Freemasonry is a post-collegiate mostly-all male fraternity dedicated to the social development of the member to form a broader sense of the self and their community.
By Bro. C.G.
32nd Scottish Rite Mason,
Valley of Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
I have often wondered the reasons why the Scottish Rite, one of the most complex, complete and fascinating initiatic systems of the Western tradition, is often compressed in a single two- or three day-Reunion in all, or most, to the best of my knowledge, Valleys in the United States. At a time when it was required to be a York or Scottish Rite Mason to be admitted into the Shrine, this probably made sense, although it deprived the Scottish Rite of part of the effectiveness of its ritual. This is not so anymore. Free from the constraints of allowing Masons to rush through its degrees, I believe it would greatly benefit the Scottish Rite and probably the whole of Freemasonry, if candidates were allowed to go through the degrees more gradually.
Freemasons in American Valleys have the rare chance of watching the degree work staged in beautiful halls and auditoriums and rendered with exquisite magnificence, costumes and scenography. I believe American Masons deserve more time to savor the Scottish Rite degrees and to better understand the lessons they heard during the Reunions. I know I would have wanted to be granted more time, when I was initiated to the SR in the US. I needed more time before passing on to the following degree. The amount of teachings that candidates are confronted with is so big that it is doubtful that they can retain everything they are presented. Would it not be better, for instance, to be conferred the degree of Secret Master during the first Reunion, to let the masonic path of the Scottish Rite commence with the gravity it deserves, without rushing?Then, at the following Reunions, maybe at intervals of at least one year, the degrees of Perfect Elu, Knight of Roise Croix, Knight of Kadosh and Master of the Royal Secret could be conferred, so to respectively complete the Lodge of Perfection, the Chapter, the Council and the Consistory. Actually, this is similar to what our brethren in my home country, Italy, do. I think it makes sense. I do not think many Masons would object to this new modus-operandi, because it would allow them to discover a wealth of new degrees that are usually just rushed through. It would allow them to attend meetings in the Lodge of Perfection, in the Chapter, the Council, the Consistory, and display their regalia. It would increase attendance to the SR Reunions, because whole classes would come back to receive the following degrees. It would make the study of the SR ritual and teachings easier, because it would be gradual, slower.
Besides, Masons are Traveling Men, and the goal of Freemasonry is to improve men, to make good men better by letting them progress, step by step, degree after degree, along a masonic path of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Isn’t Freemasonry a journey? Why shorten it, then? By making it quicker we are not helping Freemasonry to achieve its goal, we are actually risking to hinder it and not fully appreciate its power. I think the Scottish Rite has the potential to help generate membership to Freemasonry, but this potential must be unleashed. The Scottish Rite can be on of the brightest gems of Freemasonry, and the power of its ritual could lead the way to attract new members to our Institution. However, as long as it is reined in by the constraints of short Reunions, I am afraid it will just be a shimmer in darker skies.
Surly by now you have heard about the proposal to construct an Islamic Mosque and cultural center near to the Ground Zero site in New York City. The proposal has passed a litany of hurdles already, and garnered the approval of both Mayor Michael Bloomburg and President Obama. Yet, many still have strong emotions and feelings against such a structure citing its lack of sensitivity to the catastrophe that took place there.
9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America say of proposed Cordoba House that “a gross insult to the memory of those who were killed on that terrible day.’’ Yet, the proposed project was endorsed by Community Board No. 1 in lower Manhattan by a near unanimous vote in May.
This situation seems to necessitate me, as a Freemason, to look at it from the point of view of Anderson’s Constitution.
Anderson says:
But though in ancient times Masons were charg’d in every Country to be of the Religion of that Country or Nation, whatever it was, yet ’tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true, or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguish’d; whereby Masonry becomes the Center of Union, and the Means of conciliating true Friendship among Persons that must have remain’d at a perpetual Distance.
In the present context, the religion of the country is at first a challenge to find consensus, most would say that the U.S. is a Christian country. But, this becomes less the issue when we look at the Bill of Rights and the First amendment that says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
But this doesn’t tackle the issue of respect towards others feelings towards the proximity of the place of worship to the hallowed ground of 9/11.
