To Square our Conduct

“To Square our Conduct with all mankind”

I am 26 years old. I was born January 1, 1983, to parents who were 24 and 23 years old. They raised me to respect my elders, to have manners, and to be kind to everyone. I was raised in a Christian home, where if I got caught saying the word “butt”, I would get in trouble, and when I say trouble I don’t mean time out, I got a whopping. My parents never beat me, but I was disciplined under the umbrella of “Spare the rod, spoil the child”.

I thank them for instilling those things in me that make me the man I am today.

The Golden Rule is “Do unto to others as you would have them do unto you”. We have all heard it at some point in our lives. Growing up in an Assembly of God church, we had a boys group called the “Royal Rangers”. This was , as best as I can describe it” a Christian version of the boy scouts. It taught the Golden Rule to young boys through a series of “points on a star”. I remember learning those points and taking pride in have learning something that I knew was bigger than myself.

This past week my wife and I had dinner with a Masonic brother and his wife, (we have become good friends) at a Chilis. As we were walking in I held the door for three young ladies who were exiting the restaurant, and for a man entering the restaurant behind me. As he was walking through the door way he stopped, twisted the ring on my right hand (the hand that was holding the door open at about eye level), and said “You too…..hello brother”. I responded and asked where he was traveling from, and he told me, and he asked the same of me and I told him and we both said nice to meet you and went on into the restaurant.

I got to meet this brother because I was just simply holding the door open for people. He had no jewelry on to signify he was a Mason (at least I didn’t see any), so if I hadn’t been holding the door we would have never met. Now for the profane, nothing would have been gained from this, but for me I took a lot away from it. Freemasonry teaches something that is lacking in society today. I didn’t grow up in world where everyone was nice to you, you knew your neighbors by name, and you could lave the doors unlocked a night. Trusting someone wasn’t a given, it was earned.

Freemasonry introduces you to a group of men, who are scattered abroad, and at any given time you can rely on anyone of them with confidence. This means a lot to me, and I know it does other.

“The World will judge a tree by it’s fruit”

Masonic Education

What is Masonic Education?

A lot of Mason's seem to either think this is boring, or something they do not need (because they already know everything). Other may have more reasons for blowing such a topic off, but I ask why?

Why not try to better your understanding of this ancient fraternity. Studying ritual and floor-work isn't what I mean when I say Masonic Education. I am speaking of what lies beyond that. A deeper look into what certain symbols mean. Why we use the square and compasses, the level and plumb, etc. Why each one of us turned in a petition. What sparked that interest in us to be a part of the Order. What draws us away, and why.

These questions make up Masonic Education, and an understanding of them will allow the "secrets" to be revealed unto the ones who ask. I hope to take a deeper look into some of these things and share them with everyone here. if you have any topics you would like for me to spend some time researching, please just let me know. memphismason@gmail.com

I am Back

After a long hiatus, I am back. After only writing two blogs, I stopped and starting getting heavy into learning all I could. Since my absence I have earned my Proficiency Card, (requirements for a proficiency card are: open and close a lodge on all three degrees, sit in any chair for the first section of all three degrees, and ask and answer all three catechetical lectures.), received my certificate showing proficiency in the Master’s catechetical lecture, conferred a couple of degrees, joined the Scottish Rite, joined the Tennessee Lodge of research, joined the Scottish Rite Research Society, and started on the Master Craftsman program.

I actually forgot about even starting this blog. The forum that I posted on, where I got influenced to create this blog started getting overcrowded with men belonging to organizations that my Grand Lodge does not recognize, so I took a step back and became more of a “lurker” than a poster. Plus I got really into reading. I finished “A Bridge to Light”, “Born in Blood”, along with a few more that do not deal with Freemasonry. I also starting into the Master Craftsman Program and the book that accompanies that is “Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide”, which is 900+ pages of Light.

So I am back and hope to post at least a blog a week, dealing with many different aspects of Freemasonry, as I know it. So check back often.

**P.S. I am currently reading “The Pillars of the Earth”. I have never been big into fiction, but this book is awesome. Thanks Bro. Dennis.

Also anyone have any ideas or topics they would like to discuss or possibly hear my opinion on, please just let me know. memphismason@gmail.com

Hurry Up and Wait

Being a young Freemason has its advantages and disadvantages. I was told, “It is a good thing, to get younger men involved in Masonry.” And “You need to get in hear and start learning everything you can because we really need the help.” So that is what I did and currently still doing, but I constantly hear derogatory statements aimed at the “younger guys”.

I think by “help” they meant ritual help, because no one likes the younger guys talking about finances or the business side of the Lodge. “You younger guys weren’t around when…” or “You younger guys don’t know what is was like when…”. And they are right we don’t know what it was like in the past. The job of the old guard is to keep us young guys informed of past mistakes, so that we don’t let bad history repeat itself, not to squash every thought we might have.

With new ideas come new mistakes. Some things are bound to fail, and some things are bound to succeed. Standing still is not a good way to move forward. One thing Masonry has taught me is to be Progressive. Everything is attained through steps. Each new endeavor brings new challenges, and sometimes we have to journey down a “rough and rugged road”, to achieve our goals, but if we seek the aid of the almighty, then our undertakings should be found worthy.We promise that we (younger guys) will not run this great Fraternity into the ground.

We will do everything we can to preserve it for future generations. I just hope when I become a member of the “Old Guard”, I will be able to heed my own advice and hand the reins over the new younger generation of Freemasons, because how can we progress if we only stand still and stare at the past.

The state of the Blue Lodge

Myself being a young man and a young Mason, I think I have a different outlook on the Fraternity than the older Mason. I am really eager to learn all that I can, and work in all aspects of each Degree, which makes me Friend to some and a foe to others. Some brothers join and never crack open their monitors and study the first word, and others, like myself, hate to set it down.

I am not trying "shake thing up" or "change" anything, I just want to learn and be taught. My trips to the Lodge on School nights, have me searching for someone to have school with (there is just a few who will study), and looking for someone to teach me the things I have to be taught. It seems like the brothers who know the things I need to be taught, are so busy in the other bodies of masonry, they never have time to teach us at the Blue Lodge, and the ones that are there have to be coaxed into teaching. Why is this?

The Blue Lodge is where all things Masonic starts. Without the three degrees of Craft Masonry, there would be no York or Scottish Rite, The Shrine, the Demolay's, the Rainbow Girls, etc., etc., so why not make the Blue Lodge #1 and all the appendant bodies fall in behind? I joined the York Rite back in Feb., and because our Lodge has been so busy with work I have not been able to make any of the York Rite meetings yet. I am shamed that I haven't made any, but I am not ashamed about the reasons why.

Now I am not the smartest guy at the Lodge, but I do know a little to help out some, and that to me is more important than going to a business meeting for another Masonic body. I plan on joining the Scottish Rite in the fall, and I will more than likely become a "Dues paying Brother" there also.

I found by visiting other Lodges, I can aid in my own development, and through fellowship, the true meaning of Masonry comes alive. I believe if we all put our efforts into growing the Blue Lodge in the direction of Masonic Education, we will once again rise to level that this Great Fraternity was once at.