The Millennial Freemason

The Speculative Freemason Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I love blogging. I think more brothers should blog because of just how much fun it is to chat with brothers from all across the world. Ideas are exchanged that help your Craft grow and get better. That's why I'm happy to report that one of my best friends in Freemasonry is now a blogger.

Worshipful Brother Gary Thomas is one of the Master Craftsman who raised Red Wing Lodge No. 8 from the rubble to be a beacon of Masonry in Minnesota. In fact, Red Wing Lodge just won the Mark Twain award from MSANA. Anyway, Worshipful Brother Gary is the LEO of Red Wing Lodge and has a lot of things to say about Masonry. So many things, in fact, that Gary need a channel to post everything he had in his head.

I am happy to point out Gary's blog, the Speculative Mason. The first article is about an interesting video that he presented in one of his LEO talks. Go ahead and check out his blog. You will not be disappointed.

GL of MN Annual Communication 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Well, this year, I'm very far removed from any important duties. I'm currently the Marshal of Corinthian Lodge No. 67 and a member of Faribault Lodge No. 9. I'm not a line officer in anything but the York Rite nor do I have a vote at the Annual Communication. That means, relaaaaaaxation. I get to sit and listen to the proceedings and see many of brothers I get to see once a year with a sense of calm.

This year proves to be extra exciting. The first big thing at the Annual Communication will be the George Washington Inaugurial Bible. That's right, the Bible that George Washington (and many successive Presidents of the United States of America) took his oath of office to serve as the first President of the United States will be on display. The Bible is owned by St. John’s Lodge No. 1 A.Y.M., F.&A.M., Grand Lodge of New York. This is a very great opportunity for the Masons of Minnesota. You can read more about the Washington Bible by visiting the Grand Lodge website.

Furthermore, the Annual Communications featured speaker will be WBro. Cliff Porter, Past Master of Enlightenment Lodge No. 198 in Colorado Springs, CO. He’s a writer of many great books including his current tome, The Secret Psychology of Freemasonry: Alchemy, Gnosis and the Science of the Craft. He also blogs at the Relevant Mason which is filled with great thought-provoking pieces about Masonry and the practice of Masonry. I am very excited to meet him and gain further knowledge into the esoteric side of our Craft.

It appears that the Annual Communication will be pretty swell this year. I hope to see as many of you there as possible. It’s going to be great.

UGLE's "The Future of Freemasonry" Report

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:11:00 +0000

Open publication - Free publishing - More fmt

As noted in the BBC News' article from yesterday, the United Grand Lodge of England has released a report today concerning the state of Freemasonry and its future in the country of England. You can read the report above.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Freemasonry: the BBC News Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0000

An article about Freemasonry has been published on BBC News' site and seems to once again show cracked certain members of the British public really are about our Fraternity. The article by Tom de Castella is entitled, Would You Want to Be a Freemason?

From the article:

Dogged by conspiracy theories, Freemasons insist theirs is a modern, open organisation. But can this male-dominated body cast off its secretive image and win over a sceptical public?

They designed the pyramids, plotted the French Revolution and are keeping the flame alive for the Knights Templar. These are just some of the wilder theories about the Freemasons. Today they are associated with secret handshakes and alleged corruption in the police and judiciary.

But dogged by this "secret society" image, the Freemasons have launched a rebranding exercise. On Friday, the United Grand Lodge of England, the largest Masonic group in Britain, publishes its first independent report. The Future of Freemasonry, researched by the Social Issues Research Centre, aims to start an "open and transparent" discussion ahead of the group's tercentenary in 2017.

I'm always shocked by the glib titles in articles about Freemasonry in England."Would You Want to Be a Freemason?" The editor might as well have said, "Would You Want to Get Cancer?" The article starts at a point of distrust and surprising, ends the same way.

As an American Freemason, I have experienced some Anti-Masonic comments. Almost always they come from ultra-conservative religious types. Usually the comments say that we worship some magic deity named Baphomat or that we're agents of El Diablo. Most in the general populace say to me either, "who are you guys?" or "I didn't know a Masonic lodge was here." (these are both real responses that I receive when I'm in Farmington frequently.)

