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Dear Dad

STETSON

MM USA/UGLE
Site Benefactor
Just lost my Dad last year in a motorcycle accident rally in Bandera, TX.
He wanted to join and just asked me last year that he would like to be a mason...i still have his application in my desk!
I was sincerely touched and cried thinking how much Freemason has touched us all...thank you Bro Corky!
God has touched us ALL with the blessings of Brotherhood...
 

Bloke

Premium Member
I miss Brother Daut and his Small Town Texas Masons Magazine.

Me too Blake... I love this letter and thinks it is great - I've seen it in the STTM and it appears below
http://www.lodgedevotion.net/about-...16/dear-dad---a-letter-to-the-celestial-lodge
at that above like here is a "PS" from Corky not in the OP

It reminds me of another, forget any politics this makes you think of but read the text
http://www.lodgedevotion.net/devoti...ial-articles/letters-of-note-love-dad-2012-07

Back to Corky... the demise of the STTM (and Chris Williams Davey Crockett Newsletter at the same time) really got me thinking.... I would have described the STTM as "an institution" but really, to be described as such - it needs to survive the founder. Sadly, I don't think Corky passed his list to anyone - maybe it's with his brethren, but there is no possibility to pick up the baton of the STTM with the same circulation list. Corky's circulation had dropped to below 500. It was worrying him, but the thing is, a quality newsletter like that gets forwarded around; so the circulation was much bigger, and plus it was downloadable.. I do a monthly newsletter, it's only 12-15 pages but its had over 100 editions and I've got more people on my list that Corky did - he used to draw material from me and vice versa at will.. Blake, I think people like you (and me) need to think about how to make "institutions" like myfreemasonry survive any problem with the founder (illness, death, financial crisis, personal crisis etc) but the idea of the committee makes me cringe - being a one man show gives flexibility and full control... but a sudden death came make an "institution" like STTM and myfreemasonry just disappear... Turning my publication into a true "institution" is currently something I am kicking around, have you thought about it Blake ?

I have a close to full set of the STTM - i wonder what will happen to http://oldcorky.com/ ... it's still up and resisted to 2017-07-26. I'm watching it and if it goes down - am considering a tribute site. It was registered in Corky's name which suggested in July next year, when it expires and if it is linked to a credit card in Corky's name, it will no longer be a live site.... maybe we could put the STTM here - Corky was not just and American but a TEXAN (lol, those who knew him will smile) and having his mag hosted here would be fitting - and quite simple because the copyright status is clear - there is none - Corky was always clear on that,.. I knew him well and know he would be delighted to see the STTM editions hosted by you...

Got any thoughts Blake ?

(Oh.. and I still think people should sign http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=john-corky-daut&pid=180659362 to show Corky's kids how much he meant to us.. and still does)
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
. Blake, I think people like you (and me) need to think about how to make "institutions" like myfreemasonry survive any problem with the founder (illness, death, financial crisis, personal crisis etc) but the idea of the committee makes me cringe - being a one man show gives flexibility and full control... but a sudden death came make an "institution" like STTM and myfreemasonry just disappear...

That's true. I'm saddened to see so many quality masonic websites close up shop. I would estimate that in the last 5 years, 95% of Masonic "discussion" forums have gone offline. Many masonic websites (the old school ones with tons of content) haven't been updated in 5-10 years. Sometimes people get burned out, lose their masonic fire and then there's always health issues/death. I had a Co-Admin for years and even though we still keep in contact, he's moved to another state, has a family, career, etc. He was a huge asset and a nice backup if something happened to me. There are maybe 1-2 Brothers who I would feel comfortable as a co-admin. It's one thing to pay hosting fees, it's another to keep things progressing and updated. Sites like this die quickly without financial support and user generated content aka posts. We're financially sound thanks to our new membership upgrades, app revenue and most recently serving advertisements to non-registered users. We're not banking, but from a financial standpoint the site would purr along just fine.

I have a close to full set of the STTM - i wonder what will happen to http://oldcorky.com/ ... it's still up and resisted to 2017-07-26. I'm watching it and if it goes down - am considering a tribute site. It was registered in Corky's name which suggested in July next year, when it expires and if it is linked to a credit card in Corky's name, it will no longer be a live site.... maybe we could put the STTM here - Corky was not just and American but a TEXAN (lol, those who knew him will smile) and having his mag hosted here would be fitting - and quite simple because the copyright status is clear - there is none - Corky was always clear on that,.. I knew him well and know he would be delighted to see the STTM editions hosted by you...

It's a sad reality that his site will probably be taken offline. A couple of months ago I tried to download all of his publications but anything older than September 2011 had broken links. Thanks to your post I searched and was able to find an alternative site which had the correct links! I now have January 2009-June 2016, which I assume are all of his publications minus the months he was ill. I would definitely be open to hosting his work so that Brethren could enjoy it for years to come.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
That's true. I'm saddened to see so many quality masonic websites close up shop. I would estimate that in the last 5 years, 95% of Masonic "discussion" forums have gone offline. Many masonic websites (the old school ones with tons of content) haven't been updated in 5-10 years. Sometimes people get burned out, lose their masonic fire and then there's always health issues/death. I had a Co-Admin for years and even though we still keep in contact, he's moved to another state, has a family, career, etc. He was a huge asset and a nice backup if something happened to me. There are maybe 1-2 Brothers who I would feel comfortable as a co-admin. It's one thing to pay hosting fees, it's another to keep things progressing and updated. Sites like this die quickly without financial support and user generated content aka posts. We're financially sound thanks to our new membership upgrades, app revenue and most recently serving advertisements to non-registered users. We're not banking, but from a financial standpoint the site would purr along just fine.



It's a sad reality that his site will probably be taken offline. A couple of months ago I tried to download all of his publications but anything older than September 2011 had broken links. Thanks to your post I searched and was able to find an alternative site which had the correct links! I now have January 2009-June 2016, which I assume are all of his publications minus the months he was ill. I would definitely be open to hosting his work so that Brethren could enjoy it for years to come.

I know what you mean about " comfortable".... the problem is unlike a company, all assets of lodges are generally vested in individuals- same with out site.... I've been thinking about an incorporated body to hold lodge domains... Ours is owned by 1 member with me paying the bills: there is quite a bit of risk in that structure....

Corky: glad to hear you've found the several sites which host sttm.... i was going to talk to him about those broken links. I will do something about it over the Christmas break: probably with subsection on one of my domains.

Do think about getting some more folk involved in myfreemasonry - i plan to do that for our lodge website... a good friend holds the codes but I want to put something more robust in place, my site is over 10 years old and has almost 500 pages, it would be a shame if I died and it went dark.

Well done here Blake, I was on t3p and TSS - learned a lot there and it's great to have a chat home on myfreemasonry.com : fb does not come close to the environment you've provided. Thank you for your efforts...
 
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