Freemason Information > 2009

In Pursuit Of Truth

Posted on April 1, 2009December 18, 2013 by Fred Milliken | 31 Comments

I think many Freemasons from many Obediences have heard about Minnesota withdrawing Recognition from West Virginia. The Blue Lodge reports the story:

Minnesota Masons Join the call for Change:

It appears that the Masons in Minnesota are now joining the call for change from within our fraternity. Below is the motion that passed during this years GL Of Minnesota’s session:
Whereas the Grand Lodge of West Virginia has arbitrarily and recklessly ignored the will of their brethren, expelling a Past Grand Master without trial or redress, violating the ancient and accepted customs and tenets of our Fraternity and bring shame and disrepute on all Masons and Freemasonry, and
Whereas they have been named in a civil suit further bringing the Craft into public disrepute and score,
Therefore be it resolved that the Grand Lodge of Minnesota expresses its concern over these actions and will consider suspending recognition of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia upon the recommendation of our External Relations Committee at our next Annual Communication in 2010 if there is not correction of these actions and a renewed willingness by the Grand Lodge of West Virginia to enter into the modern fraternity of Freemasonry.”

Some time ago I took a lot of flak for coming out and actually saying that I thought The Masonic Society was a bad mistake. Not only were the makers and shakers over there on the rebound after a failed and foiled attempt at a coup d’état over at The Philalethes Society but they insisted, unlike The Scottish Rite Research Society or The Philalethes Society, on only permitting full membership from those Masons in good standing or in amity with the Conference of Grand Masters of Mainstream Masonry.

Now we have before us this problem. It’s called West Virginia. And whether you believe it or not and whether you like it or not or whether you care or not, what West Virginia does is a reflection on all of Freemasonry especially those Grand Lodges formed together into The Conference of Grand Masters of Mainstream Masonry. For you see the CGMMNA recognizes West Virginia and they do so like most Mainstream Masons and especially the Masonic Society no matter what The Grand Lodge of West Virginia does. By wedding yourself – and that goes for anyone – to support The CGMMNA through thick and thin you remove your ability to remain INDEPENDENT. And if you cannot remain INDEPENDENT then you cannot be in pursuit of the TRUTH. And seeking the TRUTH is something we all are supposed to be doing as Masons.

That’s the main crux of what I was saying before and what I am reiterating now. As a Mason subscribe to your Grand Lodge but do not tie yourself down by signing on to entangling agreements with others to pit one group or Obedience against another or others. Do not decide the TRUTH beforehand thereby perhaps allying yourself with what may become the less honorable or less noble position. Remain neutral, investigate, educate yourself and then try to make the best possible decision you can on your own coming from your heart and your conscience not from the lynch crowd who have already made a pre judgment.

Those that pre-judge are then muzzled and when they find one of their group that is out of line, unmasonic, untruthful they cannot speak out or right a wrong because they have agreed in advance to support other groups no matter what. The Good Old Boys Gentleman’s Agreement – you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. You promise never to criticize me and I promise I will never criticize you no matter what the circumstances. It smacks of our Congressmen who tell their peers, you vote for my earmark and I’ll vote for yours.

I have heard all the other objections that you will bring up. Again we don’t mess in another Grand Lodge’s business. What another Grand Lodge does is no concern of mine. And we are only getting one side of the story. I reserve judgment until I hear the Grand Lodge side of the story.

Quite frankly that’s never going to happen. So your pursuit of TRUTH is going to have to go on without it unless you have already signed onto those who have agreed in advance never to criticize in which case you can never pursue the TRUTH.

And that’s when YOU HAVE SOLD OUT. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing.”

But the problem will not go away if you ignore it, refuse to talk about it and bury your head in the sand. And it hurts, it hurts so bad. Listen to the Millennial Mason:

“All throughout Fridays sessions, I would run into M.W.B. Haas and I would discuss the situation of Masons in West Virginia. He told me everything from handicapped brethren not being allowed to be made Masons even if it occurred fighting for our Nation’s freedom, the lack of recognition for Prince Hall Masons in West Virginia and the fact that Lodge halls may not be used by groups like OES and Demolay to fundraise. Although he could not discuss the matter of his own expulsion as it is currently in court, I was intimately aware of his plight through sources found online and elsewhere. It is truly shocking what has and is continuing to happen in West Virginia.”

“I have looked at the different messages throughout the Internet, and I would like to clear up some miscommunication about the motion (which carried) concerning the Grand Lodge of West Virginia. The motion does not revoke recognition immediately nor even at the next Communication. The motion charges the External Relations committee to look into the regularity of the Masonic practices of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia and to report its findings to the Craft next year. At that time, it is possible that the Grand Lodge will vote on withdrawing recognition of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia.”

“As I am sure most of you are aware, it is a terrible, repugnant state of affairs within the borders of West Virginia for the average Mason. If he voices support for M.W.B. Frank Haas’ case, he is expelled through edict. The Grand Lodge is using hidden codes within their communications to flush out critics of their policies if that critic should give the communication to the Masonic Crusade. It is truly a story that even a fiction writer could not have invented.”

“Why am I so passionate about this issue? I met M.W.B. Haas and I immediately recognized that he was a good man, a man seeking to improve himself and his Grand Lodge in Masonry. This should be our calling as well.”