It seems that this would be an excellent opportunity (Masonic or otherwise) for other faiths to partner and remold the idea of the Cordoba House into a place of Interfaith union.
This is a far stretch from its original intent of improving Muslim Relations with the West (which is off to a rough foot so close to Ground Zero) but in creating an interfaith temple it would provide a means to interact with all faith groups, to interact with the hallowed space of ground zero, and still be a focused point in the community to engage and broaden relationships, not just with Islamic groups and the west, but with all groups.
Truly, this would be a Historic Narrative.
In the mean time, the debate on the project goes on, and voices from both sides of the argument insist on being heard going so far as to demand the Federal government block the proposed construction because of its proximity to the site (never mind that there is a strip club a mere three blocks away). From Sarah Palin on Facebook to 40 prominnent Religious Leaders supporting its construction, lots of voices vying to be heard. At the heart of the matter is the construction of a Islamic temple in such close proximity to a site attacked in the name of Islam.
Is the opposition to Cordoba House just opposition to religious freedom, or is it more specific to opposition to the Muslim temple itself? Is it a gross insult to place it so close to Ground Zero, or should alternatives be considered? As a Freemason, can we apply the ideas of Anderson and look at it from the perspective of the ‘Religion in which all Men agree’ and allow religious freedom to dictate?
As a Freemason, can we apply the ideas of Anderson and look at it from the perspective of the ‘Religion in which all Men agree’ and allow religious freedom to dictate?
A typical Masonic Lodge will meet in a small sparse building which I call a shack. It will be a two room affair – a Lodge room and a dining hall both sporting the barest of essentials. Practicality will over rule lavish luxury. Of course there are exceptions.
Some stately and roomy Lodge buildings can be found in cities where multiple Lodges meet and Concordant Bodies also are tenants. But the number of these more luxurious cousins is a drop in the bucket compared to the large number of suburban and small town Lodges that dot the American countryside.
Rural Lodges don’t have much choice but to be this way. But city and suburban Lodges could afford much better digs if all the Lodges in a 20 mile radius were to meet in one building. Our European Masonic cousins have long found this to be the answer to meeting in surroundings of comfort. You can find many English Masonic buildings where up to twenty Lodges meet.
American Masons are wedded to having their own Lodge building which they share with no one just as the American public is wedded to the automobile which they share with no one. Mass transit may be available but Americans with cars seldom use it. And HOV lanes in Dallas have reduced requirements to just two in a vehicle yet 98% do not take advantage of them. We all have to have our own thing. But in doing so “our thing” becomes too expensive for us to maintain all by ourselves. The result is that many Lodges meet in buildings of somewhat disrepair.
Of course better surroundings could be provided if Lodges were allowed to rent out their building to a wider clientele. But Grand Lodges in their ultimate, know it all wisdom impose so many restrictions on who local Lodges can rent to that no takers can be found. You can’t rent the Masonic Hall to any affair that will serve liquor. That kills most of your wedding reception business. You can’t rent out to women’s Masonry, Co-Masonry or in some cases in Mainstream to Prince Hall Masonry. You can’t rent to any of the so called clandestine Lodges. It is doubtful you would be allowed to rent out your building to the Knights of Columbus, AA or the NRA.
Then there is the issue of participation. Each new Grand Master tries to outdo the other. Each new District Deputy tries to make a name for himself by beating the performance of his predecessor. Each new Master tries to out shine the previous Master. Consequently there are always a host of programs and duties that need to be staffed. Mainstream Masonry also has a plethora of Masonic Awareness/Charitable events which require a boatload of manpower. Masonic Communications become meetings of recruitment. Soon what is expected of a Mason is eating away at all of his free time.
I have decided that I don’t want to do bare bones Masonry anymore. Masonry on the cheap is not for me.
