Thursday, January 8, 2015

A Grand Master's thoughts on a wintery night ......

It's just you and me, and another winter storm in the lake effect snow belt of Michigan.  My thoughts drift to questions, some rhetorical, some needing serious contemplation.
- If we find a cure for cancer, will the ACS disappear? Would the ACS allow a cure to become public?  I say this, because we allow ourselves to be charitable to these organizations, without knowing how much good we are really doing.  Is .95 of every dollar going to salaries or research? Everyone thinks of Locks for Love as the one stop place to donate hair and make a difference.  You should look closer at who they actually provide hair to. My thought is that we need to become devoted to our charitable endeavors, that will encourage us to give of our own skills and time.
- Masons are cheap. Seriously, we brag about 5 dollar dinners and low dues.  Would you trust your health to the doctor who spent the least amount on his medical education? No, it stands to reason that you want the best for your buck.  So why not make Masonry quality, have prime rib and twice baked potato for dinner, and charge $ 25.00 a plate.  Who will complain about quality?  If so, are they the members you really want? I've never heard of the discount Lodge, or the Blue (Light) Lodge special.  In case you haven't noticed, K-Mart has vanished.
- Masonic education is not rehashing George Washington's life, bragging about Ben Franklin, or any one of the other icons, or is it expounding the ritual words.  Lets look behind the ritual words, lets rediscover the 47th problem of Euclid, lets get philosophical. Let's talk about the Masonic ideals, nobler thoughts, purer actions, higher deeds.  A novel thought, lets invest today, right now, in something(s) that are huge, that will change lives, that will impact people, that will be remembered by our children, and their children's children.
- Is it better to have 50 men who show up for a Lodge meeting for the sake of being there, or 8 brothers who care for each other, who have coffee on Thursday mornings, who visit each other, chop wood for a brother under the weather, who car pool to Lodge, who take their families out to a movie and dinner once in a while.  Who share the excitement of a dance rehearsal of another brothers family. And when in Lodge, encourage each other to be the best they can be.  Dress better than the street, are courteous in demeanor, polite in nature, yet firm in faith, conviction, and well read.  Yes, actually read books, and are engaging in conversation on many topics. That is the lodge who will choose the leaders who are ready to lead, and cultivate those who are still growing in stature and understanding.
- Masonry has the Ancient Charges, Anderson Constitution, Masonic Law, By-Laws, Ceremonies, Edicts and other rules and policies that guide us.  To the new member it may appear overwhelming, in fact in your Masonic Life you may never be exposed to many of these precepts, yet they are there to shape us, and make sure that the Fraternity continues for decades, even centuries to come. There will always be a reason to sit with a brother, new or old, and create the Mystic Tie that binds us together.

So put down that electronic device, light a candle, sit by a wood fire, and enjoy expanding who you are, reading, writing, giving, sharing, leveling yourself with the fraternity, and extending your privilege.