Let me put forward an argument that you can either take or leave at your discretion. I wonder if, because we are a Fraternity that teaches "a course of moral instruction, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols", we cause people to feel uneasy. It's not uneasiness because of our symbols or our allegories but because we teach morality. We live in a society of ad men who tell us that we're so bad, we need to be repaired, not improved, repaired like broken toys. We seek to feel good and make stupid choices to arrive at that "good feeling."

Masonry doesn't make you feel bad. As you progress through the degrees, you see a support system, a structure that will help you make good choices in your life. As someone who was a goody two-shoes, I can tell you that it's hard and you need positive role models to go against the Jersey Shore mentality. (Wow, do I ever sound like Tony Robbins) Perhaps the public sees this as a problem, that we are acting "too good." If that's the case, I won't apologize. Masonry gives my life supplemental meaning and value after my true happiness of being a good father and husband. Why should we apologize for giving men a mooring against this storm of hostility?

I think the brand consultant makes a good point and one that American Masons won't quite understand, including myself, "[p]eople join the Masons not because it is a community group raising money for charity but for its "snob factor" and history." I think he's right. There is something elite about being a Freemason.

I'm shocked that conspiracy theorists are given an equal footing with Freemasons in any of these news articles. An article like this begs the question, what is our duty to the public concerning our internal activities? The public will believe what they want to believe and we will have to live with that like we have for hundreds of years.

Men will find our lantern hanging on the Temple's portico. They will see the light to give them the tools for self improvement and happiness. They will find us. Looking for approval or going up against conspiracy theorists only leads to wasted time and effort. We are who we are and we should be proud of that.

Should we go up against the pressures of society? How best can our Fraternity deal with scrutiny? Leave a comment below.

Nostalgia: Is It Useful in Masonry?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:45:00 +0000

I recently sat down to watch the newest film written and direct by Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris, and was struck by its theme. Why are we nostalgic and what's the use of being nostalgic?

The story follows a screenwriter, Gil, through his wanderings in the beautiful city of Paris. He's experienced a dangerous condition known as writer's block as he struggles to make himself something more than a mere screenwriter hoping to achieve the lofty title of author.

As he wanders through Paris, he is picked up, at the strike of midnight, by revelers in 20's garb. He's let out into the world of Paris in the 20's and he meets all the famous ex-pats that made the City of Lights their home during that period of intense creativity. Illuminaries like Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Picasso are all there to welcome him to this world of the past. Of course, through reflection and a trip to the Belle Époque, Gil makes a startling realization when the film's love interest tells Gil to stay with her in that time.

"Adriana, if you stay here though, and this becomes your present then pretty soon you'll start imagining another time was really your... You know, was really the golden time. Yeah, that's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life's a little unsatisfying."

I started to look back at my own Masonic journey. I started in Boy Scouts, learning self improvement through personal growth goals via merit badges and the Eagle Scout award. Later, I became interested in Masonry without any real, good information during the bad old days of the Internet. Finally, I found my Abe Simpson, my paternal grandfather, right there, a longtime member of his lodge wondering why it took so long for me to put two and two together that he was a Mason and that I could ask him to join. As I've grown into this Masonic life, I've found the good and the bad of nostalgic thinking.

I have found the most satisfying parts of this journey in my own family history. Finding out that my grandpa was a Mason was amazing but then I found out that both my grandpas were Masons and one was a Sir Knight and the other a Shriner, I was wistfully content. Masonry was in my blood, in my heart. As I looked through more of my family records, I was finding great, great-greats, and possibly great-great-greats who were also Masons.

I imagined the Masonry of their era, a time of suits, pocketwatches, elegant dinners, and a sense of greatness. I wanted to be a part of that time and some days, I still do. It wasn't just Masonry, I was mournfully longing for the past. The present is tough. Things move fast, family and work lead to stress, and the modern age just feels generally busy. Yet, I knew that the past was never meant for me. My time is now, my understandings and existence depend upon this era. Hell, I wouldn't even be writing this article if I lived back then. But that elegiac feeling still exists, or maybe even persists, in me.