The organization I belong to will have a beautiful, large building with many rooms. The floors will be plush carpet or hardwood. Wall paper and paintings of renowned artists will adorn the walls. I will sit in a large leather chair with a foot rest and a side table beside me. A waiter will bring me a cocktail and my choice of an hors d’oeuvre and an expensive cigar. If I prefer I can sit on the veranda in a rocking chair gazing out at the beautiful view. One room will have a grand piano for those members who know how to play. Another room will have a pool table and game tables. Seven course dinners will be served once per week.
I have no desire to be drafted into manning somebody else’s pet project. Instead of doing all the time I would much rather just be. After all I am a human being not a human doing. I will sit and learn about my organization in its giant library. I will learn the knowledge I want to gain, if not by reading, by viewing presentations in the media room of my organization.
I will attend on the days or nights I have free time and an inclination to do so. My organization will be open for business six days a week but it will make no requirements of me or my attendance other than the dues I pay to belong.
My organization will be there for my edification and pleasure not to work me to death or enlist me in its army.
My organization could be Freemasonry. Then again it could be not.
A common lament in our society today is that our youth have developed a sense of entitlement whereby they believe they are entitled to a cell phone, a computer, an education, a car, or whatever. For some reason, they believe they have a God-given right to such things as opposed to working and earning them. I also see evidence of this in Masonic Lodges where some young officers believe that by simply attending Lodge and wearing a tux, they are entitled to the next chair in the officer rotation. On too many occasions, in too many Lodges, I have seen such officers skate through their responsibilities and accomplish nothing. They still do not know their ritual work, they still do not capably perform the responsibilities that accompany the office, yet they feel entitled to move up in the Lodge. Actually, such people are capitalizing on those Lodges struggling for membership and participation. The mindset tends to be, “If they don’t like what I’m doing, then fine, I’ll leave and they won’t have anybody sitting in a chair.” This is extortion no matter how you try to rationalize it. If this approach is successful, incompetence is rewarded.
I don’t buy such a scenario and have never voted along such lines. I vote for the person I believe is the most competent to hold the office, not the least, and I’m beginning to believe I’m an anomaly in this regards.
In my jurisdiction, there is no real prerequisite for becoming a Worshipful Master other than being a Master Mason in good standing. You do not need to pass any tests, earn any proficiency cards, attend any training, or know any ritual. Heck, you don’t even have to have earned your white leather apron. I have seen quite a few people who have rotated to the East without such qualifications; they just happened to be warm available bodies who can sit in a chair. As an aside, I have never met a person with such a background who was successful as a Worshipful Master. The Lodge simply muddled through his year and stagnated.
It is my understanding that in California, there are “District Inspectors” who review the capabilities of the Lodge officers. If they can pass the muster, they can proceed to the next chair if so elected. The point is, before they proceed to the next chair, they must be properly trained and understand their responsibilities. To me, this is forward thinking.
There is an unwritten rule that a Worshipful Master should prepare his junior officers for moving up if they are so inclined. This is why I think Masonic Education is so important, including the development of administrative and management skills. Unfortunately, today’s Worshipful Masters are facing resistance from the junior officers because of the entitlement issue. Frankly, I see Masonic entitlement becoming worse before it gets better. If people are unwilling to step up to the plate and assume responsibility, or are unwilling to put their best foot forward, maybe its time to think about closing the Lodge and moving on to one who has its act together.
All we can ask from our Lodge officers is one thing; that they at least TRY. I can assure you they won’t be 100% successful. Undoubtedly they will make mistakes along the way, but you’ll be surprised what can be accomplished simply by trying.
Just TRY!
Keep the Faith!
Freemasonry From the Edge
Tim Bryce, PM, MPS, MMBBFMN “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 www.FreemasonInformation.com Also be sure to check out Tim’s “Pet Peeve of the Week” (non-Masonic related).
Two significant happenings in the life of Texas Prince Hall Masonry bring news that should be shared with all.
First, the Grand Lodge has reactivated its Newsletter/Magazine. It used to have one of those glossy printed magazines that became a hassle to publish and a burdensome cost. Slowly over time the Texas Prince Hall Newsletter just faded away and was no more.
This year it has been reactivated in a new format under the superb leadership of Brother Burrell D. Parmer with yours truly as one of his assistants.