Brother Nick, this cannot be our calling unless we are FREE and INDEPENDENT to pursue the TRUTH. So heed the words of Brother George Washington and avoid the entanglements of foreign alliances (outside your Grand Lodge). Be true to yourself and let your conscience be your guide and act for the good of the Craft. And the truth shall set you free!

The Best of the Middle Chamber Online

Posted on March 30, 2009October 18, 2021 by The Euphrates

In a cooperative effort with Phoenixmasonry, the best articles from my work on The Middle Chamber are now available online. This compilation is called Freemasonic Fables and can be found at Phoenixmasonry. Executive Director Frederic L. Milliken says this about the website’s new feature:

Phoenixmasonry is pleased to announce the publication of “Freemasonic Fables” by Terence Satchell. Brother Satchell has a unique knack for story telling which we at Phoenixmasonry feel will tickle the fancy of its many visitors. Freemasonic Fables is a collection of just such down home Masonic yarns that Satchell has written for his website over a period of years. The collection foretells of greater things to come as Brother Satchell has published some major serious symbolic papers also. We have provided a special corner at Phoenixmasonry for Brother Satchell’s future works and we congratulate him on his creative ability and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.
Brother Frederic L. Milliken
Executive Director Phoenixmasonry

I am excited for these works to be available for the fans of The Middle Chamber as well as those who are new to the works presented on that site. I hope that you will find Freemasonic Fables an enjoyable read.

Like what you are reading at the Euphrates? Email the author at euphratesblog@gmail.com to join the Banks of the Euphrates mailing list.

The Old Past Master Part Two

Posted on March 30, 2009December 27, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 1 Comment

The Old Past Master pulled into the Lodge parking lot later than usual. Others had already arrived. He sat in the car for a bit, contemplating all that had taken place over the last three months. He had been in charge of the committee to look into selling the building and renting elsewhere. It’s sad, he thought, how may complain and how few volunteer to serve. He had one new Brother who wanted to serve and he called a number of others until finally Past Master Crowley signed on.

His committee met at O’Reilly’s Pub and over an adult beverage of choice, hashed out a plan of action. Past Master Crowley took the commercial Real Estate offices to see how hard it would be to sell the building. Brother Jenkins, one of the Lodge’s newer Masons, took the task of finding rental space. He went to talk to the Master, Wardens and Building Trustees of Fidelity Lodge to see about a merger or a straight rental. They agreed to meet back in one month at the same place.

One month later the news was not good. PM Crowley reported that there virtually was no market for the Lodge. Property foreclosures were heavy; the market was flooded with property that would not sell. The economy continued to tank and even bargain hunters were hard to find. Brother Jenkins found three private locations that would serve the Lodge’s purpose for between $800 and $1400 per month. Unfortunately all would need extensive renovation or restructuring to make them into a Lodge room and offices and any such remodeling would be at the tenant’s expense. He had met with all concerned at Fidelity Lodge and later in the month they brought the subject up at their Communication for vote. Fidelity Lodge would have no part of a merger. They would, however, rent their Lodge building for $1000 per month. But there was something about their condescending attitude that left a lot to be desired.

All this passed through his mind in a matter of minutes. He wondered how Findler and his committee had made out and if the Master had any luck with the Grand Master. Well the only way to find out was to get into Lodge.

He entered the building and found the Master at the door as usual greeting Brethren. The Master pulled him aside and said, “We need to have a private tête-à-tête after we close. How about getting together at O’Reilly’s?”

“Sure thing Worshipful,” replied the Old Past Master. “You buying?”

And with a nod of his head the Master was gone to attend to other business.

Lodge opened at exactly 7:00 PM, right on time, and the Master quickly dispensed with the usual business. He then arose to address the Lodge.

“As you know Brethren we have set aside most of this meeting for the purpose of continuing our dialogue of what to do financially as the costs of our building and the deepening economic crisis have put us in danger of bankruptcy. As we left off our last get together on this subject three months ago you will remember that I appointed three committees counting myself and so let us start off with these committee reports. Old Past Master can we have your report?”

The Old Past Master rose and delivered all he had gone over in his mind in the parking lot. There was no market for selling the Lodge building, private rentals were available at an average of $1000 a month but the Lodge would have to pick up the cost of major interior remodeling. Finally he reported that Fidelity Lodge did not want a merger but would rent their building to us for $1000 per month.

As he sat down Brother Johnson rose and was recognized. “Seems to me there is no fraternal discount from Fidelity Lodge,” he stated. “It almost sounds like they don’t really want us.”

“I agree,” replied the Master. “I have had some follow up conversation with the Master over there and he seems to feel that old bad blood between the two Lodges might spill over into today if the association was so close.”

“Well, I will give you my report next,” continued the Master. “I met with the Grand Master at Grand Lodge and explained to him how desperate our situation was. We needed to upgrade our building right now and make the necessary repairs in order to continue to meet there. He told me that, while he sympathized with our plight, that Grand Lodge was also feeling the pinch of the depressed economy and would have to be giving up some of its programs and lay off some full time paid staff at Grand Lodge. Under those circumstances he didn’t think it would look too good to lay off staff while subsidizing Lodges.”

