Freemason Information > 2011 > May

Stealng from the Temple Coffers

Posted on May 11, 2011June 8, 2015 by Greg Stewart | 2 Comments

A 58-year-old Maine man accused of embezzling more than $1 million from within the secretive headquarters of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons is scheduled to be arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court.
Vincent Paul Reed Jr. of Shapleigh, Maine, spent $1.25 million in Mason funds on personal travel expenses, household pets, utilities and credit card debt, prosecutors said.
The theft is alleged to have taken place from 2001 to 2008 — while Reed served as elected treasurer of the Boston Council of Royal Select Master Masons and the St. Paul’s chapter of the Royal Arch Masons, said Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.

The investigation was said to of begun in 2008 when a lodge member discovered irregularities in the accounting.

Vincent Paul Reed Jr has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he transferred more than $1 million from the secretive organization into his personal accounts to pay for shopping sprees, exotic trips and lavish dinners.

As quoted int he Boston Herald on May 11th, Reed was able to get away with it without any real oversight.

“All of these expenses are despite the fact that the two Mason organizations had no cars, no pets, no known credit cards and no need to shop,”
“Reed was a popular personality and held elaborate parties for the Masons. He was a gregarious and well-liked member and operated without oversight.”

Read the full articles Freemason charged in $1M embezzlement. and Former Masons treasurer pleads not guilty to $1M grab

Thankfully, a Grand Lodge spokesman said Reed “was booted as soon as financial improprieties were discovered.”

Philalethes Society Self Destructing

Posted on May 9, 2011January 12, 2017 by Fred Milliken | 10 Comments

Masonic Leaks reports a major battle with possible purges within The Philalethes Society. It appears that The Philalethes Society is self destructing in a rush to put itself in allegiance with only the Conference of Grand Masters chartering a similar course as The Masonic Society. This leaves only Phoenixmasonry as a major contender in the big three as a truly independent Masonic voice.

On Monday January 31^st at 1:00pm, only ten days before Bro. Jack Buta was expected to be elected the Society’s President (he was the only person on the ballot and the organization allows for no floor nominations), the President, Terry L. Tilton, issued the following letter as a referendum to remove Bro. Buta from office.
To: The voting members of the Executive Board
In the past day, our First Vice-president Jack Buta has aired private correspondence between Board members without permission, called for a division of the Society based up untrue or unfactual statements, and openly challendge the intergrity of the your President and our Soceity officers. Under any circumstances this constitutes insubordination and derilection of duty.
Ed Halpaus has moved to ask for the immediate resignation of Jack Buta as First Vice-president and I have seconded this motion. I am asking all Board voting members to respond with a “yes” or “no” vote to this motion. If and when we have three votes in the affirmative I will correspond with you privately to determine our next action.
I am deeply saddened and chagrined to have to accept this motion two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. It was my most fervent hope to have an orderly and peaceful transition. Jack has obviously chosen to not allow that to happen.
Fraternally yours,
Terry L. Tilton, FPS, President 2009-2011
The Philalethes Society”
He was removed from office by a 3 to 2 vote of the Executive Board of the Philalethes Society. Those voting for Dismissal were Terry Tilton, Ed Halpaus, and John Cooper III. Certainly if the charges alleged by Tilton were factual then the motion had merit, but were they?

See Masonic Leaks for the rest of a rather long story with many attachments.

The Beehive has received a tip from an anonymous source in the know that the Conference of Grand Masters through unknown financial sources is privately picking up the Philalethes’ Society financial shortfall and this is the reason for all the ballyhoo about keeping the books secret.

The conference of Grand Masters has become increasing alarmed of Masonic Leaks and the up and coming Foundation Of Universal Freemasonry. Derek Gordon ( Masonic Wiki [now archived]) and Stephen Quest have become thorns in the side of Mainstream Masonry and are being taken seriously enough for their organizations to be mentioned in COGM’s annual report. Perhaps Mainstream Masonry feels a bit stronger now that it most likely has finished what the 2007 Philalethes coup failed to accomplish thanks to Nelson King.

Does Mainstream Freemasonry have a psychological problem? Has it grown like the Catholic Church to be too big, too unwieldy, too bureaucratic and top heavy with hierarchy? Is there an explanation for the continuous jockeying for power and never ending horror stories emanating from the Craft? Perhaps we should put Mainstream Freemasonry on the couch for a moment.

If we take a look at what is of paramount importance to those active in the Craft will we come away with a disappointing conclusion? It seems to this author that what is foremost in the mind of the average Freemason today is title and rank and advancing into the hierarchy into a position of power and therefore prominence. Should not the emphasis be on instruction, learning and then living Freemasonry? In a previous article the Beehive laid out a formula of what Freemasons should be in pursuit of. It looks like this:

Education>>>Knowledge>>>Wisdom>>>Soul Enrichment

But in order to achieve the benefits of Freemasonry that we know is a way of life and a society that can further our personal development, we need to place our time and effort into learning and studying the Craft and then applying it into our daily lives. If this, then, is the highest calling of Freemasonry what in the world are we doing with a bloated bureaucracy that is more concerned with money and power? Have we grown so large that our leaders are only proficient in administration, not in teaching and disseminating the philosophy of Freemasonry?

In essence what we are asking here is what is more important, the philosophy or the structure? Once again we are right back to the example of the Catholic Church and how it dealt with the pedophile priest problem. In the beginning the Church covered up and hushed up the problem. It said that the problem was to be kept in house. And it further iterated that no matter what the Church had done, no matter what evil was within its ranks, that the first and foremost duty was to protect the Institution to ensure it lived another day. Protecting the institution meant keeping the civil authorities out of church business, telling the abused to just shut up, grin and bear it and to keep the mess out of the media, to avoid all publicity so that the general public would not realize what was going on. That might have worked had the Church actually policed itself and solved the problem itself. Instead it just transferred the abusers from one post to another, attempted to rehabilitate rather than punish and remove the offenders and in many cases just turned a blind eye to the whole situation.