Brother Parmer has put together a publications committee team with members from various parts of the state.
The Newsletter called The Texas Prince Hall Freemason is in PDF format and published on the Grand Lodge website. No longer will this be a printed handout with cumbersome, costly mailing processes. It will be viewable by anybody who would like to visit the Grand Lodge website and any individual could print out their own hard copy if they so desired.
This format makes more sense and costs less cents and is easier to put together. Brother Parmer believes in the liberal use of pictures in all the stories printed in The Texas Prince Hall Freemason.
Although the first edition will not be out until November, a sample of this quarterly publication, a story on the June 2010 Grand Session, can be viewed by going to the Texas Prince Hall website – and then selecting Texas Prince Hall Freemason Publication.
The second Texas two step or happening is the progress made in the construction of a new Masonic building for my Lodge, Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135, Dallas, Texas. The land is now in our hands, materials purchased and the contractors have been lined up. Right now we are waiting for city approval and permits. We hope to break ground next month.
Our new building will be a steel framed structure with most of the inside work being done by Lodge members. The grounds, pictured here, stretch far back from the road, so we have plenty of room to accomplish our objectives.
Saturday 8/7/10 Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135 held a BBQ get together on the property. This was our first event held on the property and a good time was had by all. Junior Warden and chef extraordinaire Thomas Crump, pictured here, cooked up a meal fit for Kings and Queens. Eastern Star and Heroines of Jericho members joined our celebration as well as members from other Lodges.
As a small, struggling Lodge in not the best of economic times, this undertaking is not taken without some sacrifice.
If anyone would like to contribute to the raising of Mt. Pisgah’s new building, contributions would be thankfully received at:
Pride of Mt. Pisgah #135, F & AM
P.O. Box 226111
Dallas, TX 75226
Samantha Molny and James Aaron Steel got married in June in Fort Worth Texas.
As my Grandfather was oft to say, “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” Steel, you see, is the great-great-great-great grandson of Lawrence Steel one of the founding fathers of Fort Worth and one of a group of ten men who organized Fort Worth’s first Masonic Lodge, #148 chartered in 1855.
Lawrence Steel owned Steel’s tavern, an Inn and stagecoach stop in the old center of Fort Worth. In the belfry of that Tavern hung “Mason” a 16” bell that the family claims was cast in London in 1782.
How and when Steel received the bell is a family mystery but it is a fact that “Mason” was the warning and celebration system of the early settlers who resided along the Trinity River in Fort Worth in the 1840s and 50s.
“Mason” rang to alert residents of danger, bad weather, mealtime, school sessions, fires, deaths, funerals, the New Year and most pertinent to our case weddings.
Lodge #148 purchased “Mason” from the Steel family in 1871 and has been the caretaker of the bell ever since. “Mason” is not rung often anymore it being a relic of a day gone by. But in June it rang at a Steel family wedding for the first time in 130 years. “Mason” and the Steel family were reunited in a ceremony of union and it can now be said that for that family it was “for whom the bell tolls”.
With the Hadron Collider as the inspiration, scientists are now looking for new linear super collider that’s even bigger with costs expected to exceed £8.5 billion with funding from China, India, and Russia.
The goal is a new particle slinger with the mission of searching for the elusive God Particle , the Higgs boson, as well as the neigh invisible dark matter. How do they plan to do it? Easy, by simulating the Big Bang of nearly 14 million years ago at the creation of the universe.
What better place to start in ones quest for LVX than at its very creation.
You can read much more on the Linear Collider on its website.
by Charles Lloyd Mashburn Jr. 32° Thunderbolt Lodge # 693 Thunderbolt, Georgia
Preface
As a young Freemason involved in my Blue Lodge and Scottish Rite of the Valley of Savannah, Georgia the idea of a place of unity for all the orders of Freemasonry has been a thought in my mind for many years. Being an architectural graduate student at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia gave me the opportunity to put these thoughts to practice. The concept is to create universal temple of Freemasonry through the design of a visual and physical creation of progressive architecture. This architectural design and concept would use Freemason symbolism and will become a new symbol of Freemasonry for the 21st century. There hasn’t been a symbol of unity in Freemasonry since King Solomon’s Temple in 965 BCE. The UTF will become that new symbol of unity through enlightenment. The principle concept is to create a place where all Freemasons acknowledge one another, no matter their typology. Defining a new progressive ideal of Masonic unity as: Education = Knowledge = Unity = Masonic Light.