“I asked him about a possible loan and he countered with, ‘Well Master do you think you have the where with all to pay it back?’ I allowed as how that might be a problem. But then I got his Irish up by mentioning that the Grand Lodge had some trust funds it could tap into. He curtly informed me that it wasn’t all that easy and that these funds were set up to be untouchable except for their stated purpose under extreme circumstances. I countered with the fact that considering the state of our economy these were extreme circumstances. And that abruptly ended our meeting. So, Brethren, it looks as if Grand Lodge cannot be our savior.”

“Let us hear now from Brother Findler.”

Brother Findler rose and reported, “Brethren, my committee searched for ways to increase our revenue. The most likely prospect would be to get some good paying tenants for our building. As you all know we have a pretty large building which has many more rooms in it than just a Lodge room. With some minor alterations we have space available for certain businesses and organizations like a church or community service groups. The committee scoured the area for prospective tenants but found nobody that wanted to make a move in such tough economic times unless we were offering free rent. All hope seemed lost until I ran into this large Non Profit Group, which had been endowed by a wealthy deceased patron with a good sized trust fund. They are in cramped quarters now and were looking for a larger space. We had some long conversation over the past two months and to make a long story short, they have made this offer to us. If we will donate them the building they will make all the necessary repairs and upgrades at their expense and offer us a 99 year lease free of charge. They are a 501©3 corporation involved in community charitable endeavors and thus will pay no corporation or property taxes. One of their community programs is refurbishing and remodeling old run down, condemned and vacant property and then turn it over to a needy family for a place to live. That provides them with the necessary tradesmen to perform the repairs and remodeling to our building at a reasonable cost. This committee recommends that the Lodge look into the possibility of taking up this organization on its offer.”

At which point Secretary Dobson rose like he was shot out of a cannon. “Now I am sure Brother Findler knows that the Lodge building is the property of Grand Lodge and cannot be disposed of us as we please.”

“I am aware of that fact Brother Secretary,” replied Brother Findler,”but I thought perhaps the Grand Master might make an exception considering the seriousness of the circumstances and the dire straits our economy is in.”

Brother Gonsalves rose and after the Master nodded his head said, “I think the idea has a lot of merit and we should see what we can do.”

“I second the motion,” chimed in another Brother.

“The East will then entertain a formal motion,” declared the Master.

A motion was made that the Master appoint such Brothers as he deemed necessary to accompany him to Grand Lodge and meet with the Grand Master again to see if he could and would release the Lodge building to the disposal of the Lodge. The motion was seconded and carried by a hand vote. From the count there were no objections but a few Brethren refused to vote.

The Master than stated, “I think that will be all for tonight, Brethren. We should address this subject again at our very next meeting in one month. If no one has anything else to bring before the Lodge I will proceed to close.”

Lodge closed at 10:10 PM in short form.

Afterwards at O’Reilly’s The Old Past Master and the Master huddled in quite conversation over a libation.

“You know, the Grand Master is not going to go for this idea either,” lamented the Master.”

“Unfortunately you are right,” replied The Old Past Master. “Yet our ammunition is far from being spent. I have an idea up my sleeve that I have been saving. I think that if we …………………………………………….”

More on the Old Past Master:

Harm Timmerman, Composer of The Temple of Humanity

Posted on March 29, 2009December 8, 2012 by Greg Stewart

This Sunday, March 29th, we are jumping the pond again to welcome our special guest from the Netherlands composer and Producer Harm Timmerman from Free Stone Music, the creator of the Masonicly inspired CD “The Temple of Humanity“.

Missed the live show? Listen to it Now!

The CD is self-described as The “Music of Freemasonry” and having listened to it several times already I would tend to agree. But this isn’t the usual high-pitched organ grind or the occulted “Magic Flute” of past generations, no, this music reaches out and becomes part of the spirit of the tiled Masonic lodge room and carries the listener into the sublime meditative state that we each strive to inhabit when contemplating the degrees.

This is just a sampling of the stunning Music on this album.

Look for us this Sundays, March 29th, at 6PM PST/9PM EST.

Listen to the program live stream player widget on Freemason Information, or dial into the show to listen and interact with the hosts. Join our interactive show chat from our application site on talkshoe. To join the conversation live, dial the number 724-444-7444 and enter the show I.D. 19162, fifteen minutes prior to, or during the program.

And, check back soon as some of the details of the program may change preceding the on-air portion.

Are We Reading the Signs?

Posted on March 27, 2009August 7, 2021 by TimBryce | 5 Comments

If there is anything constant in life, it is change.
– Bryce’s Law

It is no secret that membership in Freemasonry is either stagnating or in decline in most jurisdictions. Some Grand Lodges pay attention to our membership numbers, others do not. But I contend there are other important indicators we should be paying attention to; namely, membership and participation in the allied and appendant bodies of Freemasonry.

Attendance in our youth organizations (DeMolay, Rainbow, Job’s Daughters) are deteriorating. In Florida for example, just 30 years ago we had vibrant youth organizations; today they are few and far between. The Order of the Eastern Star and clubs like the High Twelve are also diminishing. Their members are getting older, grayer, and are not being replaced by new people. The Scottish and York Rite bodies are still reeling from the Shrine’s decision a few years ago to bypass these groups in order to join the Shrine. True, they have organized many one-day classes, but their numbers continue to drop. And even the Shrine is still experiencing membership problems; so much so, there are whisperings to negate the prerequisite of being a Mason to join the Shrine.