We hear in Masonry phrases like, "wasn't that way in my year", "that's not how we do that" and other cliche statements made by brothers not seeking to change things. There are certain things in Masonry that must remain as they are. These are our landmarks, our guideposts to the past. Yet, I fear we sweep many non-Masonic innovations in with our landmarks.

Our Order is built from stones hewed during the past. Temples have been built, physically and spiritually, to stand as testaments of our tenets and we are the fortunate recipients of that time and effort. Yet, at times, I feel the temples we live in now have become dilapidated. We allow the drapes to yellow, the stonework to weather, and the foundation to crack for fear of destroying that past, of insulting that memory if any of our efforts cause more harm. We feel the history and tread softly.

Nostalgia serves to mask recent innovations in the cloak of tradition. Many lodges run on a progressive line even when our ancient brothers did not. Our lodges have long-winded discussions on business, the minutes, and the Treasurer's report because it has been done that way for many decades. Many lodges don't have meals together. We see changes to the Fraternity of the recent past that choke out the changes needed for the future.

I would argue that we must take it upon ourselves to stop being excessively nostalgic, seeing its most destructive tendencies, and pushing to define the new century of Freemasonry. Just as the light bulb replaced the gaslight, we should find those things in our Craft that are inefficient and dangerous to renewal and replace them.

Here's a list from the top of my head. We need to have quality programs focused on modernity. Focus on modern philosophic study, on new scientific advances, or on ways to better ourselves as men and Masons. We should eat together even if it's at a restaurant, off the menu. Our lodges should resemble something more than service clubs.

I wonder, outside of a clear intent, if the Traditional Observance model focuses too much on the nostalgic when its greatest strength is its call to focused Masonry. I think most of the traditional observance model ideas are novel and perhaps the moniker of 'traditional' somehow creates a wrong impression of what the movement can do. Again, is nostalgia good, worthwhile or even correct?

Should we seek out the past to prepare for the future? Should we assess what we have now? We have the tools to make Masonry relevant. Instead of spending time on selling a product only to leave the new Mason with a sense of blah, we need to renovate our physical and spiritual Temples, honoring our ancient brethren, and worry more about protecting the memories. It is our time to lay and hew stones, to build our own temples; it's our time to make Masonry.

GL of MN 2012 Membership Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:45:00 +0000

I've been invited to be one of the speakers at this year's membership seminar on this Saturday, March 3rd at the Scottish Rite Temple in Minneapolis. The focus of the talk is on the Millennial generation. The seminar will begin at 10 am with a 9 am check in time.

From the January-February 2012 issue of the Minnesota Mason:

The Grand Lodge of Minnesota is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Membership Seminar, March 3, 2012, from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Temple in Minneapolis. Doors open at 9 a.m. for check in.

The 2012 seminar will feature nationallyrecognized Masonic speakers and provide attendees with tools they can take back to their lodges to aid in membership. This year one of the main topics will be Freemasonry’s Growing Appeal to the Millennial Generation. The 2012 event promises to build on the success of the past two highly-rated membership seminars.

Space is limited, and RSVPs are required by February 15th. Cost is only $10 per person (lunch included).

Please delegate two members from your lodge to take part in this event (additional members may attend if they wish). Payment can be made by either sending a check to the Grand Lodge office (c/o Grand Lodge Membership Committee) or at the door on March 3rd.

Additional information will be sent to your lodge secretary shortly or on Facebook at “MN Grand Lodge Membership Committee.”

From what I've heard, the two keynote speakers will be PGM Robert Conley of the GL of MI and Jon Burgess. This seminar has grown in popularity over the last two or three years and has been extremely helpful with improving constituent lodge membership committees. All lodges in the state should send delegates because the information is that good.

If you're wanting to attend, you better let the Grand Secretary know now as space will be extremely tight.

I hope to see you at the SR Temple in Minneapolis on Saturday.