But like a pressure cooker where the heat is never reduced, sooner or later the lid blows off and then it becomes a nationwide scandal. In the end that hurt the Church the most as the full blown scandal cost the Church the respect of the public never mind millions of dollars. Church property had to be sold to pay for huge court verdicts. All because the Church put the institution ahead of human beings.

And in the end the Church had to change its ways. It realized that it must cooperate with civil authorities, that it must institute programs within the Church to screen for abusers, that generally it must seriously alter its approach to the problem.

The Beehive has received much criticism from past stories exposing the wrong doings of Mainstream Freemasonry. Why do you keep writing about Freemasonry’s problems, exposing its faults? Are you trying to destroy Freemasonry, they wail? Masonic problems should be kept in house and dealt with internally. Letting the public know our shortcomings is traitorous.

Sound familiar? It is the same approach that the Catholic Church took initially with its pedophile problem. Bury it, hush it up, keep it in house and let Freemasonry solve its own problems without involving the courts and civil authorities. And once again it might work if Freemasonry was really serious about policing itself and getting rid of those who are ruining the good name of the Craft. But alas, like the church, it refuses to act. We cannot even criticize other jurisdictions never mind mess in their affairs to correct their wrong doings. You see the rules count more than people. And the institution of Freemasonry must, above all mans, be protected. The abused Masons? You see they need to just grin and bear it for the good of the Craft.

I have a good Canadian friend very active in the Craft. He has risen to eminence in Blue Lodge, York Rite and elsewhere. I run a lot of thoughts and concerns by him for his view. It is helpful to solicit the opinion of one who is on the outside looking in. Early on he seemed to be on the side of Grand Lodges and handling problems internally. But upon further investigation and the proliferation of one horror story after another he changed his view. It seems as if Freemasonry in the States is becoming dysfunctional, he says. Maybe the answer is to do away with the Grand Lodge system altogether, he advises. And that is a very radical solution coming from a very Conservative Mason. But when you think about it, where are most of the horror stories coming from – individual Craft Lodges or Grand Lodges? And couldn’t a Masonic Lodge function very well without being a member of a Grand Lodge? Perhaps, then, we could return the emphasis on the practice of Freemasonry to its philosophy not its politics.

And as to the question of whether publicly exposing Freemasonry’s faults will lead to the decline of Freemasonry, the answer is quite evident. If Freemasonry will solve its own problems internally there is no need for an expose. But since it refuses to do so then the scenario will follow the path of the Catholic Church. The failure to police itself will lead to problems becoming worse and worse and more frequent. One day the lid will blow off and the civil courts will mandate reforms Freemasonry will not do on its own. And then the person to blame is not he who speaks the truth but he who covers it up and turns a blind eye. Freemasonry has only itself to blame for the mess it is in.

Recording Minutes

Posted on May 9, 2011December 29, 2021 by TimBryce

I recently received an e-mail publicizing a “webinar” on how to keep minutes for a meeting. At first I thought it was a joke as I consider such a task to be rather simple and obvious. Then again, although I had written numerous minutes over the years for a variety of organizations, it occurred to me there are a lot of people who haven’t. The obvious is not always obvious, and perhaps the producers of the webinar were on to something.

As I am a writer and have done this type of work for many years, let me give you my spin on how to keep minutes. First, do not trivialize the keeping of minutes. It is an official recording of the actions and decisions of an organization and, as such, has legal ramifications. Consequently, I recommend you become more intimate with how meetings should be conducted. To this end, you may want to obtain a copy of “Robert’s Rules of Order” and keep it nearby for reference purposes. I also recommend attending a course in Parliamentary Procedure. Regardless of the advice derived from these sources, you must also be cognizant that not all organizations observe such protocol and, as such, you should become intimate with the governing documents of your organization, such as its bylaws. There may also be some specific rules and regulations in your state for how minutes are to be recorded and maintained. Aside from this, just like about any other document, there are three basic parts to recording minutes: a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The beginning specifies the 5-W’s:

WHAT – defining the proper name of the organizational body. If it is a committee, subcommittee, or subsidiary of another body, be sure to denote the superior entities.

WHERE – specifying exactly where the meeting occurred, including street address, city, state, zip code, name of building and room number (if applicable). I also happen to include the telephone number, e-mail address, and web address if I happen to know it.

WHEN – the date the meeting occurred including the starting and ending times, and any breaks during the meeting.

WHO – the officer(s) running the meeting, along with their titles. Some organizations require keeping track of all attendees. For this, you might need to perform a roll call or require a sign-in sheet, either of which should be attached to the minutes.

WHY – defines the purpose of the meeting, e.g., board of directors meeting, general meeting, committee meeting, etc.

The middle section represents the chronology of events during the meeting. Hopefully, the person chairing the meeting will maintain control and not allow it to become a free-for-all which complicates recording minutes. It is also hoped the chairman is operating with an agenda which provides structure for the meeting. The agenda should include sections such as: Opening, Committee Reports, Awards, Correspondence, Old Business, New Business, Closing, etc. This provides a convenient road map for the person keeping the minutes and represents the various sections of the document. However, if there is no agenda and the meeting runs out of control, you’re on your own.