We could look at the decline of these fine organizations and blame it on bad management, and perhaps we would be right, but I believe the problem is more fundamental than this; that the real problem is our failure to adapt to changing times.

Following World War II, Masonic institutions experienced considerable growth during the 1950’s and 1960’s, our ” go-go” years. But our growth was arrested in the 1980’s and began to decline thereafter. The “go-go” years may have been great for membership but I feel this is when the fraternity began to stagnate. We had our way so long that we didn’t see any need for change and developed an attitude that nothing was wrong. In short, we became complacent. This attitude is probably the single biggest reason for the declining state of the fraternity today.

The reality is that the interests of people today have changed; they are not the same as back in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

For example, I can’t begin to tell you how many people have observed the dress and ceremonies of groups like DeMolay, Job’s Daughters, Eastern Star, etc. and told me it was “old fashioned” and “cornball.” They giggle and say the costumes and dress are something out of the 1940’s, certainly not something they want to be associated with. Their activities appear trivial if not totally meaningless. The point is, regardless of the noble intentions of these fine organizations, people perceive them as archaic. What is needed is a face lift. There is nothing wrong with the purpose and lessons inculcated by these institutions, but rather, it is the facade that needs to be updated. For example, are the capes worn by some of our youth organizations really necessary? Couldn’t something more contemporary be devised?

Advertisers have long understood the need for maintaining a contemporary image to sell products. This is why we have seen subtle changes over the years in familiar icons such as Aunt Jemimah, Betty Crocker, and the woman in the Columbia Pictures logo. Either get with the times or fall into obscurity. Unfortunately, this is what is happening to our allied and appendant bodies; they need to either reinvent their image or fall behind.

And Blue Lodges, representing the bedrock of Freemasonry, better be paying attention to all of this as well, less they face the same fate.

I don’t know why, but the old-guard of the fraternity resists any form of change. Perhaps it is a sign of senility. Nonetheless, changes are in the offing if the fraternity and its satellite organizations are to survive. But the younger members are growing weary of fighting with the old-guard over changes. So much so, there is a clever movement underfoot not to even to try to change existing lodges but, instead, to create totally new Lodges who are unencumbered by change and chart a new and imaginative course for Freemasonry.

Understandably, these new Lodges are attracting the younger members. So much so, that the older Lodges are withering and dying on the vine. It is unfortunate that such an approach is necessary, but the reality is that our older members tend to resist any form of change, leaving no other choice for our younger members. Frankly, I cannot argue with the logic of this move.

Bottom-line: We either evolve or face extinction.

Keep the Faith.

by W:.Tim Bryce, PM, MPS
timb001@phmainstreet.com
Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
“A Foot Soldier for Freemasonry”

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any Grand Masonic jurisdiction or any other Masonic related body. As with all of my Masonic articles herein, please feel free to reuse them in Masonic publications or re-post them on Masonic web sites (except Florida). When doing so, please add the following:

Article reprinted with permission of the author and FreemasonInformation.com

Please forward me a copy of the publication when it is produced.

Also be sure to check out Tim’s “Pet Peeve of the Week” (non-Masonic related).

Five Reasons NOT TO BE A Freemason & One To Be One

Posted on March 26, 2009December 27, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 17 Comments

Awhile back Brother Rui Bandeira of Portugal asked me if he could translate my Beehive posts “I Had A Dream” and “The Last Degree” into Portuguese and post them on his Masonic Blog – A Partir Pedra. I was honored and in no time there was The Beehive in Portuguese.

The moment was not lost on me however. There is this natural curiosity in me and also a yearning to learn about other people in other lands, especially within the Masonic family. So I asked Brother Bandeira if he would write something for The Beehive that would give us some insight into Portuguese Freemasonry. Thus the article which you see below.

But there is one thing the reader needs to know. Brother Bandeira’s native tongue is Portuguese . He is not accomplished in English. He does pretty well as you will see but concentrate more on the content of the article rather than the grammar. I just wish I could do what Brother Bandeira can do and I offer him a tip of the hat!

The words below are all Brother Bandeira’s for he is my guest and he has written a a guest post for the Beehive. Thank you my Brother!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Political Influence – Power

Contrary to what many may think, Freemasons have no more influence in political power than any other social institution. The only influence that Freemasonry can exercise is only the moral one, by the example of its members through the application of its principles. They are wrong those who think that by joining the Freemasons they will have access to the corridors of power … Indeed, one of the things that a freemason soon learns within the Order is that it is much more comprehensive the illusion of power, than it itself. Each one has only the power that all the others recognize and accept one exercises. In Lodge, the holder of the Power, the leader, the decision maker, who holds the symbols of power, is the Master. Well, as anyone who has sat on Solomon’s Chair soon found out, in the job of Master of the Lodge one, after all, does not have more rights than the youngest Brother and has more duties than all the other Freemasons. Therefore, those who seek the perfume of the power, seek it elsewhere, not in Freemasonry. You will only learn the performance of your duties.

Economic Influence – business and money

Those who think that Freemasonry’s West Gate is a door for contacts and business and to provide conditions for “going up in life”, think again and think better! If this is the reason why you would like to join Freemasonry, save yourself to the work and costs of it. Within Freemasonry, you will makes the same business that you would make outside it. What everybody will ask you in Freemasonry is to give something of yourself in favor of others. From the others, you get what you actually need and what they can give you, not what you want or selfishly think that suits you. The business of Freemasonry is of moral and spiritual nature. Who wishes to enter the Temple must leave his metals outside.

