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JW Reading the Law

How often does the JW read from the Book of Law?

  • Every Meeting

    Votes: 24 35.8%
  • Every now and again

    Votes: 12 17.9%
  • He is supposed to read from the law book?

    Votes: 23 34.3%
  • Our JW can read?!

    Votes: 8 11.9%

  • Total voters
    67

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I agree. In fact, until we started reading the law during the meetings we had a few brothers who would force their viewpoint during a discussion as "being the law" and (this one I LOVE) "Grand Lodge will come down and pull our charter if we do that".

The item in question you may ask? Opening a Community Builder's award to the general public.

OK, now I'm :confused:. How could you have a closed meeting to present a CB award that is to be given to a non-Mason?
 

Chaplin the Elder

Registered User
OK, now I'm :confused:. How could you have a closed meeting to present a CB award that is to be given to a non-Mason?

It wasn't a closed meeting. And that was the whole point. We opened a MM lodge and called it to refreshment. Included and presented at the same time was a Golden Trowel award and two scholarships. Except for the Golden Trowel all the others were to non-masons.

We filled the lodge room, got two new members and had a number of the community members want to know more about what we do (besides control the weather;)).
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I guess I still don't understand why all the contention. GL prefers that CB, GT, Carter, & Lamar Awards be presented at special open meetings but there is nothing wrong with opening a MM Lodge & calling off first.
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
We did one of our CBs in the City Council Chamber during a Council meeting since the recpt was on the City Council.
 

Chaplin the Elder

Registered User
I guess I still don't understand why all the contention. GL prefers that CB, GT, Carter, & Lamar Awards be presented at special open meetings but there is nothing wrong with opening a MM Lodge & calling off first.

That was the special open meeting. However, we had one old timer run around screaming that GL would come down and pull our charter. He is part of what we call the "4 and 40" crowd. He only wants 4 members in lodge and 40 dollars in the bank.
 

JBD

Premium Member
That was the special open meeting. However, we had one old timer run around screaming that GL would come down and pull our charter. He is part of what we call the "4 and 40" crowd. He only wants 4 members in lodge and 40 dollars in the bank.

I soooo love and appreciate the "pull the charter" crowd. Real inspiring, real compassion, real brotherly love. I had a discussion on the very subject with someone just a few days ago.

My feeling is when your only tool is a hammer - everything looks like a nail.

My position is Masonry affords me a whole box full of tools and none are a hammer.
 

Gerald.Harris

Premium Member
Premium Member
I soooo love and appreciate the "pull the charter" crowd. Real inspiring, real compassion, real brotherly love. I had a discussion on the very subject with someone just a few days ago.

My feeling is when your only tool is a hammer - everything looks like a nail.

My position is Masonry affords me a whole box full of tools and none are a hammer.

Well said Brother... Sometimes it is difficult to determine which tool best fits the situation. I also agree that the "pull the charter crowd" are usually only thinking with a hammer.
 

JBD

Premium Member
Well said Brother... Sometimes it is difficult to determine which tool best fits the situation. I also agree that the "pull the charter crowd" are usually only thinking with a hammer.

Ya know I liked the JBDism so well I edited it and made it part of my signature
 

Chaplin the Elder

Registered User
I soooo love and appreciate the "pull the charter" crowd. Real inspiring, real compassion, real brotherly love. I had a discussion on the very subject with someone just a few days ago.

My feeling is when your only tool is a hammer - everything looks like a nail.

My position is Masonry affords me a whole box full of tools and none are a hammer.

Well put. And this is a brother who wants everything nailed shut, by him.

He has not shown up in lodge since I became Master. And neither has 98% of the contention we had in the lodge. Could there be a correlation between the two?:D
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
... and sometimes you need a BIG hammer just to get peoples attention (see [ame="http://masonsoftexas.com/showthread.php?t=8348"]Racism Thread[/ame])
 

Gerald.Harris

Premium Member
Premium Member
I think I'll be WM by the time I receive a copy. :rolleyes:

Brother Blake, If you have not received your copy, you can go downstairs to the book room at Grand Lodge, and ask for Brother Raywood, ( It is a small door in the hall where all the pictures of each lodge is posted) he will check the record to see if your lodge secretary has already requested the same. If it has not been requested, he will give it to you and mark off that your lodge has indeed received it's copy. Hope this helps you.
 

MGM357

Registered User
What scares me is the laws and bylaws of the GL are becoming like the laws of our country, which everyone seems to have their own interpertation. To me, Masonry is simple. We need to get back to keeping it simple. Before I knew hardly any laws of Masonry, I knew the obligations. Think about it. During everyone's EA, how many knews the laws of the GL. All I knew, that I had to believe in God, be a certain age (21 at that time), and having no felonies. Since that time Ihave learned so much more of what you can or can't do. To me the obligation dictates our actions throughout our daily lives, or how the public sees our actions. The laws and bylaws of the GL are there to allow the lodges to operate, to take in new members, to suspend or expel for wrong doing, and so on. To me, how we act outside the lodge room is our total reflection. That's how I became interested in Masonry, by seeing how other Masons act. I hope this helps, if I'm wrong, please enlighten me!!
 