Throughout the meeting, there will be people making motions, some important, others rather trivial. Regardless, you must record all motions. When doing so, make sure they are as clearly worded as possible to avoid confusion later on. It is common to identify the person making the motion in order to assure the person is a legitimate member of the organization and is entitled to make such a motion. The person making the “second” is less important other than to be identified as a legitimate member of the body. Identifying the person, therefore, is considered optional. Depending on the nature of the motion, you can either indicate the motion passed or failed (or possibly “tabled” until another time), or list the number of votes for and against (and abstained).

Discussion on motions can become rather lengthy and heated. As such, it is advised you avoid including a description of the discourse unless specifically instructed by the chairman to take note of something. Always remember, you are a recording secretary, not a stenographer. More importantly, concentrate on the outcome of the debate in terms of what was resolved.

During the course of a meeting, a report or paper may be introduced that has a direct bearing on the organization itself or a particular motion, such as a committee report, treasurer’s report, an important letter, etc. In addition to making a motion to accept such a document, a motion should also be made to attach it to the minutes and become a part thereof.

If money is collected during the meeting for a specific purpose, be sure to personally count the money, record the amount and denote the purpose for receiving it. For example, if someone makes a donation to a specific charitable cause, state the name of the person, the amount donated, and the charity to receive it.

The ending is rather easy as it denotes the name, title, and signature of the person recording the minutes. It is also a good idea to have the minutes countersigned for validity by the senior officer present, such as the president or chairman.

Remain objective in writing minutes, do not editorialize. Avoid the temptation to say something was “good” or “bad.” For example, “Sam Smith gave an excellent lecture on…” Instead, write something like, “Sam Smith gave a lecture on… The Chairman thanked him for the presentation.” In other words, stick to the facts and do not embellish.

Recording minutes is a relatively simple matter to perform, it just requires a good agenda and someone who can competently write. Working with the senior officers of an organization, I help prepare the agenda in advance of the meeting. Consequently, I am able to assemble a set of the minutes in advance and make minor adjustments to them during the course of the meeting. In other words, I establish a template and fill in the blanks.

After the minutes have been recorded and approved, they should be filed in chronological sequence, normally in a binder or folder. Some organizations require minutes to be permanently glued and bound in hard cover books. Again, consult your governing documents for specifics. However if they are to be physically stored or archived, take precautions for their safeguard, such as from fire, water damage or acts of God.

My only other recommendation for recording minutes is, if it looks like the chairman or senior officers haven’t got a clue as to how to run a meeting, and many do not, have somebody else write them.

Maybe there is a market for training people in how to record minutes. “Who’da thunk it.”

Keep the Faith!

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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

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http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

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Still More Responses To Missing The Boat

Posted on May 8, 2011December 30, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 2 Comments

Another response to Missing the Boat.

Keep them coming Brothers & Sisters. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

A Mason’s Obligation to Freedom

By Chris Williams
Davy Crockett Lodge # 1225 A.F. & A. M.
Grand Lodge of Texas

Brothers, I want to talk to you about something that I sincerely believe and feel deep within my soul and I think is as important as anything in any of our lives. I want to talk about the word free. When you say the word free as in Freemason it refers to free men, free to think as you please, free to speak as you please, and free to worship as you please. But I sincerely ask you, where does each man’s basic freedom come from? How and when does a man become free? Who gives us our freedom? Brothers, our freedom is given to us by God. There are many who will tell you that our freedom comes from our Constitution. Our freedom is given to us by The Supreme Architect of the Universe, our Constitution guarantees our freedom. I am sure you recognize this from our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This Country and our constitution since our very beginnings has been the world’s beacon of freedom. Over the last two hundred and thirty four years many of our original freedoms given to us by God and guaranteed by our Constitution have little by little been taken away by those who would seek to change our country from a country “of the people, by the people, and for the people” to a country of the government, by the government, and for the government, This is not what our founding fathers intended nor is it the country described in our Constitution.

Some of you are thinking right now, “Chris, you need to stop talking this way.” You are talking about politics and you know that we are not supposed to discuss politics or religion in the Lodge. What that rule really means is that we should not discuss specific religions and we should not discuss differences in political points of view in the Lodge. Now I am sure no one is against being free. I am talking about our freedom, not politics. Just as in our Lodges invoking God’s blessing and reciting Holy Scripture, does not constitute talking about religion.

The freedoms that you and I enjoy today were made possible when the settlers of the original colonies decided that they had had enough of being taxed without recourse or representation. They decided that their freedoms were not going to be taken away further by the British king and they revolted. What I am going to tell you now has been debated over and over again by Masons and non-Masons alike for years and years. It is an argument whose truth is confirmed by a serious study of history. What I am alluding to is the debate over what, if any was the Freemasons involvement in the revolt of the colonies that led to the revolutionary war and the creation of the United States of America. For those of you who are not sure, let me set your mind at ease and put this debate to rest once and for all. The United States of America was conceived and created based upon the principals of Freemasonry, by Freemasons and other men who were influenced by Freemasons and their Masonic principals. Many of you sit there right now with your mouths open trying to count how many violations of my obligations I have just committed. While you are counting allow me to continue. The seeds of revolution were not sown within a Masonic Lodge. But it is true that a large number of the most influential men of that time in America were Freemasons. Being Freemasons and knowing Masonic principals to be freedom of speech, religion, and thought, it is easy to imagine the atmosphere of discontent at that time. Masonry and Masons will always rebel against a smothering of freedom. It is no wonder and easy to understand that our early American Brethren were in the thick of the organization as well as the fight that secured our freedom and our way of life. When it came time to create our new government who else but Freemasons would be there to help organize and build a democratic republic. And why not? We had been running a democracy within our Lodges for centuries. So yes, our great fraternity was very instrumental in the creation of our country and we should all be very proud of that. It is important that we make sure that their efforts were not in vain. We must speak freely when our freedoms are infringed upon. We must speak the truth – for being a Mason is all about the truth.