Social Influence – honors and recognition

Freemasons use aprons and collars and jewels, it is true. But Freemasons consider it mere objects. The only difference between the most rich, beautiful, colorful and embroidered Grand Officer apron and the simple white apron is that who wears the former paid much more for it than who wears the latter. Moreover, from all the aprons which a Freemason can have, that which means most to him is the latter, the simple white apron. That is what any Freemason, whatever his grade or quality, can and should always symbolically wear. That is the adornment that a Freemason should always take care to maintain always white and pure, and therefore never sully it by objectionable or unworthy actions. Freemasons like to use his Lodge jewel, not because it is beautiful or valuable, but only because it is one of the symbols of his Lodge and its use shows everybody in which brotherly group he is incorporated. Freemason wears a collar when exercising a function, not because it is elegant, but just as a distinctive of the job he is doing. In good accuracy, the Freemason does not wear the collar; the job collar wears the Freemason… Neither does the Freemason, in the profane society, get any status or privilege other that the recognition of his qualities as a person, nor within Freemasonry the social, professional, academic or fortune status that makes any difference between a brother and another. The youngest Entered Apprentice has only a way to address the Most Worshipful Grand Master: “My Brother!” And that is thee treatment he gets in return from the Grand Master. So, he who dreams Freemasonry might be an ideal place to gain or strengthen social recognition, do not be fooled by his dream nor deceive the Freemasons: abstain himself of trying to join the Freemasons!

Charities – to help the others

The well-intentioned who seeks in Freemasonry the instrument to fulfill his desire to help the next, to be charitable, if that is the main reason that moves him, if that is what he only sees in Freemasonry, he is also wrong. Not that Solidarity and Charities are not practiced by the Freemasons. Sure they are! But they are not Freemasonry’s main reason to exist. It is not because of Solidarity and Charity that Freemasonry exists. Solidarity and Charities are simple consequences of being a Freemason. In economics speech, although they are practiced, Solidarity and Charity are not the “core business” of Freemasonry. In business speech, even as important as they are, Solidarity and Masonic Charities are simply Freemasonry byproducts. Therefore, if it is Solidarity and Charities that attract the well-intentioned, and nothing more, and not essentially something more, then the best that the well intentioned has to do is to fulfill his desire through other organizations specifically dedicated to that. Angel Flight is a good option. Red Cross, also. Cancer Aid, idem. Child Foundation, the same thing. And there are many more organizations that provide solidarity and charities. And even without joining any organization, certainly in your street or in your town you can find someone who needs your help. Give it to him or her!

Curiosity – to know the “Freemasons secret”

If it is curiosity that makes you want to become a Freemason, do not be fooled: you do not need to be a Freemason to know what you are curious about. Do you want to know the Freemasons words of mutual recognition? Arm yourself with a bit of patience, read some books, find some works which transcribe ancient rituals and please yourself! Never heard that Freemasons preserve tradition? Then just take the consequence of it, what was done previously is still valid now… But, what? Do you want to be a Freemason just to know this without the searching work? My friend, laziness is a mortal sin … If this is just why you want to be a Freemason, be aware that Freemasons do not want lazies among them… And – believe me! -, I assure you it will take more work and take much longer to learn these words, grade by grade, than to read them in some books. Everything is published! Do you want to know the Freemasons secret signs? Poor soul, what’s YouTube is for? So, dear curious, if it is curiosity that moves you to Freemasonry, forget it! You have other means to satisfy it! And finally, if you just want to know what Freemasons think, what they do, what they deal about, you do not even need to bother much: you just need to read Freemason Information and The Beehive!

And now, here is the single reason to become a Freemason

Desire for personal improvement

There is only one valid reason to want to be admitted a Freemason: the desire to improve yourself personal, ethical, and spiritually. He who, being a faithful man, defending freedom and morality, has this design and is willing to use the masonic method of search of the transcendent, he is welcome! He can be certain that nothing will be taught to him, but he can learn everything. He can trust that nothing is imposed to him, but he will willingly accept the conduct rules he will find. He can and should be prepared for a long and difficult and laborious journey, but he will never be alone, he will always be accompanied by his brothers. He will find that his works begin when he gets its first degree and will be finished only with his passage to the Lodge Above. He, if he works consistently and well, will become better, will act better in all aspects of his life and it will be by virtue of his improvement that he will be respected and can aspire to influence the others, perhaps in politics, perhaps in business, certainly in social relations, especially in the hearts of those who know him. He will be supportive and merciful, because that is the condition of a freemason, a fair and full and interested man, with the naturalness of breathing and the discretion of the sleep. He, if he has done consistently well his work, can aspire to Know, to Know what nobody can pass him, to Know what only he can sense, the glimpse of Divinity, the meaning of life and creation. And, if he is successful, he will understand that words can not convey this knowledge to anyone else, he can just help his brothers to make their journeys in order to aspire to sense, to perceive, to look. And then realize that this is the famous masonic secret! He, if he has done consistently well his work, even if he never will be anything more than a simple sideliner in a simple Lodge, he will be a true Grand Master, of himself, his consciousness, his initiatory journey. He will not have the honor to be admitted freemason; freemasons will be honoured that he has agreed to join them.

