Almost twenty years ago, I wrote a article for my state magazine called the Trowel, on a topic of Masonic jewels. Our Buildings, Temples, Apartments, Halls, and why they were indeed one of the jewels in Freemasonry.
Twenty years have past, and still many of our jewels are being lost, some by fire, some by age, but most from the declining membership of our Great Fraternity, and not able to maintain a building, that their forefathers built sixty plus years ago.
Granted in the heyday of Masonic Temple construction(1890-1940), our forefathers built some great and huge Temples. Beautifully adorned with columns, tile, paint, furniture, lighting, at times sparing no expense. What has happened to some of these great structures, the wrecking ball to most. Some have enjoyed a second life, into business and homes, hotels, and civic centers.
Now speaking as a Massachusetts Mason, I can not tell how many the Great State of Texas has lost over the years. Sad to say, many may not care, as most Masons, a Masonic Building or Temple is just that, a building.
Recently on my Masonic Temple's facebook account, I ask for the Masons to stop and do one thing. Step out of your Masonic shoes, put on a pair of Converse sneakers, or work boots, or in Texas case a pair of cowboy boots, and walk around as a everyday Joe. Now look around at Fraternal buildings, NO not the Masons, but say the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, or how about the VFW.
Now how many know a member of the VFW, some of you may be members, my father was a member, but when do you see members of the VFW? Parades, funerals, or when like me visit the cemetery and see those great Veterans placing flags on our departed heros. So if you do not see a member of the VFW, what do you see, when either walking or driving. A VFW HALL. They are everywhere, or at least here in Eastern Massachusetts.
One could say that these signs and buildings of the VFW are in a small way their ambassabors, their advertisement?
So what about our Buildings and Temples, would they not in some way be our Ambassadors when we Masons are not around. Think of how many walk or drive past your Building/Temple each day or year.
So what the H*** am I talking about, a few things, first, take pride in your Building/Temple/Apartment/Hall. Step outside of those Masonic shoes and look at your building, does it scream HEY look at me! Does the grass need cutting, new paint, some illumination at night, or maybe a nice readable sign that makes the statement,
"Hey I Am Home of the FreeMasons"!
The other object of my post, is that our buildings should be documentated in some way for history. They are full of it, History that is, and should we not take the time to document them as such, we do when a Lodge or Masonic body has its anniversary. We write things down, have dinners, make speaches, have a party.
Maybe we can take a few photographs for our future Masons,to show them when we are gone, your building. We loose too many each year here in the United States. I can list over twenty here in Massachusetts, and we are just a 1/8 of the size of Texas.
So what have you lost, or maybe, do you even care. Our Buildings or Temples or what ever you call them are indeed jewels in FreeMasonry, and are, our Ambassadors when we are not home, or in a parade or any other public display of us in the flesh. Take some time, look at your building, help save it, preserve it, display it, history it, talk about it, above all show it off. Thanks
Twenty years have past, and still many of our jewels are being lost, some by fire, some by age, but most from the declining membership of our Great Fraternity, and not able to maintain a building, that their forefathers built sixty plus years ago.
Granted in the heyday of Masonic Temple construction(1890-1940), our forefathers built some great and huge Temples. Beautifully adorned with columns, tile, paint, furniture, lighting, at times sparing no expense. What has happened to some of these great structures, the wrecking ball to most. Some have enjoyed a second life, into business and homes, hotels, and civic centers.
Now speaking as a Massachusetts Mason, I can not tell how many the Great State of Texas has lost over the years. Sad to say, many may not care, as most Masons, a Masonic Building or Temple is just that, a building.
Recently on my Masonic Temple's facebook account, I ask for the Masons to stop and do one thing. Step out of your Masonic shoes, put on a pair of Converse sneakers, or work boots, or in Texas case a pair of cowboy boots, and walk around as a everyday Joe. Now look around at Fraternal buildings, NO not the Masons, but say the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, or how about the VFW.
Now how many know a member of the VFW, some of you may be members, my father was a member, but when do you see members of the VFW? Parades, funerals, or when like me visit the cemetery and see those great Veterans placing flags on our departed heros. So if you do not see a member of the VFW, what do you see, when either walking or driving. A VFW HALL. They are everywhere, or at least here in Eastern Massachusetts.
One could say that these signs and buildings of the VFW are in a small way their ambassabors, their advertisement?
So what about our Buildings and Temples, would they not in some way be our Ambassadors when we Masons are not around. Think of how many walk or drive past your Building/Temple each day or year.
So what the H*** am I talking about, a few things, first, take pride in your Building/Temple/Apartment/Hall. Step outside of those Masonic shoes and look at your building, does it scream HEY look at me! Does the grass need cutting, new paint, some illumination at night, or maybe a nice readable sign that makes the statement,
"Hey I Am Home of the FreeMasons"!
The other object of my post, is that our buildings should be documentated in some way for history. They are full of it, History that is, and should we not take the time to document them as such, we do when a Lodge or Masonic body has its anniversary. We write things down, have dinners, make speaches, have a party.
Maybe we can take a few photographs for our future Masons,to show them when we are gone, your building. We loose too many each year here in the United States. I can list over twenty here in Massachusetts, and we are just a 1/8 of the size of Texas.
So what have you lost, or maybe, do you even care. Our Buildings or Temples or what ever you call them are indeed jewels in FreeMasonry, and are, our Ambassadors when we are not home, or in a parade or any other public display of us in the flesh. Take some time, look at your building, help save it, preserve it, display it, history it, talk about it, above all show it off. Thanks
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