We must not worry about being politically correct. It is said by some misguided souls that if you are not being what is deemed politically correct then you are being divisive and not inclusive. I say being politically correct is really being afraid. It’s being afraid of speaking up and standing up for the truth and for the freedoms that are guaranteed all of us as free men and Americans. It is not enough to just think it. We must say it and act it!

In Masonry we are told that religion and politics are never to be discussed in Lodge in order that peace and harmony may always prevail. But I say that we should always be involved deeply, passionately and completely in the making sure our freedoms are protected. If we don’t speak out, if we stay silent and ……… afraid…… little by little all of our rights and freedoms will go away. Even the most innocuous or insignificant challenge to our basic freedoms needs to be challenged vigorously. Every time we give up some small freedom or right that seems on the surface to be pretty unimportant, a chip is cut out of the solid rock that is our guaranteed freedom. Chip by chip our rights and freedoms are taken away and taken away and one day soon there will only be a pile of dust that remains of that rock. We will wake up to the realization that our freedoms are gone and we will look around at each other and wonder what happened.

In one of the charges in the first degree we are charged to be beyond reproach in the discharge of our civil duties by never being involved in or performing any act which might tend to subvert the peace and good order of society, but to obey the laws of any state in which we reside. This admonition is a clear message to all who are members that they must be loyal citizens always alert to the needs of the local community, State and Federal Government; and ready to do anything or make any sacrifice to maintain its integrity and further its development in any manner as will best preserve our democratic way of life.

Masons are forever charged to lead their lives and make their decisions as examples to all whom they come in contact with. By virtue of our example we are constantly influencing those around us. Why is it I wonder, that considering that more than seventy percent of the population consider themselves to be patriotic and constitutionalist in their thinking, that our Lodges are not bursting to capacity with the membership of all those who agree with our principals and way of life? Could it be that we are not espousing our Masonic principals and vocal support of our country loud enough, or are we not living the life that Masonry desires us to live that others will see and want to emulate us? Why are we afraid? Is not truth and right upon our side? Let’s see, there are 1.5 million Masons in North America. If every Mason’s life and words influenced ten people and they in turn influenced ten and so on it would serve to insure forever our democratic way of life.

The turbulent state of affairs today only emphasizes and reinforces the fact that a Mason has no right to be idle and it is the duty of the Master of his Lodge to give light and instruction and to show him how to practice outside of the Lodge the great moral lessons which are taught him within it. We are constantly faced with the ongoing dangers due to the deeds of those who have become leaders of groups by force and brutality, refusing any acknowledgment of the existence of God and eliminating anyone who does believe, including Freemasons, knowing that they would openly oppose the vicious practices they force upon their people. By an open denial of God, they are not obligated to the truth nor to the moral teachings outlined in the Holy Bible and the people exist solely for the benefit of the Sate instead of the State existing for the benefit “of the people, by the people and for the people.” There are some who are taken in by this Godless manifesto. These gullible individuals are encouraged to infiltrate the society of our Country to wreak havoc and spread propaganda. Freemasons should be ever alert and never idle in upholding the precepts of the fraternity, by endeavoring to reclaim the faltering and aiding to stamp out the evil, thus preserving the harmony and good fellowship of our democratic and God-loving way of life. I shudder to consider this alternative.

No, we are not to, as the ritual tells us, countenance disloyalty or rebellion but patiently submit to legal authority.” But it is our duty as citizens and Masons to right any wrongs, correct injustice and to freely speak the truth whenever and where ever it becomes necessary. We cannot stand by and let our freedoms be taken away. We must not be afraid. We must do what is right. In the words of our celebrated Brother John Wayne “courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” Brethren, It’s time to saddle up. And don’t ever forget, we are Texans. We are Americans, and we are Masons. We must see that our way of life is preserved.

God Bless you all; God Bless our Great Fraternity; God Bless Texas; and God Bless America!!!

Reply from Garry Bonner

Having read the latest article, How Freemasonry is Missing the Boat, I am moved to respond to it, because I see first of all the truth and sense in the understanding of what can be achieved by applying it , and indeed practicing it, not only to the benefit of Freemasonry, but indeed to our nation and country. The reason from my perspective is twofold.

As you know I am a mason however, I am original from Austria, where Masonry was founded in 1784, a time where, the Empress Maria Theresa had been married to Franz of Lothringen, who also was a mason, coming from area of Holland at the time and was the first place where Masonry was brought from London, England. The reason why this came about was that in Austria the was no male Heir to the Throne at the time and a Women, being a Habsburger, was able to function as a Empress.

Because of this, eventually, Masonry was allowed to be freely practiced, and for about 15 years. At this time many social achievement, where brought to bear, much to the many benefits of the general public, which are still available to this day. As this is another story to much to write at this time, but it relates to your present article. Masonry eventually was again forced into secrecy for many years missing the boat again. Well this is another story, but I think the relationship of my thoughts is.

Of What Are We in Pursuit Of?

Posted on May 6, 2011April 13, 2019 by Fred Milliken | 4 Comments

If you subscribe to the religious doctrine of the fall of man (OK-humankind), which is told across many different religious traditions, then that which was lost was a oneness with God, a perfect relationship with the Grand Architect of the Universe. The next question, logically, is then how do we restore that which has been lost? We will leave that question unanswered for awhile, but come back to it in the end.