Rui Bandeira

Euna Stubbs’ Meatloaf

Posted on March 25, 2009March 28, 2014 by audevidetace | 5 Comments

Someone check the Old charges and see if they require us to use paper plates. I’m just back from looking at them and I don’t find any reference, so I thought perhaps I would draft my own.

III. Of LODGES (Amended 2009).

A LODGE is a place where Masons assemble and work: Hence that Assembly, or duly organiz’d Society of Masons, is call’d a LODGE, and every Brother ought to belong to one. The LODGE shall be caparisoned in SHAG CARPET and there shall be many avocado-coloured appliances – which provided they still operate shall not suffer themselves to be upgraded. INTERNET IS RIGHT OUT, as is such decoration or appurtenances that may not be made by hand or purchased for less than two SHILLINGS.

In ancient Times, the LODGE was gloriously decorated in crimson, purple, bronze and gold, but these artifices being deemed too difficult to execute by modern Masons are to be hereunto cast aside in favor of vinyl tablecloths, paper plates and paper napkins which are easier. The persons admitted Members of a LODGE must be good and true Men, free-born, and of mature and discreet Age, who may abide forever the serving of meatloaf, green bean casserole and roast beef the texture of boot leather.

There. Much better. Now, they’ll be no more harping among the young upstarts about how we need to “spruce things up a bit” or “take pride in ourselves.” We’re Masons, damn their eyes, and if we stand for anything, we stand for immovable change with an unshakable, mulish, bull-headed conviction that any and all change is not only untoward, but simply wrong.

Recently this issue came to a head when the Grand Lodge decided to hold its Warden’s School here. No problem, we’ve held the statewide Warden’s School off and on at my lodge since the 1950s – which is actually rather convenient because we still had some of the original leftovers and the menus were already printed. We’d just scratch out the names of the old Grand Masters and pencil in the names of the new ones – neatly mind you – and it took about 30 seconds worth of work, which if you ask me is time well spent for Masonry.

But then, a young Turk decided that we should change the menu and actually serve a meal that the guests would like to eat: smoked prime rib, new potatoes, that kind of stuff. Catered. Yes, you heard me, CATERED.

Now over and above the fact that this was a slap in the face to Euna Stubbs who had been cooking meals for us since Pontius Pilate, the cost was simply astronomical: $14.00 per plate. Euna and the Star Chapter only charge us $5.50 a plate and that’s always been good enough for us in the past. The young Turks told us that since Grand Lodge was going to foot the entire bill, we might as well take them up on their offer, and serve a really nice meal (another slap in the face to Euna). Well, I voted for it in lodge of course, but don’t you worry, I spent the next month bitching about it to everyone who would listen about how extravagant it was, all this folderol and for what? Dinner with the Grand Master? In my view, if you start feeding them like that, you might as well set out food for all the stray cats in the neighborhood, too, as you’ll never be shed of any of them.

Now on the night of the dinner things really came to a head. This young Turk and his wife bought linen tablecloths – I hope it was with their own money – and (get this): FRESH FLOWERS to put on all the tables. Now over and above the fact that this was a slap in the face to Beulah Longbottom who made the centerpieces we always use for banquets during the Truman administration (now THERE was a Mason – no smoked prime rib for that man), God rest her soul, she’s dead now, of course – hard to believe it’s been over thirty years ago – but I digress… she made these centerpieces, all eight of them, by hand, from plastic forget-me-nots and yellow…I dunno… spikey-looking flower thingies, and Vernon Mantooth, who was master in ’71, stapled some aluminum square and compasses onto them (he ran the plumbing supply store back then and he had one of the kids who worked for him cut them out of scrap flashing), and they’ve always been good enough in the past, but oh no! Not now. We have to have fresh flowers. And you know what? Those fresh flowers won’t even keep a week. Beulah’s flowers have been going strong for almost sixty-five years. Progress. Yeah, right.

I was all set to start unrolling the vinyl table-cloth covering thing from the roll we keep in the boiler room. It’s like a roll of trash bags, but instead of being black, it’s white. What? It looks good. Anyway, we cut it to length on each table and then tape it down at each of the four corners so that the table is covered nice and neatly. I was just getting started when all of a sudden the Jr. Warden says they want to use cloth tablecloths. I guess that saves on tape, which can be kind of expensive…you know, I’ve lobbied for years to just glue the vinyl down on each table and then after dinner is over, we can just take the tables out to the parking lot and spray them off, but it’s never gone anywhere. Anyway, so, you save on scotch tape with these newfangled cloth tablecloths, but then you have to wash them! I told the Jr. Warden this and he said he didn’t mind, he would wash them at home – which if you ask me is absolutely insane, but whatever: it doesn’t cost the lodge anything and if this guy is crazy enough to waste two hours of his time with the washer and dryer, I guess it’s OK with me.

