Light Night And Heavy Emails

It was quite clear last night that we are indeed in the darkness of the sweltering summer months as there were only two of us who made it out to the lodge for fellowship. Given the travel that I have been hearing about from various brothers, it was not a complete surprise. Also, and I take responsibility for this one, there isn’t much in the way of communication during this season which leads some to simply forget. In reality, it was nice to have a relaxing evening to catch up with one of my brothers, reflect on our recent efforts, and look forward to the coming months of meetings, events, projects, and objectives.

There are a number of us who remain active throughout the year only taking breaks here and there. Lodge is something that we enjoy and that we want to see thrive during our lives in the lodge so we put forth the effort and do what we can, not just to make good men better but to make good lodges better. However, in my position, I have seen multiple instances (through email, social media, casual conversation, etc.) where brothers think that they are doing what is best for the fraternity but, in fact, they are doing everything to undermine freemasonry in general and our Grand Lodge in particular.

I am not one to name names in this instance, and I am not privy to those names in other instances, so let us simply say that there are many brothers out there that are not holding themselves to the same high moral standards of a mason that they should. They speak about brothers behind their backs and they hide behind fake names and Facebook pages that are, to put it nicely, and despicable disgrace. They seem to forget the traditions, rituals, rules, and standards by which we should hold ourselves and others in this fraternity.

While what is being said bothers me a great deal, it is the fact that they do not stand by their own words by attaching their name to their statements. This is hugely important to me as I hold myself to that basic standard when posting these blogs. If I can’t put my name to it, I don’t write it. Although I haven’t really had anything fall into the latter category. There is a time and place for everything and we all certainly have the right to our own opinion but we should also stand strong in our convictions and opinions. We must also remember the rules by which we live our lives and the moral standards by which we hold ourselves and others. We are here to make good men better, our lodge better, and the fraternity better. It is impossible to do so if we undermine all three as some brothers have chosen to do.

Scout Night

Growing up I was not a Boy Scout and I can’t recall ever having the desire to be one. I remember a few of my friends coming to school in their uniforms but never gave it a second thought. However, while I may not have participated in my youth that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the dedication and commitment that is displayed by those who don the uniform… including those who have been involved for 60+ years.

On Thursday we had an open program to recognize a few of the scout troops in the area as well as those brothers that continue to be involved in scouting. It was a program a little different from others that we have had in the past, at least those that I have been present for, and it was nice to see the bonds that these boys had with one another through an organization. Sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it?

For those of us who only have the faint memories of childhood to color our perspective on the Boy Scouts, it was a welcomed introduction to what motivates those boys who choose to be members. For those who have and maintain those ties to their respective troop, it was a means to share a little bit about themselves with the brethren. Additionally, it was great to see the two dozen or so scouts be recognized for the values that they hold in front of their families.

For the lodge, it was a means to share the similarities of Freemasonry with the youth so familiar with the character and commitment that we have in common. While we don’t expect them to become masons when they come of age it was a means to show them that there are other organizations out there that hold their members to the same high standards. They all recognized the shared morals and attributes that Masons and Scouts have and it was a way to demonstrate that there are other places where they can turn to find people with the same make up beyond scouting.

The night was a great introduction for all of us… Masons to scouting and Scouts to Freemasonry. And it was a perfect night to recognize those brothers who continue to embrace both with the same zeal that they possessed upon their first introduction to each. Hopefully this turns out to be only the first of many evenings when we can share our common bonds, goals, and those things that make each and every one of us a little bit better. The scouts turn boys into good men and freemasonry takes good men and makes them better.