From “Freemasonry And The Doctrine Of Reincarnation” on Masonic World we find this:

The great drama of the Greek Mysteries enunciates, as well as veils, two cardinal verities: the Fall, and Redemption from that Fall. Thus from the sad and woeful state into which Persophone falls she is finally rescued and restored to the supernal abodes; but not until the coming of the Savior, represented in the Hermetic parable under the name of Osiris (“the risen from the tomb”)- the Man Regenerate. This Redeemer, himself of divine origin; is in other allegories represented under other names, but the idea is always defined, and the intention obvious. Indeed, Osiris is the Jesus of our Christian doctrine, the supreme Initiate or “Captain of Salvation”; He is the reflection and counterpart in Man of the supreme Lord of the Universe (Greek – Dionysos, Hebrew – Adonai), the ideal type of humanity. He is represented as in all things “instructed” and directed by Hermes; famed as the celestial conductor of souls from the “dark abodes”; the wise and ubiquitous God in whom the student recognizes the Genius of the Understanding, or Divine Reason, the “nous” of Platonic doctrine – and the mystic “Spirit of Christ”.

One of the aspects of Freemasonry that needs not to be forgotten when we look at this question is its mystical nature and identification with the ancient mysteries, the Egyptian, Greek and Roman mystery schools, with the Kabbalah, alchemy, Gnostic thought et al.

They (students of the mystery schools) were further given instruction concerning the different levels and graduations of the Universe, some of them material and some ethereal, the planes and sub -planes, upon which the great scheme is being carried out; which levels and planes, all progressively linked together, constitute one vast ladder of many rounds, staves, or rungs, a veritable “Ladder of Life”. Candidates thus came to understand that the Universe consists of embodied consciousness, and that these embodied consciousness exist in a practically infinite gradation of varying degrees of perfection – a real “Ladder of Life” or “Stair of Life”, stretching endlessly in either direction, for our imagination can conceive no limits except a hierarchical one; and such hierarchical limitation is but spacial, and not actual, qualitative and formal. They were shown that the “Ladder of Life” is marked at certain intervals by landing places, so to speak, which the Mysteries called “planes of being” (different spheres of consciousness, to express the idea in alternative terms). Candidates in the old systems were given instruction in these matters before being admitted to. Initiation, and the knowledge gained served to explain to them their own nature and constitution, and their place in the World-system. Today, Freemasonry, perpetuating the ancient teaching, exhibits to the Brethren a simple ladder, a symbol which when properly interpreted is calculated to open widely the eyes of their imagination. It is true that the ladder portrayed on the T.B. of the First Degree is given a moral significance in the Instruction lecture, but, as students of Hebrew mysticism are well aware, “Jacob’s Ladder” is also a symbol of the Universe with its succession of step-like planes reaching from the heights to the depths. Indeed, we learn from the V. of the S.L., that the Fathers House has many mansions, many levels and resting places for His creatures in their different conditions and degrees of progress; and it is these levels, these planes and sub-planes, that are denoted by the rungs and staves of the symbolic ladder.(Masonic world).

There is a whole component here that is often overlooked. And the reason it is snubbed is that today’s poorly instructed, social Mason sees no application to his daily life that is plausible.

So that which is lost will not only remain lost but will be doubly deeply buried.

The last three articles on The Beehive about Lodge renewal has triggered some soul searching. Not one of these articles even remotely alluded to the importance of the mystical nature of Freemasonry.

Next we must ask the question of how do we make good men better? Most Masons will tell you that it is simply a matter of adhering to the virtues and morality of Freemasonry. But how do the virtues and ethics of Freemasonry differ from most religions one might choose to practice? What, then, is so special and superior about Freemasonry? How can a society that purports all kinds of lofty development of character reveal that its secret is to follow a morality readily available in any house of worship? What is so Gnostic about that? And where does Freemasonry’s mysticism fit in? Is it just some sort of occult offshoot of troubled and hallucinogenic minds?

Too many Masons today regard the mystical traditions of their Fraternity as heretical and a corruption of the Craft. But if you read somebody like Wilmshurst in The Meaning Of Masonry, you can see how he sees symbolism on top of symbolism on top of symbolism and meaning behind meaning behind meaning.

The problem with today’s Freemason is that he refuses to look beyond his nose, wants everything cut and dried and handed to him on a silver platter, and refuses to apply any contemplation and meditation as to how Freemasonry might help him get back what has been lost.

Another religious concept we need to throw into the mix here is that of reincarnation. In its general application, not associated with any particular religious tradition, we have in this concept reliving life experience over and over again with the purpose of attaining a higher and higher plane, nearer and nearer to the Creator. If reincarnation is heretical to your belief system, if we only live one life, then we can squeeze that higher plane attainment into a shorter span, one lifetime. Perhaps we can say that a man who works at it at 70 years old is on a higher plane than he was at 60, and at 60 higher than when he was 50, and at 50 higher than when he was 40 and so forth.

The general hypothesis of pre-existence (under which the special doctrine of reincarnation falls) does not, it is true, solve the fundamental problems but it pushes back some of the initial difficulties. It furnishes an ampler ground for the development of the individual than the cribbed, cabined, and confined area of one short earth-life, and by providing a stage or series of stages for the acts and scenes of the age-long drama of the man-soul prior to the present existence, permits us to entertain the notion of a law of moral causation conditioning our present relation to circumstances in a way that does not clash with our innate sense of justice. (Masonic World)

If Freemasonry is really unique, if it really has something to offer no one else has, then let’s find out what that is and elevate ourselves from being just another mundane society. Let’s dig deeper, think harder, meditate stronger and search longer.

Ásk and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you.”

A deep thinker in Freemasonry recently told me that what a Mason should endeavor to gather from his fraternity is WISDOM. But that’s not the complete answer. And the reason that more do not come up with the full complete answer is because there is such a prohibition, such a fear of turning Freemasonry into a religion that the mystical experience has to be denied. Thus, today, Masons can only think in terms of individual, earthly improvement. WISDOM is as high as we can go.