So we have dinner, which was fine, although for $14.00 a plate, you’d think they’d give you Baked Alaska and Lobster Thermidor served by real French waiters flown over from France. I haven’t been to a restaurant in a while – I don’t get out all that much — but last time I ate at the Diner, I could have bought half the restaurant for fourteen dollars. Anyway, afterwards, the Grand Master and his group were very complimentary of the effort the lodge put forth, and they were specifically pleased with the meal – like they are too good for Euna’s meatloaf (another slap in the face, if you ask me), or something. But all the ladies could talk about were the fresh flowers. I tried telling one of them that it was a shame they wouldn’t last the week, but she said she didn’t mind and that she thought they were beautiful. Go figure. Now, normally we’d have been done right after this. We’d rip off the vinyl table covers, brush the crumbs off, stack the tables and chairs and then we could go upstairs and drink coffee for another two hours by ourselves, but not this time. You know why? Because some genius decided we should use real plates and silverware instead of paper plates and plastic forks. Luckily we had had about ten brothers there helping, but it still took us almost FORTY minutes to wash, dry and put all the stuff away.

The younger guys were all having fun with it, but I thought it was ridiculous. And you want to know what the worst part of it was? Grand Lodge was so “impressed” that they want us to do the same thing next year.

No good deed goes unpunished — isn’t that the truth.

But I still think gluing the vinyl table covering to the table would look a lot classier than taping it. And it would be much easier.

And that’s why we’re here, right?

Originally published under audevidetace.

The Rite of Purification

Posted on March 25, 2009October 18, 2021 by The Euphrates | 2 Comments

The other morning, I was enjoying my daily shaving ritual. As I lathered the shaving soap with my badger hair brush and spread the rich, white lather over my jaw, I thought about how my morning shave had become a daily routine of renewal and purification. When I took my razor in hand and removed the stubble of the previous 24 hours, I was not only refreshing the appearance of my face, but I was also symbolically divesting myself of the previous day’s imperfections. This allowed me to begin the day anew, with a clean slate and a clean face.

In many ways, this is my personal Rite of Purification.

Baptism is a common form of the Rite of Purification which takes place in Judeo-Christian traditions.

The Rite of Purification has long been an important part of spiritual ceremonies. For those of us who have grown up in Judeo-Christian religions, this rite was most often manifested in the form of baptism or purification by water. In fact, in the book of Exodus we discover that purification by water was an important part of Jewish custom.

Then the Lord said to Moses ‘Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.’
Ex. 30:17-21)

I found it odd that Masonic tradition dictates that the Tabernacle was a model for King Solomon’s Temple and that this temple was a model for Masonic lodges, and yet I had witnessed no such rite in the craft degrees. In fact, the first time I consciously took part in a Rite of Purification in Masonry was in the 14^th Degree of the Scottish Rite where I was required to rinse my hands in a basin filled with water. However, that was certainly not the first time that I had been symbolically purified before taking part in a Masonic ceremony.

If we rid ourselves of the narrow view of purification being accomplished through some sort of baptism with water, we can see that the preparation of the candidates for each degree of Masonry is in fact a Rite of Purification. Wilmhurst says:

The lamb skin is an emblem of purity and adorning the apron is a form of the Rite of Purification.

Every system of real Initiation, whether of the past or present, is divided into three clear-cut stages; since before anyone can pass from his natural darkness to the Light supernal and discover the Blazing Star or Glory at his own center, there are three distinct tasks to be achieved. They are as follows: first, the turning away from the attractions of the outer world, involving detachment from the allurements of all that is meant by “money and metals,” and the purification and subdual of the bodily and sensual tendencies…This work of detachment and self-purification is our Entered Apprentice work, and to it, as you know, is theoretically allotted the long period of seven years.¹

Therefore, divesting ourselves of our outer apparel and removing our possessions of worldly value from our bodies is essentially a Rite of Purification. This symbolically removes the superfluities of the profane world and prepares us to enter the Tabernacle. But as we widen our view of the right of purification, we can see that we are not only purified prior to receiving the degrees. In fact, we take part in a Rite of Purification every time that we step into the place that Exodus terms “the Tent of Meeting.”

The Mason’s apron is a lamb skin or white leather apron, which is described as “an emblem of innocence.” Its color is white, which is the emblem of purity. Every time that we adorn the Mason’s apron we are clothing ourselves with a garment which represents our symbolic purification. However, merely wearing the apron does not complete this action, we must also mentally purify ourselves. Much as the purification through water by the Hebrews before entering the Tabernacle was an admonition to keep one’s thoughts and desires pure in that Holy place, so should the wear of the apron remind us to keep our thoughts and desires pure within our Tabernacle, which is the tiled lodge room.

By doing so, we complete our own Rite of Purification every time that we proceed to enter the quarry and work for the benefit of the craft.

1. Wilmhurst, W.L. Masonic Initiation.

Nobly Born and The Compasses and the Cross by Stephen Dafoe

Posted on March 24, 2009November 4, 2021 by The Euphrates

Note: Stephen Dafoe is a contributor to this site, but this review was conducted independently. In fact, the author of this review has no personal relationship with Bro. Dafoe. Therefore, this critique is that of an unbiased reader.

Stephen Dafoe has two recent releases on the Knights Templar: Nobly Born and The Compasses and the Cross. The former was released in 2007, the latter in 2008. Nobly Born is a book which gives an unromantic account of the medieval order of the Knights Templar. It is a book based strictly on documented historical evidence and serves to debunk many of the myths surrounding that order.