“The Unity of Light” A Universal Temple of Freemasonry Jerusalem, Israel
Albert Pike said, “We have all the light we need; we just need to put it in practice.”
The unity of light in the fraternal order of Freemasonry is dwindling because of the different offspring of the original orders blueprint. The non acceptance of these offspring has prevented “Masonic Light” from reaching the “Roots of Unity”. This diffraction of light has lead to certain orders not acknowledging other orders within the brotherhood of Freemasonry. This is a contradictory of Freemasonry’s primary teaching of brotherly love and unity. There are Freemasonry lodges in almost all the countries of the world.
There are many members of varied religious faiths. The spectrum of religions span from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism, etc. The lack of solidarity of these lodges and the communication between them has been non progressive to the goal of unity in Freemasonry. These issues are a driving force for the decline of Freemasonry in societies around the world. The non recognition of the individual aspects and elements that comprise the lodges are evident in the many orders of Freemasonry.
These issues are a dividing force for the decline of Freemasonry in societies around the world. The non recognition of the individual aspects and elements that comprise the lodges are evident in the many order of freemasonry.
The American orders for example might not recognize a lodge of Freemasonry in one state from another state because of its bylaws or codes. Another issue in certain State Grand Lodges is that they might not acknowledge other Masons order of Freemasonry. The unity is no better internationally.
This is a fundamental problem for some Grand Lodges in other countries is that they do not allow women in lodge meetings. These orders need to come to a common agreement through the core values of Freemasonry. It is crucial to the survival and creation of a new blueprint for the order in the next century. This is the time in Freemasonry to write a new chapter in history by adopting the idea of unification for all the orders of Freemasonry into a well defined organization of unity.
A redefining idea of unity, presented through a visual and physical creation of progressive architecture, will become a symbol of unity for Freemasonry around the world. The creation of such a symbol will bring a coming of age in Freemasonry in the 21st century. That creation is a Universal Temple of Freemasonry.
The Universal Temple of Freemasonry (UTF) will be situated in Jerusalem, Israel. The selection of Jerusalem, Israel as the location site is significant to Freemasonry throughout the world. King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem became the symbolic birthplace of Freemasonry. The proposed UTF site is outside the wall of the Holy City and is situated across from the Damascus Gate. In the history of Jerusalem, the Damascus Gate was the entry point where the religious pilgrims would enter the Holy City via traveling the Damascus road from the city of Damascus.
This is significant to Freemasonry because Freemasons are known as “Traveling Men.” This comparison of the religious pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem in search of Holy Light mirrors the idea of freemasons traveling to Jerusalem in search of Masonic Light.
The site is located between the Armistice Lines of 1957, which divides the different regions and religions of Jerusalem. This area is known as the “No-Man’s Land”, It is a land buffer between the different social, political, and religious persons and is considered by people in Jerusalem to be a site of a neutral nature. The site was also selected because of the discovery of King Solomon’s Quarry in 1854 in a cave system beneath the Damascus Gate and the Old City of Jerusalem. A large chamber was discovered that has been stated to be the site of Freemasonry Hall used by the Templar Knights in the Crusades. The incorporation and placement of Masonic architectural elements in the UTF and its interior spaces are essential to the function and significance of the building to the site. The acknowledgment and study of historical Freemasonry architecture and sites in Jerusalem will influence and define the symbolic meaning to the building and site.
Blue Lodge
The construction of the UTF in Jerusalem, Israel will influence the surrounding cultural through Masonic unity. The UTF will be the new unifying symbol for all masons around the world. The lodge will explore the knowledge and growth of brotherly unity in religion, philosophy, and morality within Freemasonry. This will become an expressing of ideals to the region of Jerusalem and the world.