"Why Won't They Just Grow Up"

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Atlantic Monthly had a very interesting feature today about the Millennial generation, in particular, how the recession has affected us and our push into adulthood. In "Adulthood, Delayed: What Has the Recession Done to Millennials?", Derek Thompson delves into many issues revolving around Millennials not "growing up."

What makes Generation Y different from all other generations? They're getting married later. They're having babies later. They're buying fewer homes, and living with their parents. Are they scared of adulthood? Maybe. Culture is complicated, and there are plenty of factors outside of the Great Recession that are shaping Millennials' conception of adulthood and family life. But it certainly seems like the story begins with economics.

I wondered, as I read this article, how this will affect a man in his twenties and his view of the Craft. My supposition is that if Millennials are willing to put off families, homes, and other guide posts of adulthood, they will put off joining Freemasonry as well.

This is going to be a challenge for lodges. How will we attract but more importantly, impact the lives of young adult men? What will Freemasonry provide and what impact will my generation have on Freemasonry?

I remember a talk given by WBro. Robert Davis of Oklahoma at the Philalethes Society Annual Feast and Symposium in Minneapolis in 2010. He discussed generational differences and Masonry's relationship to them. I took away from that presentation this point on Millennials, which I completely agree with, Generation Y is an extremely social group that craves knowledge. With this change in economic possibilities, we may be seeing a new need arising.

This extreme downturn has had a major effect on young men. They are lacking support in making that next step in manhood. That is what Freemasonry could provide. We offer growth, a chance to better our selves and others, and to find meaning.

Sorry if I'm sounding like Robert Bly. But in this new economic reality, I, like many men my age, feel that meaning has been lost. It's not so much a loss of innocence as much as a loss of context. Our actions seem to mean nothing. We are in Limbo, waiting to see if our collective sins have been redeemed. There are many places we can turn, some good, some bad. How our lodges perform their labors will be the key to it being necessary for the spirtual growth of our newest Masons..

I have a beautiful wife, a crazy fun son, and a house. (it's not big but it has four walls, so technically, it qualifies.) I'm not like this but I was. My wife and I took years to get married and have just now started having kids. It took us awhile to get a house. We are delayed. Yet, through it all, we've made it. My adult life seems to have finally started after many sputters and starts. I can thank my family, friends, and Freemasonry for these things.

It's been a rough few years. I've seen friends wait in the wings for their time in the spotlight. We've been watching and waiting. Yet, for me, Freemasonry is a key to unlock my potential, particularly in these dark days. It's a place to focus on making my ashlar smooth. I owe a lot to the Fraternity. It isn't the only place that I've found context but it does provide one landmark in my life.

What do you think of delayed adulthood? How has it impacted your lodge? Please leave a comment.

*********UPDATE**********
Justa Mason at the Just a Mason blog has made a great response, or should I say, a conclusion to this post. Go check it out now.

One Day 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The title I've chosen for this post can either be viewed as very boring or very provocative. The reason I say that is that One Day class remain, in the world of Masonry, a sore spot or a normal course of business.

I was asked to take part in the first degree during the One Day class held on Saturday, January 21st at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite building on Dupont. One Days, for those who don't know, compresses the three degrees into one day. They often have some of the best ritualists in the state and in many cases, have all the staging to really make the degree work pop.

There is debate that has been going on since the One Day format was started over its legitimacy and its efficacy in shoring up membership numbers. Frankly, I don't really have an opinion one way or the other. I like degree work in a small lodge setting but I also remember that Masonry is an ongoing lifestyle that has to be worked over a number of years. The initiation is important but it is not the end all be all for a Mason.

I was very impressed by the work I saw. When I say that the best ritualists are at the One Day, I'm not joking. All the degrees were performed in formal apparel, as in tuxedos. With spotlights to the front and custodians behind me, I was understandably nervous. I got through my part with only a minor hiccup. (For the sake of secrecy, well, maybe just embarrassment, I will not mention what I missed.)