So what is the real secret of Freemasonry buried under symbolism on top of symbolism on top of symbolism? The answer is the solution to the question, how do we get back that which was lost, oneness with God.

The answer we are now ready to give is SOUL DEVELOPMENT. By incorporating Freemasonry’s mysterious, mystical ingredient into our awareness and conduct we rise to a higher and higher plane, closer and closer to the “I am that I am.” Whether we do it over many lives or just one is immaterial.

Again from Masonic World:

To enable us to grasp clearly the Ancient Wisdom teaching, it is essential to bear in mind the distinction which is made between the individuality and the personality, between life and form, spirit and body. The Secret Doctrine presupposes that man is a spiritual Being or Ego, with the triple powers of WILL, WISDOM and CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE, and that he enters into relationship with matter in order to shape for himself a succession of bodies which constitute his successive personalities, and by means of which he gains the experiences that are essential for mental, moral and spiritual growth, until gradually his real nature shines out in all its Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. Accordingly, the personality is deemed to include the soul (as this is understood in our modern terminology) as well as the body, or, stated alternatively; the personality embraces expression as well as the form. The soul, then, being the reflection of the three-fold nature of the Spirit necessarily has also three attributes (modes of express ion), and these are the familiar thoughts, feelings and actions of the human personal consciousness.

So what should a Lodge be doing and what are the Masonic steps to greater spiritual attainment? It looks like this:

EDUCATION>>>KNOWLEDGE>>>WISDOM>>>SOUL ENRICHMENT

Now go forth and govern yourself accordingly.

Another Response To Missing The Boat

Posted on May 5, 2011December 15, 2013 by Fred Milliken | 3 Comments

Brother Junius adds his 2 cents to How Freemasonry is Missing the Boat.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!

This essay makes a good point. The “trick.” if I may so term it, is to lead the nation in a broad and benevolent sense without, in fact, drifting into distinct political and social philosophies – socialism, capitalism, big government, small government, more taxes, less taxes and so on and so forth. This is not an easy thing to do, although it may be easy to say or suggest.

Secondly, I think something else was or is involved, and it is rather difficult to put into words. From about the late ‘sixties until, perhaps, the first five years of this century, we have dealt with a generation of men who were not, by-and-large, “joiners,” in the sense of entering clubs, church congregations, service groups and, of course, Freemasonry. It seemed as if that kind of interest had largely evaporated into thin air, so to speak.

Even as late as 1990 there was talk of large-scale “coccooning,” in our society, where people wrapped themselves in the private world of their increasingly spacious and luxurious homes, communicating externally by the Internet and importing entertainment, news and even conversations with others using all the new communications technology even then evolving. People ” went to meetings,” without ever leaving the house; they “travelled” all over the world and within the nation by high definition, 50″ flat screen televisions; they “went shopping and to the bank,” on the Internet and at places such as E-Bay; they “went to the movies,” with Netflix and movie channels – and so on and so forth. Many even “went to work” all or most of the time in the home-based study, or operated businesses out of the basement or the garage!

There is evidence of this in the decline of all kinds of groups other than Masons, such as the Loyal Order of Moose, the Oddfellows, Lions, Optimists and so on.

At the same time, the minority who were joiners were attracted to organizations, which, by their own nature, were not compatible with or were even hostile to Freemasonry.

I also approve of the mention of multiple causation: it was not only the economic and social equality of women, but partly; not only the rise of all kinds of exciting, absorbing and available alternate forms of free-time entertainment, but partly; not only increased physical mobility over distance, and more frequent migration from one area or town or city to another, but partly; not only a combination of religious fundamentalism and active evangelism on the one hand and the decline of so-called mainstream, older denominations on the other, but partly; not only fewer and fewer male children per married couple, but partly.

I do agree that trying to market Freemasonry as if it was some sort of commercial product, such as soap, a vacume cleaner, or even a car, was and is a mistake.

In a similar vein, the centralized organization of large and very public Masonic charities may well have done a great deal of good socially, and while not necessarily invalid in itself, had little or no effect on long-term, steady increase in membership.

There is some indication that the world may be about to turn yet again. Here, in Ontario, our Grand Lodge appears at least to have stopped the bleeding – last year, and the year before, we had a modest net increase ( 2% or so) in total membership for the first time in decades. Partly, this might be attributed to an active Friend to Friend program the lodges have been encouraged to use at the lodge level, involving personal friends of Masons, and often their wives or fiancees, dining together and having a presentation in the Lodge rooms about Freemasonry – a bit of its history, some of its ideals, and information about costs, time and so on.

However, having said that, I think something else is going on. One way to put it would be the old idea that success feeds on success, and one happy, inspired new member is likely to produce more, given a little time. Doing good ritual is an example. We have found that lodges consistently doing good ritual are lodges that the younger brethren are proud of, and are something they do not hesitate to talk about with their non-Masonic friends or colleagues at work. Younger members also appreciate the following:

Social events involving the ladies, however modestly run: BBQ, wine and cheese reception, restaurant dinner, dinner-dance evening, and so on.
Immediate opportunities to lead in the life of the lodge – Education, running the web site, acting as social leader, auditor, long range planning chairman, and so on
Getting started into the Chairs asap.

One other point: it is becoming increasingly evident to me at least that there are a lot of younger adult men out there who are looking for some group or organization that has a philosophic or even a spiritual dimension, but without a formal, restrictive theological system. If this be so, and I believe it is, then Freemasonry is poised to provide what is desired. In essence, “we have an appfor that.”

