I was in boy scouts since i was 5 years old. Eventually i worked my way to the top with all honors and became a scoutmaster, then acquired the top training award (wood badge) among other things. Along my journey (this will sound familiar to ANY mason) i was elected to be initiated into the "Order Of The Arrow" went through all 3 ranks. This is a "secret invitation only fraternity within scouts). Just a side note, Baden Powell was not a freemason, (but the creator of the Order of the Arrow was). Well i remember one day another leader was running his mouth to me and i pretty much "put him straight" (easy way of putting it). He looked at me and said "you cant talk to me like this "IM A MASON" i said "umm ok" and he was escorted out. He was just a trouble maker. And as scoutmaster i rule and govern the troop.
Well i moved to florida and i was missing the charity, and giving to the kids, and the community. Scouting in florida really didnt need any scoutmasters to hellp, they needed kids to join. When i was sorta given the cold shoulder to become a leader of a troop it was kinda turned off. And retired from scouts.
So his words "IM A MASON" just stuck in my head and i started researching, watching shows on masonry and so on. So about 10 years later of studying and learning i was watching a show on the history channel called "the history of freemasonry" my eyes were pasted to the screen. I then went out and bought a couple of books. And read them back to back.
So one day in my hunt camp i walked over to a friends trailer (now a brother) and saw a s/c sticker on his window. I asked "are you a freemason!" He said yes. I then asked if we could discuss it some time. So with hunting season being busy at hunt camp we just didn't have time to meet up. So about 3 years later i saw him at the skinning rack and asked him to talk. So we talked for about an hour. He also said "wow 3 years later you still didn't forget. You have a real interest" he then said "i think you are good material for the Freemasons, then he explained what i had to do to petition.
Well my now, Brother Ron was there the day i got raised.
Masonry to me filled the void i was missing with scouts. Boy Scouts teaches boys to become good and responsible men through lessons , skill building, and charity.
When i was a kid my parents really didn't care about me. They put me in scouts so i was not around while they "did the things they did" I paid for all my own scouting fees by going the extra mile volunteering and working for my summer camp fees and such. To this day i don't talk to my mother and if it wasn't for Boy Scouts i can guarantee i would be in prison right now. All my friends used to make fun of me and say "going to your BOY SCOUT MEETING IN THE WOODS?" Well while i was in the woods every weekend they ended up in prison for everything from drugs to murder and if i was tagging along id be in the same place.
Now I'm an Upright Man and Mason.