I was also fortunate to be there with a lot of Southeast Area Masons. The Southeast Area hosts many, many Schools of Instruction. From the work I've seen in our more sparsely populated area, I really think we have some wonderfully good ritual being performed. Most Masons in the state of Minnesota don't come down to our neck of the woods and that's a shame. If you're interested in making a visit, just visit here.

What I really found interesting was the tour of the building. WBro. Mark Campbell led us through the building to see all the different areas of the building. The Scottish Rite temple was originally a church, the Fowler Methodist Episcopal Church. As explained by WBro. Mark, the congregation merged with the Heenepin Avenue Methodist Church and to prevent competition with some other church, the Church sold the building to the Minneapolis Valley in 1916. Many modifications to the building have occurred since that time. I was very impressed by the building and I think all Masons should make a trip to this amazing Masonic edifice. In fact, Lodge #19 currently meets in this building so all Master Masons from Grand Lodges in amity with the Grand Lodge of Minnesota may visit.

In all, I had a very enjoyable time and solidified friendships with many brothers I only see once in awhile. Congratulations to all the fine ritualists at the One Day; you guys did an outstanding job. Congratulations also goes out to the class for having been made Master Masons.

The Nite Show: Interview with Professor Weinberger

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

I caught this wonderful interview on The Nite Show with Tom Mischke. On this particular program, Mischke is speaking with the author of Too Big to Know, Prof. David Weinberger.

What is knowledge? How has the Internet changed how we as human beings seek out information and what does that do to the paradigm of knowledge seeking that we know? Just a wonderful discussion and as a Mason, I think that there really is some need for us to understand the way that the Internet will affect human knowledge in the future.

The Life Masonic Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Pictured: Jason Van Dyke and Brent Morris

Masonry is blessed in this new digital age. Never has there been a time for information to be so freely available to all peoples in all places as right now. At this moment, interested men are looking for information about Freemasonry and Masons are looking for more information about the same. One great addition to this bulk of information has been created and presented free by the Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the United States of America. It's called the Life Masonic podcast and it has some great information for all Masons.

Jason Van Dyke is the host of the podcast. With the help of Eric Diamond of X-Oriente fame, the Supreme Council has created a first rate podcast. The range of topics has been great from discussing research methods with Brent Morris to discussing the need for leadership with the Sovereign Grand Commander, Ronald Seale.

The Supreme Council has proven once again that it "gets it." Embracing technology can only improve an organization's reach. I have found each episode engaging and of value, not only to Scottish Rite Masons, but to all Masons.

If you'd like more information, visit the Supreme Council's website. If you have show ideas, send them to Jason at thelifemasonic(at)gmail.com. I can't wait to listen to future episodes of this podcast.

The Osman Shrine Website Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I know I'm on a "technology is good" kick but it's because I truly believe that sentiment. With that being said, I noticed that the Osman Shrine website that has just been renovated.

The Osman Shriners completed a major overhaul of their website and it's looking great. The website has everything a member and a potential member might need, calendars, links to events, and other pertinent information.

I spoke with current Potentate, Frank Spevak, about the website overhaul. The main purpose the website was improved was to foster communication between the Divan and the members. The site is using Drupal which I think is good as long as you have a capable hand on the wheel which it appears Osman does. It also appears that Shrine Clubs will also have pages.

I am not a Shriner (yet?) but I know that without a strong web presence, no organization is going to be able to survive. Let's face it, the web is the new front door. In a world where television is the dominating pastime, we will need to open potential members' eyes to our organizations. When I was first checking out Masonry as a young man of 19 years, I could find no information on Masonry. The door was only opened to those that knew someone and finding that someone was near impossible. (My origin story can be found here. I literally had a Stonecutters' moment when I found out my Grandpa was a Mason and here I am.)

The Internet has changed that reality. A man can now go on a Grand Lodge website, write an email to Grand Lodge, and receive a name and email address or number to a lodge near his home. A man interested in Shrine can visit Be A Shriner Now and be connected to a local Shrine group. This is the new reality. It's now our time to take control of our destiny.

