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Shrine

JanneProeliator

Registered User
Shrine has always interrested me for some reason.
WE dont have shriners in my country. (We do have one active shriner what I know) The closest shrine is in Germany. I have talked with the brother who is a shriner and I hvae the petition in my email to join the shriners in GErmany. I was just thinking is it worth while joining the Shrine from the distance...
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Shrine has always interrested me for some reason.
WE dont have shriners in my country. (We do have one active shriner what I know) The closest shrine is in Germany. I have talked with the brother who is a shriner and I hvae the petition in my email to join the shriners in GErmany. I was just thinking is it worth while joining the Shrine from the distance...
In my view? No.
 

XUSMICO

Registered User
What are the lessons to be learned from joining the Shrine?


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app

Glad you are asking. IMHO, nothing can be learned from the rituals. It is a college frat party. Many Masons are actually recruited by Shriners for fill Shrine clubs, gain points for shrine awards, ect. Blue Lodge works hard to put on the degrees only to have the shrine recruits never seen again. It has become a good old boy college frat help your fellow noble gang
 

Bloke

Premium Member
.... IMHO, nothing can be learned from the rituals. It is a college frat party....
Have you been a member of the Shrine ? If not, how did you form this opinion and based on what ? If you have been a Noble, fair enough..

... Blue Lodge works hard to put on the degrees only to have the shrine recruits never seen again.

That's not an issue of the Shrine. That is something your Blue Lodge needs to take responsibility for rather than blaming some other organization if they don't come back. It's like blaming TV, or other forms of entertainment for dwindling numbers of Freemasons. If you are going to make your Blue Lodge survive, then you need to do things which hold your members and the 1,2 3 waltz is not the way to do it. It takes 1.6 years to become a MM in my Mother Lodge, because we dont just do Degrees. They are incredibly important, but not an end in themselves, and frankly, I think going to the pub with lodge does more for retaining members that putting on a degree, because when at the pub/restaurant we are not just drinking and eating, we're talking, not always about the Craft, but often about it.... some of the best lessons I have learned about the Craft have been outside the lodge room...
 

XUSMICO

Registered User
What are the lessons to be learned from joining the Shrine?


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app
Yes for 20 years. My observation can be found on the blog. My efforts to correct my Brothers were unsuccessful as they we more concerned with having a party than supporting the hospitals much conducting themselves as a Mason. As they were the majority of the lodge(s) in my area their was no way to correct the unmasonic behavior.
 

XUSMICO

Registered User
Glad you are asking. IMHO, nothing can be learned from the rituals. It is a college frat party. Many Masons are actually recruited by Shriners for fill Shrine clubs, gain points for shrine awards, ect. Blue Lodge works hard to put on the degrees only to have the shrine recruits never seen again. It has become a good old boy college frat help your fellow noble gang

Yes for 20 years. My observation can be found on the blog. My efforts to correct my Brothers were unsuccessful as they we more concerned with having a party than supporting the hospitals much conducting themselves as a Mason. As they were the majority of the lodge(s) in my area their was no way to correct the unmasonic behavior.
 

XUSMICO

Registered User
What are the lessons to be learned from joining the Shrine?


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app
Yes for 20 years. My observation can be found on the blog. My efforts to correct my Brothers were unsuccessful as they we more concerned with having a party than supporting the hospitals much conducting themselves as a Mason. As they were the majority of the lodge(s) in my area their was no way to correct the unmasonic behavior.
 

JanneProeliator

Registered User
I can see how it is h ard for a blue lodge to keep brother active if only reason for them joining in blue lodge was to get into the Shriners.
But afcourse there should be enough excitement and brotherhood to be offered in the bluew lodge so that all the brethren, eaven those who joined just to pass trough, feel welcomed and wants to come back.
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
Have you been a member of the Shrine ? If not, how did you form this opinion and based on what ? If you have been a Noble, fair enough..



That's not an issue of the Shrine. That is something your Blue Lodge needs to take responsibility for rather than blaming some other organization if they don't come back. It's like blaming TV, or other forms of entertainment for dwindling numbers of Freemasons. If you are going to make your Blue Lodge survive, then you need to do things which hold your members and the 1,2 3 waltz is not the way to do it. It takes 1.6 years to become a MM in my Mother Lodge, because we dont just do Degrees. They are incredibly important, but not an end in themselves, and frankly, I think going to the pub with lodge does more for retaining members that putting on a degree, because when at the pub/restaurant we are not just drinking and eating, we're talking, not always about the Craft, but often about it.... some of the best lessons I have learned about the Craft have been outside the lodge room...
When you have men, who clearly state, and I quote; all I'm intrested in is getting into the shrine. What then do you do ???? I stopped wasting my time to even show up for ritual so this person can become a shriner and never come back to the blue lodge.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
When you have men, who clearly state, and I quote; all I'm intrested in is getting into the shrine. What then do you do ???? I stopped wasting my time to even show up for ritual so this person can become a shriner and never come back to the blue lodge.

I don't know Bro Jermy - I have not faced that problem, but would imagine it would be disheartening.... I'd probably keep donating my time to those guys... .

Do you let EAs at business meetings or only MMs ? I assume they need to be MMs to join Shrine, if they cant really participate in lodge until the point they can join Shrine, it would be a massive problem if as common as you suggest..

But again, you can only control what you can control. We don't have this problem with as much as you Brothers seem to with other Orders.. lots of men join the Craft here because of AASR or KTs.. but we generally seem to keep them in attending Craft.. even if only for the first few years.. but generally the culture here is to support your Craft Lodge, and frankly, it's been a lot more enjoyable and easier and fun and cohesive than the Shrine.
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
We do let EA, and FC into business meetings, we will either open on the 1st or 2nd to accommodate those brothers. If no brother is lower than MM, we will open on the 3rd.
 

Keith C

Registered User
When you have men, who clearly state, and I quote; all I'm intrested in is getting into the shrine. What then do you do ???? I stopped wasting my time to even show up for ritual so this person can become a shriner and never come back to the blue lodge.

If that was said in the interview process and I were on the Committee I would not be in favor of his petition moving forward. If that were known to me at the ballot I would raise an objection.
 

Thomas Stright

Premium Member
We do let EA, and FC into business meetings, we will either open on the 1st or 2nd to accommodate those brothers. If no brother is lower than MM, we will open on the 3rd.

We have 2 stated meeting per month, 1st and 3rd Tues. We open on an EZ on the 2nd meeting if there are any in attendance.
Not a hard rule the WM can open as he wishes.
 
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