tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post3992827909851051219..comments2023-06-08T08:52:37.704-04:00Comments on The North Eastern Corner: A Desire For KnowledgeM.M.M. from the North Eastern Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04256800876052840450noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post-26305054927359451372008-07-01T08:27:00.000-04:002008-07-01T08:27:00.000-04:00Tom wrote: If you're not seeing as many Masonic Tr...Tom wrote:<BR/><I> If you're not seeing as many Masonic Trials as in the past, maybe it's not because the SW and JW aren't doing their jobs; maybe it's because people are just more tolerant, or perhaps because people are actually more observant of the rules.</I><BR/><BR/>Tom, there may be another reason as well. <BR/><BR/>Despite the recent wave of applications, the bulk of the membership is elderly and has been in the Craft a long time. Generally, there aren't a lot of 75 and 80 year old men who suddenly turn criminal and get convicted of crimes that would result in them being expelled.<BR/><BR/>Btw, I don't always end up reading comments on sites and just now see MMM has responded to my comment from a month or so ago. I'll have to read his paper to get a better perspective on his point.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://justamason.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">Justa Mason</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post-8372671838989662302008-07-01T00:26:00.000-04:002008-07-01T00:26:00.000-04:00The first part stems from our need that men come o...<I>The first part stems from our need that men come of their own free will and accord. Solicitation and recruitment produce members, not masons. You offer yourself to the mysteries of masonry not to the organization of Freemasonry. Ours is a fraternity for making men withdraw into themselves and seek, with the help of the divine spark that is within us all, the truth that underlies all things.</I><BR/><BR/>Well, yes, unless the lodge(s) are in decline. Attrition through death as well as loss of interest due to "politics" have forced some GLs to rethink this particular aspect of Masonry. Florida, for example, a few years ago started allowing the lodges to solicit potential candidates to repopulate the benches. Other methods used to facilitate expanding the memberships are also being allowed such as 1 day classes for Scottish Rite and York Rite. Even when I went through Scottish in Virginia in 1980 my class was condensed to a 2-day weekend.<BR/><BR/>My point: expediency has become the norm, expecially when the health and even existance of a lodge is in the balance.An Old Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00468339733863179942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post-33450486772643862642008-05-31T11:50:00.000-04:002008-05-31T11:50:00.000-04:00In life and masonry I am an idealist which by defi...In life and masonry I am an idealist which by definition makes me impractical and a dreamer. I was on a stream of thought with the whole privilege/drivers license/trial and had just finished 1853-1865 of my lodges minutes which were certainly interesting to a history nerd like myself and I saw a lot of suspensions for unmasonic conduct in those 12 years. Maybe there were worse brothers back then as compared to now, but there were also some shining examples of gentleman that we should all aspire to reflect!M.M.M. from the North Eastern Cornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256800876052840450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post-80327300890155343402008-05-31T10:51:00.000-04:002008-05-31T10:51:00.000-04:00Trials and suspensions for unmasonic conduct happe...<I>Trials and suspensions for unmasonic conduct happened often and I think if we demanded our brothers now to live up to the standards of the past many would fail and loose the privilege of being a Freemason.</I><BR/><BR/>3M, I wrote on this <A HREF="http://masonictao.wordpress.com/2007/03/16/guarding-the-west-gate/" REL="nofollow">last year</A>, and I have to agree with Justa. The reason that we have the rules that we do is because the average guys must have already been in the habit of doing those prohibited things. <BR/><BR/>I believe that it's a mistake to assume that all of our brothers "back in the old days" were like Ben Franklin or ol' Uncle GW. Freemasonry is a society that draws on the members of the community. That means your neighbors and friends and even your shiftless brother-in-law could have been members. <BR/><BR/>Yes, we've had some great and notable brothers in the past, but <I>we remember those guys because we don't see the history of the other guys.</I> If you're not seeing as many Masonic Trials as in the past, maybe it's not because the SW and JW aren't doing their jobs; maybe it's because people are just more tolerant, or perhaps because people are actually <I>more</I> observant of the rules.Tom Accuostihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07005315193581153959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post-19365266328777467072008-05-31T09:20:00.000-04:002008-05-31T09:20:00.000-04:00Justa,Have you read my "Higher Standards or Lack T...Justa,<BR/>Have you read my "Higher Standards or Lack Thereof" Nov '07? That is where I'm coming from. Now, I am not advocating the return of the Salem witch trials just that we try to live up to the highest moral standards and conduct (which the Majority of my brethren do!). Masonic trials can go way wrong as Widows Son at the Burning Taper can attest to. I am not attacking anyone I just like to paint in broad strokes.<BR/>On a separate note, I am not getting the negative undercurrent I have been reading on the masonic blogosphere. I have seen allot of “I’m sick of this... I'm tired of that..." on posts and comments. We are all just trying to spread a little light and express ourselves from unique perspectives. It seems too many people take what is written personally. Blogging is a medium of personal thought. For me it is an exercise in writing skills that I like to hone on the go. I don't draft and re draft posts to make sure that everything is perfect I just write what masonic thought is on my mind at the time. M.M.M. from the North Eastern Cornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256800876052840450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868929508219223321.post-44205272231199420912008-05-31T05:48:00.000-04:002008-05-31T05:48:00.000-04:00You wrote:Trials and suspensions for unmasonic con...You wrote:<BR/><I>Trials and suspensions for unmasonic conduct happened often and I think if we demanded our brothers now to live up to the standards of the past many would fail and loose the privilege of being a Freemason.</I><BR/><BR/>Really? Name some.<BR/><BR/>I'm being facetious here. But I'm really getting tired of the "we're not guarding the west gate well enough" stuff I keep reading. Rarely can anyone name whole rafts of people who should never have been accepted at the ballot. If they have specific people in mind, far too many times it seems to actually mean "so-and-so shouldn't be a Mason because I'm right and he's wrong."<BR/><BR/>I've read minutes from the late 18th and early 19th century. I can see why there were more suspensions. Masons met in pubs and it seems some members tended to overindulge a bit too much and engage in foul language in open lodge. Such you don't see today. Let's not romanticise "the past."<BR/><BR/>As well, the bulk of today's active membership has been active for a number of years. It's difficult to believe a bunch of grandfathers are going to suddenly waddle off the beaten Masonic path so late in their careers and do something that would warrant suspension.<BR/><BR/>However, whatever disciplinary body is in charge of cases of Unmasonic Conduct shouldn't sweep things under the rug; cases should be dealt with expeditiously (and it goes without saying, fairly).<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://justamason.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">Justa Mason</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com