Brothers.....this is a very short if not the shortest post ever for me. Those that know me will scratch their head for it is out of character for me. So, here we go.
The Blue Lodge here in Michigan decided in order to gain more members the amount of memorization and studying on the part of the new brother would be greatly reduced....thus increasing membership.
The Shrine decided that in order to boost membership that the "Scottish Rite" or "York Rite" path to the Shrine whould be eliminated.....thus increasing membership.
The brothers coming into the Blue Lodge has a very hard time surpassing those laying down the working tools of life.
The Shrine has shrunk dramatically and new members can't surpass the black camel.
The Scottish Rite and York Rite have suffered enormously.....in my opinion because of the dropping of the membership requirement before becoming a Shriner.
It totally amazes me that the Scottish Rite, York Rite, and the Shrine all draw their members from the Blue Lodge.....one would think that the leaders of those organizations would be the biggest cheerleaders and workers in the Blue Lodge.....apparently that message has been lost.
Now new brothers coming in are begging for instruction and learning about the craft.....but since that is no longer required it get brushed aside too easily.
And now what??
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Thanksgiving
In re-reading some of my recent posts they seem to have taken on a certain sense of mortality and bordering on the morbidity of human life.....that being death. We have lost many brothers over the years and that rate exceeds those being taken into our ranks.
It also seems that recently I encounter more brothers who seem to think that the fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons is in fact dying. My belief is that we are in the beginning stages of a resurgence of the craft. Again, I am more of a the glass is half full and not half empty type of guy.
This great fraternity of ours is far larger than any of us and has survived much lower spots than what it is currently experiencing. It survived the Morgan affair and the Anti-Masonic movement, the great depression, two world wars and more....this too shall pass.
Mt.Morris Lodge had the honor of conducting an Entered Apprentice degree and I had the privilege of getting the candidate prepared for initiation. He asked how long I had been a Mason and we had a very interesting conversation.
Our conversation prompted me to share my theory on how the fraternity missed out on 1-2 generations of prospective brothers.....and that just now after nearly 40 years of dismal growth we are starting to see a positive trend in members and a positive trend in the younger age of new brothers.
Last evening was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving....so it's that time of the year when one contemplates the things one should be thankful for, I am thankful for the fraternity and the opportunity to actually attend lodge.
There was a very good turnout of brothers from around the county and beyond. Our meal before the degree was good and the degree work was very good. Our new brother received a very nice degree including some exceptional lecturing.
Overall, I am thankful for being a part of such a terrific organization and for having the opportunity to witness, take part in, and to give and receive brotherly love and fellowship.
Also, I'm thankful for what seems to be a rebirth of interest in our fraternity. The fathers of those missing generations are dying and the grandsons are discovering the mysteries of Freemasonry. My hope is that we do not become part of a self-fulfilling prophecy with too many brothers thinking and espousing that the fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons is on the down hill slide and will not survive.
In our area the population is just not what it used to be in say the 1950's....one of our challenges is that we have many Masonic temples and the membership may not warrant that many buildings....but our Grand Lodge leadership has taken the position that there will not be any more consolidations of lodges....their position is that we have to save our Masonic presence and find ways to maintain these building and more importantly the membership of the fraternity in these communities.
Somehow we have to get the brothers of these under-performing lodges to get back to doing "Masonry" and becoming active in the community....which is sometimes easier said than done for a variety of reasons. Sometimes all it takes is one spark plug to get things up and running again....other times it is more of a collective effort. We have to mentor these lodges and help guide them toward being an active participant in the community.
Another thing I'm very thankful for is that we a very rich Masonic community steeped in a very proud Masonic heritage here in Genesee County and the surrounding areas. If there is an area in the state that can make a comeback for the fraternity, this is the place.
For the last 5 years I've noticed a shift in the level of commitment and feeling among the brothers in this area....for whatever reason there seems to be a decline in the interest, traveling, and overall involvement of the brothers in the usual local degrees, King Solomon's Club, and Past Masters Club. Those two clubs used to garner much interest, especially King Solomon's Club.....the average attendance at the Mason of the Year Dinner was always 100+ now we are lucky to see 40+ and that includes wives and companions. What has happened?
PGM Conley perhaps summed it up when he was presenting the 20/20 program and was talking about fund raising and how he really wasn't "the fund raising" guy....stating the obvious that the same core group does all the work at the fund raisers so that the rest of the brothers of the lodge can enjoy lower dues costs. I think this filters into all aspects of the fraternity and that we are experiencing some burn-out factors even in the core events for this area which is usually focused around ritual based activities....if one takes a look at Master Ritualists per capita....this area leads the way....but for how much longer??
Earlier in this piece I touched on the term "spark plug" a brother whose enthusiasm and devotion to the craft is infectious and inspiring......we've lost some key players over the past few years as well...that is another contributing factor to the lull we are experiencing....but this too will pass, I've seen it happen before....and a new crop of Masonic legends will rise to the top and re-energize this group back to greatness in spirit and participation.
