excluded.
I would urge you review your code
My usual tactic when people declare to me what the code allows: Citation?
dfreybur
Premium Member
It is tradition in many jurisdictions that the Junior Warden is the officer whose job it is to file Masonic charges when it becomes necessary. This is implicit in the traditional duty that the JW superintend the membership, so the tradition will not be present in every single jurisdiction. Nonetheless that's the brother to approach.
Note that the lodge must take a vote on whether to move forward with the charges, again in the jurisdictions I know. One lodge that I used to visit was asked to press charges and after the discussion at the next Stated meeting they did vote to decline the charges, so it does happen.
Under GLoTX Law, not only must the accuser be a Master Mason, but he must be a member in good standing of a GLoTX Lodge. (Grand Master's Decision- 1953, #7). In addition, although not specifically stated as such, at numerous places in Title V is found the wording "the accusing Brother". Further, Art. 611 states, in part, "the Trial Master shall then open the proceeding and return all Master Masons present to the Lodgeroom, to specifically include: the accuser, the accused, and the advocates for both." (italics mine)
Doubleagle357
Registered User
FM makes good men better......it can't make a bad man good
It doesn't even do that (make good men better). That's a slogan that is not supported by anything that FM does.
FM makes members. It is up to each member to do the Work that makes him better. That Work ain't making new members.
Warrior1256
Site Benefactor
Hadn't thought of it from this point of view. Something to ponder.
Just saying it as it is. It's only after you cut through all the dense thickets and underbrush when you can then possibly begin to see the Freemasonic forest far too many men get lost in.
Warrior1256
Site Benefactor
Wise words. The longer that I am here, the more that I learn. The more that I learn, the more questions that I have.
The work of Masonry is to make Masons. Sadly, that has somehow transformed to "make members."
Yep. That's because it is the mission of Freemasonry to make members, not masons. If it were to make masons, we have builders as a result of its process.
BullDozer Harrell
Registered User
A counter view would be that Masonry is a progressive moral science for an individual. The improvement of a man never plays out or passes away from generation to generation.
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JJones
Moderator
I believe the two are related somewhat. Once you become more selective, more people will become interested because suddenly it's hard to get into and membership actually means something.
CLewey44
Registered User
Bro Jones, nail on the head. This is what it really boils down to at the end of the day. If the business model is let virtually anyone join, short of felons, it becomes as someone said before, the Walmart of fraternities. Even when you swing the door wide open as it is now with lower dues (surely they'll join for virtually free!), t-shirts and shorts (see, we're a casual, every man's group), no Masonic education (Let's get in and get out), fear of talking esoteric topics (we're not voodoo or witchcraft!) etc, the numbers are still dropping. It's time a for change. It's really Einstein's definition of insanity with the way things have been going the last 40-50 years. If you raise the dues, it's gotta have some quality though No more Little Caesars pizza (no offense LCs) for dinner on paper plates or last minute ham sandwiches. It's no more wood paneling walls and shag carpet lodge rooms. Old buildings are fine, but good old. 1800s old, not 1979 old. If new, make them new. When young guys drive by there and see junk, they equate the entire fraternity as junk and think, 'why would I want to joint that?" If those lodges can't keep their doors open, the 'business model' is failing and they should maybe close.
Warrior1256
Site Benefactor
Good point!
jermy Bell
Registered User
I've seen in a couple lodges I visit regularly, it's quantity, not so much quality.
BullDozer Harrell
Registered User
Yep, I've seen the same thing.
Recently i had to 'put an egg on the nose' of a Brother who was bragging to me that his lodge had over 300+ members.
I said that's huge but how many Masons are there in that big mix? He was confused until i explained to him my view of the difference between members & Masons.
Every member is not a Mason. Quantity doesn't match or beat quality.
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