Brother Junius

Response To Missing The Boat

Posted on May 4, 2011June 6, 2015 by Fred Milliken | 5 Comments

The Beehive recognizes that not everybody will agree with the opinions expressed here. In fact as many won’t as will. Yet in the spirit of fair and balanced journalism Freemason Information is not hesitant to publish counter opinions that take issue with what has been published. We here remain committed to publish any and all legitimate, reasonable replies to what is stated here.

And so we come to a contrary opinion form a friend and well respected Mason from Georgia, Brother Alton Walston, Past Master Lodge #35. To Walston’s friends he is known as ole Blake and the following is his response to How Freemasonry Is Missing The Boat.

It is truly amazing that Freemasonry can be viewed so differently by the members. Could it be that many want to make Freemasonry fit into their own designs and make it become what it was never meant to be.
In this paper and attempt is made to make Freemasonry leader of men. Nothing could be further from it’s original mission.
In the early days of operative masonry, the builder had secrets, not so much as to keep knowledge from the world at large but to keep it pure. Today those secrets of the builder art are still passed from mouth to ear, or should I say “By observed example”. Those who would believe that freemasonry has told all its stories really have not done a lot of observation. Thousands of volumes have been written on the craft both before and after the transformation, but still much of what the builders knew is still a mystery to the lay world. The fact that it is a mystery tells us that those secrets were kept from mankind intentionally.
The operative mason did not strive to lead the public nor to engage in social reform. But it did teach man the trade, art, and science of build, including mathematics, geometry, weights and measures, and the most important art of teaching. It never taught men to lead. but it did teach men to be good at the trade and in business and personal interaction among the people.
As it was true in the operative world, so to, is it true in the speculative world. Masonry was never supposed to be the leader or pillar of the community but it was supposed to teach men how to handle these positions. Many stories have been handed down of the good deeds performed by masons and the public had no idea that it was masons that did the deed. That was the intent of our ancient brethren their wisdom prevails today. Much of the problems that masonry faces today in Grand lodges and even local lodges stems from the fact that they went all out to let the community know who they were and how much they did for the community.
As masonry operated in the background to help our world provide a better life, it flourished and grew because men saw the work and wondered who and how it was done. Slowly information leaked or was planted and the seeker came wanting to help.
However in open society not only does the populace gather at trough for handouts and the benefits of Masonic charity but they have come to demand it. Aren’t we taught somewhere that “although Freemasonry is a charitable institution, we would not wish to take upon ourselves one who would become an immediate charge.”
There is no reason that masonry should become a public venture, it has all the qualities that build leadership and good men. It is those men then that take society upon themselves. Not Freemasonry. We are not in the need for more members, we are in the need for men who come willing to learn and who are willing to carry on the teachings of freemasonry.
When you play at the public well, all are exposed, Demands are made that may exceed the ability to help. While if it were quietly done many in true need could be helped. Society needs honorable men. Masonry makes such men. Masonry was never supposed to take on leadership
It provides the men to fill those positions. When masonry becomes a public entity, it is open for ridicule and resentment. Quietly, it is the world’s most beneficent organization.
Sorry but I do not agree that masonry is missing the boat. The problems we have are internal and becoming public, more engaged in society will only make those problems worse.
Society creates big “Is and little “yous” Masonry teaches just the opposite. Its teaching put all men on the level. That is as it should be. When freemasonry can return to it assigned task of teaching good men to be better men, it will start to regain its once honored prominence. But so long as we endeavor to be a public entity, we will continue to fail and lose members.
We as masons have done far more behind the scenes to liberate humanity and make a better life for millions then all the public benefits ever done in this country. I was reminded of that just the other night when going through some very old lodge minutes; our city did not have a hospital and though many had often approached the county commissioners and tried to get one started nothing had worked. But at a lodge meeting several of the brethren got together and agreed to purchase some land with the express purpose of building a hospital. That parcel of land was given to the city with the provisions that a hospital be built or the property reverted back to the owner. The deal was handled by attorneys that belonged to lodges in neighboring counties so the only folks that really knew of the gift were the brethren of the lodge. It remains a secret today. There have been many incidents of this nature across the country. Behind the scenes we can work wonders but in the public view our hands are tied in many, many ways.
That’s my take on it
ole Blake

Do you have an opinion on this subject that you would like published? Or perhaps you have a comment for the comments section. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

How Freemasonry Is Missing The Boat

Posted on May 2, 2011December 27, 2021 by Fred Milliken | 3 Comments

Brother Wayne Anderson from Canada – wda_572@sympatico.ca – publishes a weekly newsletter, distributing it to his list via E-Mail every Sunday. He sends some articles from the “Old Masters” of Masonic scholarship along with some newer and present day material. If you would like to be on Anderson’s list and receive his weekly newsletter all you have to do is request by E-Mail that you be put on his list.

This weeks newsletter was an article written by The Beehive some moons ago. While many might have already read it, I am sure, with the constant newcomers to Freemason Information, that many have not. As it fits into the current focus of The Beehive on Lodge renewal it has been reprinted below.

How Freemasonry Is Missing The Boat

Bro. Frederic Milliken

Once again in Masonic circles of discussion we hear the debate searching for the answers as to why the decline in Masonic membership continues. All sorts of hypotheses have been advanced. The ones I hear most often are the greater number of choices available in today’s world, the limits of time in a what has become a very high strung, stressed out overworked society and the rise of women to equal status in American society thus restructuring the male/female role which often results in couples doing everything together rather than each going their separate way.

These explanations are all well and good and certainly have some merit in the scheme of things. Often times when no explanation reaches out and knocks you in the head it is because there are multiple causes for the resulting effect. But I believe that most are overlooking certainly the largest explanation for the continuing decline of American Freemasonry.