The author of this review admittedly has very little prior knowledge of the Knights Templar, beyond the documentaries shown about the order on the History Channel which appear to encourage the viewer to create suspicions about the secret nature of the Templars. Therefore, it was great to discover that Nobly Born is written in a way so that the Templar novice can truly grasp the history of the order. The book gives an excellent brief history of the crusades and explains the society in which the Templars existed. Perhaps the most impressive part of this book is the look into the lives of the Templars, which was more monastic that chivalric. Many common myths which have surfaced concerning the Templars are specifically rebutted with historical evidence. If you currently believe that the Templars discovered some great treasure beneath King Solomon’s Temple and escaped with the goods to Scotland or the New World, this book is a panacea for your ailment.

The Compasses and the Cross by Stephen Dafoe

The Compasses and the Cross gives a detailed history of the modern day fraternal order of the Knights Templar. This book discusses many of the works of invented history which have misled many Masons to believe that the modern day organization somehow is the descendant of the Templars of old. However, like in Nobly Born, Dafoe refutes these claims with historical evidence. A large amount of the book is a summary of the information found in Nobly Bor

n. It serves as a great refresher on medieval Templar history, but if you read the books back to back (like the author of this review) it can seem repetitive. Nevertheless, this account of Templar history is absolutely necessary for the reader who is unfamiliar with the order’s story. The Compasses and the Cross also gives a detailed account of the reception of new Knights in the medieval order to show the separation of modern day ceremonies from the rituals of the original Templars. The best quality of The Compasses and the Cross is that it devotes a chapter to the fraternity of the Knights Templar in Britain, the United States, and Canada. This focus on the fraternity’s history in each of these countries shows how each locale developed its particular flavor.

My only complaint with these two works is their format. The books are large (10×8 in) which makes them inconvenient for packing them in a bag to read on the airplane or a park bench while on break. However, these books are illustrated histories and the photos and art work provided in them are needed. The illustrations play an important part in visualizing the regalia and equipment of both the medieval and modern day Templars and the books without them would doubtlessly be less informative. The size of the books is the unfortunate form of their function.

I highly recommend both of these works to any Mason who is interested in the Templars of old and their connection with Freemasonry or the modern day Templars and the history of that fraternal organization. They will provide the reader with an excellent education on both subjects. You can find ways to purchase these books on Stephen Dafoe’s website.

The Grand Lodge website of Alabama.

Posted on March 23, 2009October 18, 2021 by Masonic Traveler | 13 Comments

The Grand Lodge of Alabama is the first stop on the tour of American Grand Lodges.

Alabama Masonic membership:
30,952 – 2006
29,775 – 2007
gain/loss – 1,177
data from MSANA

State population – 4,627,851 as of 2007,

About the Grand Lodge:

Founded June 11, 1821, previous charters in the state had been issued by the grand Lodges of Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Alabama is one of a few states to have a Wikipedia entry with this information.

The website is very straight forward in that most of the active links live right on its front page. The site is built on a simple HTML architecture which allows some flexibility in the overall structure and content. The plus is that if there is a desire to add something, it just needs to be hand coded in, the down side is that it needs to be hand coded in which can be time consuming for the coder. I tip my hat to the person maintaining the site, as I know the monumental challenges that it can be to manage just such a project.

Some of what I found on my excursion there:

At the time of my visit on March 18th, there were three updated messages, two of which were from January 2009, and one from December of 08.

From the main page, there is a wide selection of links and content to spend some time on. I did find the “how do I” link an interesting addition to help those not familiar with how to navigate a web site to find what they be interested in finding. Some may overlook this or trivialize it as unnecessary, but with an older member base unfamiliar with the web this could be an excellent tool to guide users through the operation. The “how do I” list covers everything from reporting a members passing to finding lodge events. This latter item is an excellent feature and precursors to a state calendar, but it keeps those interested in knowing what is going on informed.

The only draw back to some of this deeper site navigation was the inconsistency of the page layout from the sites original style and layout navigation. This is purely a cosmetic function though as the content is pertinent. I mention this as these aspects are important when visitors are perusing the site and want to jump around to various locations.

From the top level site, another inconsistency I found is the diversity of file types being linked to. What I noticed were links to PDF’s, text files, word files, and other off site links for information. In some situations this practice is ok, but unless the originating site has consistency, it interjects another random element into an experience. An option may be to translate the various file types right into text and drop it into the HTML. That way all the info is searchable and simple to pull.

One thing I will say about the site is that it contains a lot of information and that it has a site map. So if you are really looking for something, you can go right to the map to find it.

My only disappointment in the site is that it doesn’t say much about Masonry’s relationship to the state or to its members. This is more of an aesthetic opinion about the site rather than a functional one, when looking at it through the eyes of a first time visitor, especially in a state as vibrant and beautiful as Alabama. There isn’t much visually to say “this is Alabama Masonry” which misses the opportunity to hammer home the first impression from the digital enquirer.

Another area of concern, to me, is the degree of personal information posted on some of the pages. Again, this a personal call but it leaves open the opportunity for spam or unwanted correspondence.

One question that the site does not seem to readily address is a strong answer to the 2be1ask1 invitation. In the event that a young Alabamian man ventures into the site, there is not an immediate means to get more information, or to have the question of “who to ask” in the 2be1 proposition.

Overall, the site is sound and communicates what it needs to communicate. What seems to be missing is just the flavor Alabama Masonry.

Next – the Grand Lodge of Alaska