As a plug for my buddy Dan, you can visit his company's website, Club Management Services at http://manage-your-club.com/ to learn more about what services he can offer clubs. He was the website designer of the new Osman Shrine site. He does great work and is an all-around nice guy.

How has you lodge or Masonic organization used the web? Have you found results, good or bad? Leave a comment.

The Royal Arch and its Place in our Craft

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

I’m now serving my second term as High Priest of Corinthian Chapter No. 33 R.A.M. Because I've been serving long enough to understand the intricacies of the Capitular system, I feel I can start to make critiques and present potential improvements to the Royal Arch. The American system, and to some extent the Canadian system, follow the so-called Webb order of conferral. (Webb had nothing to do with it but many RAMs describe the capitular system this way.)

Let’s be honest for a moment, the order in which the Capitular degrees are conferred do not relate to each other. In fact, they’re a mismatch of four degrees that have nothing in common. Yes, I know that’s shocking... well, unless of course you’ve seen all four degrees.

In the original formation of the Royal Arch, the degree was closely tied to the Master Mason degree. Currently, in the United States and many other Chapters in the world, the Royal Arch is conferred as the last of seven degrees, three related (the first three Craft degrees) and three unrelated degrees (the Mark Master, Past Master, and Most Excellent Master) making for a very strange story told to the candidate.

I propose something that should be done in the interest of saving the Royal Arch from the slow death that it’s crawling towards; I propose that we have Royal Arch Chapters confer only one degree, the degree for which Chapters were initially created. Dropping the so-called preparatory degrees of the Chapter, which are, in actuality, not preparatory in anyway to the Royal Arch, will allow Chapters to focus on what's important.

The Mark Master and Royal Arch degrees are separate and distinct. They should be separate and distinct because of the lessons they teach. The Royal Arch is the completion, the degree that gives us that which was lost. As Master Masons, we strive for that goal. The Mark Master is a side degree, a beautiful and interesting degree, but it remains a side degree. (To all my Scottish readers, I apologize as I realize that the Mark Man and Mark Master degrees are a part of your Fellow Craft degree)

The Royal Arch is a degree built and designed in many different parts. It’s complex. The staging requires many players who guide the candidate into the realm of further light. And, in my life, it holds a very special place in my heart. In my opinion, more education can be taken from the Royal Arch degree than in almost any other degree.

The reason I started thinking about this is that I see Chapter suffering. Chapter is not built in the same way as a Lodge, a Council, a Commandery, or a Valley. Lodge, Council, and Commandery degrees all have a story to tell that flows. Valleys have 29 degrees that can be conferred and can confer many if not all of them because they draw from a large population.

Chapters have some major disadvantages. Chapters meet in lodge buildings. Chapters have smaller populations, like lodges, but with more required degrees. Chapter degrees are a hodge-podge and it’s hard to completely grasp the connection. It needs help to survive.

I have three solutions to this problem (and yes, I believe the Chapter structure is a problem).

1.) Drop the PM degree, transfer the Mark Degrees to a separate organization that remains under the control of the Grand Chapter and make the Most Excellent Degree an optional degree like the Super Excellent.

This is how I would envision this structure: the Chapter would confer one degree, the Royal Arch. The chapter would confer it in grand style because the focus would be on making that one degree great. Anyone who has seen the Royal Arch realizes its importance in the Craft structure. It needs to remain close to the degree it is built to follow, the Master Mason degree. It is an important sequel, like The Godfather: Part II not Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, and we should deliver it in that way.

Furthermore, the Chapter would be given the option of conferring the Most Excellent should it choose to do so. This change would be similar to how the Super Excellent Master is conferred in a Cryptic Council. The Most Excellent Master needs at least 20 people to make it an effective degree and by making it an optional degree, the hope would be that it would be conferred in grand style. The Most Excellent Master degree deserves better care and attention than that which most Chapters can properly provide. It's a shame that such a beautiful degree is often conferred without costumes, music, and any sense of reverential awe. It deserves more and the only way to do that is to make it an optional degree.