Gerald.Harris

Premium Member
Premium Member
What scares me is the laws and bylaws of the GL are becoming like the laws of our country, which everyone seems to have their own interpertation. To me, Masonry is simple. We need to get back to keeping it simple. Before I knew hardly any laws of Masonry, I knew the obligations. Think about it. During everyone's EA, how many knews the laws of the GL. All I knew, that I had to believe in God, be a certain age (21 at that time), and having no felonies. Since that time Ihave learned so much more of what you can or can't do. To me the obligation dictates our actions throughout our daily lives, or how the public sees our actions. The laws and bylaws of the GL are there to allow the lodges to operate, to take in new members, to suspend or expel for wrong doing, and so on. To me, how we act outside the lodge room is our total reflection. That's how I became interested in Masonry, by seeing how other Masons act. I hope this helps, if I'm wrong, please enlighten me!!

My brother, you have a very valid point. I will say however, that the laws of the Grand Lodge, are very much like they were in 1977 when I first became a Master Mason. It is true that they have changed a bit along the way, but for the most part it was for the good of all. At least that is the way it was originally intended. I don't believe that one single member of GL has ever proposed a resolution or recommendation to the GLOT that he felt was a bad thing, and I don't think that the Grand West has ever passed a law that they thought was bad for masonry in general or the Grand Lodge of Texas in particular. I will also say that what we type or print here on these boards are our own opinions, and do not reflect the official answers from the Jurisprudence Committie who is charged with keeping the rest of us operating with in the limits of the law. If you ask the Grand Master for a ruling on any subject, he will most likely go to this committee for advice before he answers you.
I know that this sounds like it is full of legal jargon, ( much like the laws of the country) but it is also the laws that we agree to uphold and live by. I do agree with you that things would be so much simpler if we could all just remember to abide by the obligations we took when we became masons.
 

MGM357

Registered User
The only two changes that come to mind are the age was dropped to 18 and 14 days to wait between turning in your work and your next degree.

There are alot of 18 yr olds still in high school, and in my mind peer pressure can play a role in keeping the secrets of Freemasonry. The canidate could answer all of the questions in the correct way, but still not show his maturity level. I understand it has to be taken at a case by case basis. What was wrong with keeping the minium at 21?

If I remember correctly the time between degrees was a full lunar calendar. My opinion, what's the big hurry? I've seen alot of brothers hurry up and turn in their work and you never see or hear from them again. Maybe if it was still 28 days, the brother could slow down long enough to get to know the brothers at the lodge, interpret the work more, understand there is more light, and maybe make himself feel more at home with Masonry.

Your thoughts please!!
 

Gerald.Harris

Premium Member
Premium Member
The only two changes that come to mind are the age was dropped to 18 and 14 days to wait between turning in your work and your next degree.

There are alot of 18 yr olds still in high school, and in my mind peer pressure can play a role in keeping the secrets of Freemasonry. The canidate could answer all of the questions in the correct way, but still not show his maturity level. I understand it has to be taken at a case by case basis. What was wrong with keeping the minium at 21?

If I remember correctly the time between degrees was a full lunar calendar. My opinion, what's the big hurry? I've seen alot of brothers hurry up and turn in their work and you never see or hear from them again. Maybe if it was still 28 days, the brother could slow down long enough to get to know the brothers at the lodge, interpret the work more, understand there is more light, and maybe make himself feel more at home with Masonry.

Your thoughts please!!

My thoughts are the same as yours Brother. I still do not feel that a man has reached his maturity at 18. The large item that the pro 18s used was the fact that so many of our soldiers who are putting their lives on the line for the service of our country,were not 21. ( on that basis I agree with them) I am ok with the case by case basis, but in reality that is the way that we handle everything else when it comes to a potential candidate.

On the other issue ( the one regarding time between degrees) I still agree with you. 28 days is fast enough in my book, however there is apparantly enough brothers out there who want fast track ( all in a day) lodges. I believe the 14 day time was more or less a compromise between the two factions.

Other items that have changes of late are the allowance of cypher books, the recognition of Prince Hall Grand Lodge, and allowing EA and FCs to sit in a Stated Meeting.
 

MGM357

Registered User
The cypher books are the biggest crutch in learning the work. The rituals we use in C&C only make remembering the work harder. We're trying to not to use the rituals in opening or closing. So far it's getting better. In the long run it we hope to have a bigger group of companions attend C&C because we're not reading out of a book.

Allowing EAs and FCs to sit in stated meetings falls under the lets hurry up mentality. one of the first charges that was given to me by the WM was to await my time with patiences.
 

Gerald.Harris

Premium Member
Premium Member
The cypher books are the biggest crutch in learning the work. The rituals we use in C&C only make remembering the work harder. We're trying to not to use the rituals in opening or closing. So far it's getting better. In the long run it we hope to have a bigger group of companions attend C&C because we're not reading out of a book.

Allowing EAs and FCs to sit in stated meetings falls under the lets hurry up mentality. one of the first charges that was given to me by the WM was to await my time with patiences.

When the first code books hit the C&C, the rule was that they not be allowed in the lodges. It was only a short time, and there they were. I have had many companions tell me that they feel the books were the death of the organizations.
I agree with you on the hurry up and the are we there yet mentality. I have a friend who is presently a FC. He spent a year learning his EA, and told me not to expect him to turn in his FC until his time was short. He wanted to visit, and experience the degree as long as he could. I have another older brother who is an instructor, and this case drives him crazy. He just can't understand why this young man is procrastinating so.. I get tickled just thinking about this.
 

MGM357

Registered User
I'm proud your friend is taking his time. Especially as a FC. That degree seems to never get the respect it deserves. I myself didn't realize how educational the degree was until after I had watched put on someone else. I wish I had relished more in the FC degree while I was a FC, especially after going through the York Rite festival.
 
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