I just refuse to accept the notion that Freemasonry is on the way out.....to me it's timeless. Nobody really knows how old it actually is. This institution is bigger and more powerful than any of us realize. I saw my first lodge on the ropes back in the mid to late seventies and it faltered another 30+ years and finally folded in the early part of this century. Since then I've seen and heard of far too many lodges turn in their charters for a variety of reasons and I agree it stops now. Somehow, someway we have to help these lodges become successful. We can't afford any further contraction and loss of community presence.
So I am thankful that this great fraternity is bigger and stronger than any of us and I am thankful for my brothers and the great opportunities that are available to all of us.....most importantly I'm thankful for all the great brothers I have....and all the legends in Masonry I've met along the way.
It also seems that recently I encounter more brothers who seem to think that the fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons is in fact dying. My belief is that we are in the beginning stages of a resurgence of the craft. Again, I am more of a the glass is half full and not half empty type of guy.
This great fraternity of ours is far larger than any of us and has survived much lower spots than what it is currently experiencing. It survived the Morgan affair and the Anti-Masonic movement, the great depression, two world wars and more....this too shall pass.
Mt.Morris Lodge had the honor of conducting an Entered Apprentice degree and I had the privilege of getting the candidate prepared for initiation. He asked how long I had been a Mason and we had a very interesting conversation.
Our conversation prompted me to share my theory on how the fraternity missed out on 1-2 generations of prospective brothers.....and that just now after nearly 40 years of dismal growth we are starting to see a positive trend in members and a positive trend in the younger age of new brothers.
Last evening was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving....so it's that time of the year when one contemplates the things one should be thankful for, I am thankful for the fraternity and the opportunity to actually attend lodge.
There was a very good turnout of brothers from around the county and beyond. Our meal before the degree was good and the degree work was very good. Our new brother received a very nice degree including some exceptional lecturing.
Overall, I am thankful for being a part of such a terrific organization and for having the opportunity to witness, take part in, and to give and receive brotherly love and fellowship.
Also, I'm thankful for what seems to be a rebirth of interest in our fraternity. The fathers of those missing generations are dying and the grandsons are discovering the mysteries of Freemasonry. My hope is that we do not become part of a self-fulfilling prophecy with too many brothers thinking and espousing that the fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons is on the down hill slide and will not survive.
In our area the population is just not what it used to be in say the 1950's....one of our challenges is that we have many Masonic temples and the membership may not warrant that many buildings....but our Grand Lodge leadership has taken the position that there will not be any more consolidations of lodges....their position is that we have to save our Masonic presence and find ways to maintain these building and more importantly the membership of the fraternity in these communities.
Somehow we have to get the brothers of these under-performing lodges to get back to doing "Masonry" and becoming active in the community....which is sometimes easier said than done for a variety of reasons. Sometimes all it takes is one spark plug to get things up and running again....other times it is more of a collective effort. We have to mentor these lodges and help guide them toward being an active participant in the community.
Another thing I'm very thankful for is that we a very rich Masonic community steeped in a very proud Masonic heritage here in Genesee County and the surrounding areas. If there is an area in the state that can make a comeback for the fraternity, this is the place.
For the last 5 years I've noticed a shift in the level of commitment and feeling among the brothers in this area....for whatever reason there seems to be a decline in the interest, traveling, and overall involvement of the brothers in the usual local degrees, King Solomon's Club, and Past Masters Club. Those two clubs used to garner much interest, especially King Solomon's Club.....the average attendance at the Mason of the Year Dinner was always 100+ now we are lucky to see 40+ and that includes wives and companions. What has happened?
PGM Conley perhaps summed it up when he was presenting the 20/20 program and was talking about fund raising and how he really wasn't "the fund raising" guy....stating the obvious that the same core group does all the work at the fund raisers so that the rest of the brothers of the lodge can enjoy lower dues costs. I think this filters into all aspects of the fraternity and that we are experiencing some burn-out factors even in the core events for this area which is usually focused around ritual based activities....if one takes a look at Master Ritualists per capita....this area leads the way....but for how much longer??
Earlier in this piece I touched on the term "spark plug" a brother whose enthusiasm and devotion to the craft is infectious and inspiring......we've lost some key players over the past few years as well...that is another contributing factor to the lull we are experiencing....but this too will pass, I've seen it happen before....and a new crop of Masonic legends will rise to the top and re-energize this group back to greatness in spirit and participation.
I just refuse to accept the notion that Freemasonry is on the way out.....to me it's timeless. Nobody really knows how old it actually is. This institution is bigger and more powerful than any of us realize. I saw my first lodge on the ropes back in the mid to late seventies and it faltered another 30+ years and finally folded in the early part of this century. Since then I've seen and heard of far too many lodges turn in their charters for a variety of reasons and I agree it stops now. Somehow, someway we have to help these lodges become successful. We can't afford any further contraction and loss of community presence.
So I am thankful that this great fraternity is bigger and stronger than any of us and I am thankful for my brothers and the great opportunities that are available to all of us.....most importantly I'm thankful for all the great brothers I have....and all the legends in Masonry I've met along the way.
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