The UTF will influence unity through a new idea of Freemasonry: Education = Knowledge = Light = Unity = Masonic Light. The world orders of Freemasonry will be defined as the primary client. The non – Masonic community will define the secondary client. This place of unity and its client will change through the unification of the different orders into a more defined organization. The unification will create a new primary client known as humanity and will influence humanity through unity in religion, philosophy, and morality.
Masonic Museum
This new idea Freemasonry: Education = Knowledge = Light = Unity = Masonic Light will consist of elements that will unite the orders of Freemasonry. The Masonic Museum, (Education): is the first part of the new idea of Freemasonry. It will give members of all the orders of Freemasonry and the visiting public an understanding of Freemasonry history and its effect on world history. The second is the Masonic Library, (Knowledge): will further educate the members of freemasonry and the visiting public through research. This research of Freemasonry will influence people from different societies to evolve to the new Freemasonry idea of unity.
Santum Sanctorum
The third is the Masonic Lodge of Unity: (Unity), which will be known as, “The Sanctum Sanctorum”. The creation of a lodge room known as the “Sanctum Sanctorum” in the UTF will influence the different orders of Freemasonry to embrace unity through the idea that the journey for the search of light ends in a destination called “Unity.” All Freemasonry orders must be unified before entering the “Sanctum Sanctorum.” Freemasonry member will meet in this place of unity once a year to express the overwhelming idea of unity among the Freemasonry orders. The fourth is the five different lodge rooms for the five different orders of Freemasonry: (Masonic Light), will be defined as the Masonic Light. These lodge rooms will give the different orders a place of unity where the different orders can meet throughout the year at the UTF.
The achievement of unity will be derived from and be driven by the hope of unification through my research. I have created a visual and physical progressive architecture that will influence unity among the orders of Freemasonry. This search for the unity of light has a frame work of ideas that incorporates unification through related topics in the different orders of Freemasonry. The history of symbolism and philosophy in Freemasonry incorporated with other related Freemasonry elements will be the foundation of the UTF.
West Gate
My research of Masonic elements consists of the sacred geometries and how they are relevant to Freemasonry. The past influence of these sacred geometries on Masonic and non Masonic architecture will influence the idea of unity through their application in the visual and physical aspects of the UTF design process.
The goal is to provide a Universal Temple of Freemasonry that will redefined the ideal principles for the unification of the Freemasonry orders. Unity and brotherly love are a fundamental ideal of Freemasonry.
There hasn’t been a symbol of unify in Freemasonry since King Solomon’s Temple in 965 BCE. The UTF will become that new symbol of unity through enlightenment. The principle new idea is to create a place where all Freemasons acknowledge one another, no matter their typology. Defining a new progressive ideal of Masonic unity as: Education = Knowledge = Unity = Masonic Light.
Freemasonry Plaza
A redefining idea of unity, presented through a visual and physical creation of progressive architecture, will become a symbol of unity for Freemasonry around the world. The creation of such a symbol will bring a coming of age in Freemasonry in the 21st century.
The primary outcome of the creation of The Universal Temple of Freemasonry is to unite the different orders of Freemasonry through the design of a visual and physical creation of progressive architecture. The secondary outcome is to have this architecture and new idea influence better relations in the region of Jerusalem, Israel, by the implementing the new Freemasonry idea: Education = Knowledge = Unity = Masonic Light. This new idea along with the idea of a new age of progressive architecture will influence all relationships towards mankind and hopefully peace in the region of Jerusalem, Israel.
The photojournalist Stephan Lehr (who appears as a humanist photographer) did a story he has called in the secret lodges . Ce sont des photos qui peuvent illustrer une “enquête” sur la Franc-Maçonnerie (ou donner des couleurs à un marronnier); des photos ont ainsi été publiées dans des dossiers de L’Express ou du Monde des Religions. These are photos that illustrate an “investigation” of Freemasonry (or give a chestnut color)[by translation]…
I have to say, the images of the lodge rooms are quite stunning.
By Bro. C.G.