It is precisely Freemasonry’s interaction with civil society, its sympathetic response to what is troubling the nation that brings it into the focus of the uninitiated individual. When Freemasonry leads society into nobleness and righteousness, when it is society’s conscience it becomes a highly regarded institution upon which many will look with favor if not join.

That is not, however, to promote what American Grand Lodge’s of today have done to Freemasonry by turning the Craft into a giant Service Club where Freemasonry tries to use society for its own advantage and gain, where it tries to buy and bribe friends and recognition. There is a big difference between interacting with a nation and serving a nation.

It is often said that no one knows who we are as Freemasons. That’s because we are not interacting with society with the best interests of society at heart but rather merely concerned with ourselves and what’s in it for us.

American Freemasonry was never meant to be or destined to be a secretive monastic society, totally withdrawn from civil society and all its goings on. When Freemasonry actually rolled up its sleeves and became immersed in the “big play”, the overwhelming issue of the day, it was noticed, it garnered membership and it had influence.

When Freemasonry was concerned with civil society’s concerns it was able to LEAD society. As a leader involved with the well being of society, it was an accepted institution. When Freemasonry hid in its own shadow and pushed toleration to the extreme of being “politically correct”, then “Masonically correct” Freemasonry started to wither and die.

Everybody today talks about Freemasonry staying out of religion and politics. Most, however, are neglecting to clarify that it is partisan politics and sectarian religion that Freemasonry prohibits. There is a big difference between broad moral and social issues that define the structure of civil society and specific policies advocated as a remedy.

Freemasonry was always at its height when it chose to lead society. As a product of the Enlightenment it championed religious freedom, democratic government, public school education and separation of church and state. American colonial Freemasonry provided a system of networking in a society with no communication systems. It played a vital role in the formation of this nation. While one can point to the midnight ride of Paul Revere let’s not forget his and his Lodge’s possible involvement in the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor. Nor should we overlook the fact that at least 42% of the Generals commissioned by the Continental Congress were Masons. It was the values of Freemasonry that were drafted into the Constitution of the United States. Freemasons set up the government of this nation, authored the “noble experiment.”

As a new nation American Freemasonry was instrumental in the formation of public schools and universities. Men of letters came to Freemasonry not for the arts and sciences taught in Lodge but because Freemasonry was a learning promoter.

“Brothers officially sponsored educational endeavors that reached beyond the fraternity. This encouragement of broader education seemed to link the fraternity to the post-Revolutionary vision of an enlightened society built around equality and openness, values that brothers came to see expressed even in their order’s structure. By supporting learning and by teaching and embodying republican relationships, Masonry seemed to be upholding and advancing the Revolutionary experiment itself.”(1)

During the Civil War Freemasonry was the only organization, society or institution that did not split in two. Even churches became promoters of either the Union or the Confederacy. Freemasonry, as in the Revolutionary War, contained many military Lodges that had a great influence on holding the armies together. But its greatest Civil War influence was ameliorating the harshness of the fighting and acting as a healer of society.

Post Civil War saw American Freemasonry usher in an age of great Masonic authorship and great Masonic building. Its ability to grow right along with the industrialization of the United States was a great asset to its continued influence.

Somewhere into the 20th century Freemasonry lost its leadership role. Oh it wasn’t evident right away. The nation was consumed with fighting two world wars and the post war push of returning soldiers who wished to continue the exhilarating uplift of camaraderie kept the numbers high and the coffers full. But by 1960 American Freemasonry was living on past laurels and fresh blood was nowhere to be seen. The plain fact is that American Freemasonry became SOCIALLY IRRELEVANT.

If Freemasonry had remained socially relevant it could have lead the nation into breaking the color barrier and busting Black discrimination in society. William Upton was the Jackie Robinson of Freemasonry. As Grand Master of Washington State in 1898 he recognized Prince Hall and black/white fraternization. If we had built on this start, even if ever so slowly, Freemasonry could have led the nation into integration thereby avoiding the confrontation of Rosa Parks and the marches of Martin Luther King.

As one of the only institutions worldwide to actually live peaceful, cooperative brotherhood among people of different races, religions, cultures and economic circumstances, American Freemasonry was in a unique position to encourage and promote world peace. People today looking back 50 years ago could have pointed out that the “peace movement” was Freemasonry. The fact that Freemasonry refused to do so out of fear of offending and being politically incorrect caused it to lose esteem in the eyes of the general public.

If Freemasonry had led the nation in the 50’s, if it had been the conscience and the moral compass of the nation in the area of Civil Rights and the peace movement then it would not have lost a whole generation to Masonic membership. Freemasonry would have been respected and revered and consequently flourished. But instead we turned a blind eye to black lynching and the evil of the KKK and watched in silence from the sidelines while the Vietnam War tore this nation apart. And then we have the audacity to ask why the generation of the day refused to join Freemasonry. Who was fighting for the soul of the American nation? It sure wasn’t Freemasonry and we paid the price.

Today we are faced with a worldwide HOLY WAR. Who better to promote ecumenical and religious tolerance in the world than Freemasonry? Who better to pave the way for a better understanding among different religious traditions than the institution that has actually accomplished that for centuries? This is not partisan politics or sectarian religion. This is being the moral leader in a time of crisis. This is spreading the values of Freemasonry just as our Masonic forefathers did in the formation of this nation.

But alas, American Freemasonry would rather withdraw within itself than risk the path of greatness. The result will be continued Masonic stagnation and a general misunderstanding of Freemasonry’s role and purpose by the general public.

(1) Revolutionary Brotherhood by Stephen C. Bullock, pg. 145