Alcohol In The Lodge

What if your lodge predates the GLTX?

 

Even if it were permitted by GLoT it would not happen on our lodge property. Now I enjoy a glass of wine or even a beer while BBQing but I see no place for it on lodge property. Too easy for things to get out of hand and be perceived in a bad light by the public. We do not need to give the anti-masonic crowd any more ammunition.

 

This reminds me of general order #1 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each FOB is usually divided into sections: the Italian section, Polish section, Brittish section, Australian section, Japanese section, Korean section, and the non-alcoholic section (otherwise known as the Americans) They are allowed to drink but never have problems resulting from it. We are banned from drinking and it still remains a problem for us.

If you treat grown men like little kids they act like little kids.

 

I definitely enjoy a drink or two. I even brewed for 6 years before the twins got big enough that I had to give up my office/brewery room.
I'm quite happy to keep my personal libations seperate from the Lodge. If it was a special occassion/dinner, I wouldn't have a problem with a glass of wine or a beer but, I'm just fine without it.

 

I lodge in the Fort Worth Temple and on many ocasions I have seen Masons having parties down stairs in the ballroom with boos. I think that if a Mason cannot use temperance and prudence when consuming alcohol he needs to leave it alone on his own personal accord. I am always weary of laws that try to enforce a certian morality on the masses. My Brothers and I have some of the deepest and best Masonic discussion after a few drinks but we know our bounds.

 

In 1717 while founding the Premier Grand Lodge there where meeting held at the Apple Tree Tavern.

I think Brother Benjamin Franklin Said it best:
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

Brother Ben's wild sucsess and unconventional wisdom may have never blessed this earth without beer. If we sit and ponder we will not worry about off yonder.

 

How many Masonic organizations have alcoholic beverages at some of there dinners and/or banqeuts?

Red Cross of Constentine: They do at their banquets.
Knight Masons Counsels: They do at their dinner meetings.
Allied Masonic Degrees AMD Counsels do, too.
Scottish Rite: They has a cash bar at its big banquets.
Shriners: Both the Shrine Temple and the Shrine Clubs always have drinks with their dinners.
Knights of the Order of Acon: I'm not a member, but I was told that they had drinks at their annual banquet, with the ladies, in a lodge building.
National Sojourners: They do when they meet and eat.
York Rite: Ive been to York Rite banquets in Masonic lodge buildings where they had a cash bar.
Grand Masters Suite during Grand Lodge: It always has alcoholic drinks every year Ive been.
Lodge dinners: Ive been to Christmas banquets at hotels and country clubs, and other lodge dinners at the Scottish Rite building, where drinks were served before dinner, and wine was drank during dinner.
Plus, any lodge can let one of these orgnaizations can have a dinner in the lodge building with alcoholic drinks as long as its not in the lodgeroom, and the lodge not in session.

Read the lawbook. It allows all of that.

But, this year, the Grand Master doesnt allow it inspite of what the law says.

And Buddy Baccus nicknamed him "blue-bag" because he likes Crown Royal.

 

I don't there is anything wrong with a social drink or two. I mean if your getting smashed after the meetings and jumping in your car, then that's problem.

 

Our lodge room is within our local Shrine temple. We don't drink before lodge, and certainly never within the lodge room. But after lodge?

Keeping in mind that there are pool tables, big screen tvs, poker tables and on and on in the various unit rooms on every side of our lodge room, above the lodge room, etc etc. The Shrine temple property is like a mini Hogwarts for menfolk, and gated, so privacy is well assured. Some nights we have boxing matches right across the hallway from our lodge too...full ring, undercards and all that stuff.

The man who was my top signer at the Shrine gave me a great rule of thumb the day I was initiated up there: "Drink all you want, but don't get drunk", and thats how we approach it. Which means, don't make an ass of yourself, keep your wits about you and so forth. Getting a DUI or God forbid hurting someone on the road, much less getting sloppy drunk and making your brothers uncomfortable isn't in the cards.

And you're likely to make a hell of a donation to the capital improvement fund via the rake if you do that anyway

 

Oh my

:17:

... I hope it's not Jax or Falstaff!

Oh my!


not all of my memories from back home are positive.

Oh my!

 

Not in favor of having it at lodge. Peace and Harmony being our chief strength, why place ourselves in an easy position for disruption and trouble? I don't oppose drinking and certainly understand one's fondness for Crown Royal, but I think it could open the door for loose tongues which may lead to all types of hurt, angry and volatile feelings.

 

Good point cog41. I'd like to think tho that the setting in which we are in (post meeting) would be enough to hinder one from loosing their tongue.

 

Sounds like an ideal setup!

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Agreed. I'd like to believe the post meeting atmosphere would be one of top quality brotherly friendship and unity. That being the case, it could be taken elsewhere for the stronger refreshments. No sense in risking a potentially bad situation at the lodge.
I understand rules can be in place but someone must enforce those rules when broken or when members fail to subdue their "passions" or circumscribe their desire for more of a good thing gone bad. Thus the enforcer,or whatever who may call him, becomes the bad guy and before ya know it there is disagreement on who broke the rule(s) or if any were broken at all....blah blah blah, etc. etc....
I wouldn't be a stick in the mud if my lodge wanted them, I'd just slide on to the house when the time arrived and hear about the activities later.

 

I think it must be a somewhat unique location. And we don't do anything as an organized lodge event or anything like that. Rules are the rules, and I'm about the last fellow to want to skirt them. And to be clear, we aren't as a lodge organizing boxing matches or that sort of thing - its just a massive building and parts of it get rented to the public and whatnot.

FWIW, I've attended a TO lodge, and libations are permitted at their table lodges. I witnessed nothing but the most brotherly of conduct. And come to think of it now, I've argued in the past that black tie might be unnecessary, but the truth is that I, and I think perhaps others are a touch more inclined to be on their best behavior when they dress the part. Don't know.

As I understand it (and wiser brethren I hope will correct me if I'm wrong), libations in Texas lodges were banned at the same time prohibition came about, and it was never changed back when prohibition went down. But I've not seen written history on that and it may be a legend.

BTW, Holland Lodge #1 has a pub within walking distance to it. Very convenient, if you can stand the hipster vibe

 

There are a few guys who do have a bit of a problem with alcohol, but they know this and so do the brethren. I would assume that after the meeting they have their pops, but they don't have a drop while in the building. While that is commendable, at the same time it's just sweeping the problem under the rug. The addiction is still there.

 

Nice! Nice catch Bro Mac, nice indeed.