The Mark Master degree would be assigned to a Grand Lodge of Marks, still under the auspices of the Grand Chapter, but with its own Craft structure. In that way, there would be one Mark Lodge in each of the districts or areas of a Grand Chapter’s jurisdiction. The Grand Lodge of Marks would serve the Chapters in the jurisdiction and would confer the Mark degree at set times each year. What's more, this would give more potential Grand Chapter officers a chance to show how well they can run a Grand Masonic Body. We complain about the lack of interest and the lack of jobs; this would allow us to create more of both. The Mark Master degree is a special degree with a very different history from the Royal Arch degree. We should give this degree its due.

This is my preferred structure.

(Side note: I've been accused of hating on the PM degree. I accept that accusation as true. It is an unnecessary degree. It serves as the appendix of old, non-existent requirements for attaining the Royal Arch and has already been dropped by many Grand Chapters throughout the world. What once was necessary is not now necessary. Let’s just move on and focus on that which is important.)

2.) Reverse the order of the degrees and drop the PM degree.

By reversing the order, the Royal Arch degree is placed precisely where it belongs in the story, right next the Master Mason degree. The Most Excellent degree be conferred next and the Mark would be placed last. The importance of the Royal Arch degree would be given proper credence would truly serve as a transition from the Blue Lodge to the Red Chapter.

If you know anything about the Veils, you will see the importance in placing the Royal Arch next to the Master Mason degree. This method, while not ideal, does serve to give the Royal Arch Mason all the degrees he would need to travel to other Chapters in the country and maintain the close relationship between the Master Mason and the Royal Arch. Again, this is not an ideal solution but could be the easiest to implement.

3.) Transfer the power to confer the Royal Arch and Mark degrees to the Craft lodges.

This has only been done on a local basis and only in one state, Lodge Copernicus in the state of South Australia. This would require a lot of coordination and a lot of Masons having to give up power. I don’t see it happening but I do think that this method would not just encourage but guarantee that all Masons would become Royal Arch Masons. Of course, instead of transferring, one other related approach, which is what Lodge Copernicus has in actuality done, is to receive a charter from the three degree-controlling bodies to establish a lodge that confers all the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry. This is a doable approach only if a Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter agreed and if the rules of each allowed something like this.

This change could be made more difficult by the existence of the General Grand Chapter but I think they are necessary changes. My intention is to not make the work of the Chapter easy but make it right to encourage the Master Mason to continue his journey. Instead of festivals and high turnover, we need to make the Chapter an important step in a Mason’s life. The Royal Arch degree is just too damn important to let it slip through our fingers.

What do you think? Does Royal Arch Masonry need a change? Leave a comment.

Scottish Rite Craft Degrees Exemplified in Lake Worth

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

I came across a very underreported story coming out of the Valley of Lake Worth in the Orient of Florida, AASR (SJ). The city of Lake Worth is near Palm Beach. It's not a big town, its population hovering around 37,000 souls. From my experience though, small places can bring big changes, and boy did they ever.

I decided, after reading about the exemplification of the so-called "Red Degrees" in Lake Worth, that I needed to learn more. I contacted the brother who got the ball rolling. His name is Scott Schwartzberg. He's the Junior Deacon of Boynton Lodge No. 236, Boynton Beach, Florida. He's a great guy and I've really enjoyed talking with him.

For the uninformed reader, the degrees conferred by most states and some provinces of Canada originate from the Preston-Webb, while most lodges in the world use some variation of the Emulation Rite. The Scottish Rite Craft degrees are not conferred as actual degrees except in a few places in the United States, most well known being those lodges in the 16th District of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, F.&A.M. The only way for brothers to have seen these SR Craft degrees was to monitor the calendars of the handful of lodges that perform them in New Orleans and plan a trip there during those times.

Scott explained to me his reason for wanting to exemplify the "Red Degrees" in his Valley:

I had recently joined the Scottish Rite, despite having read much about Masonry and the Scottish Rite in particular since I first read Morals and Dogma over 25 years ago, and to learn more about the organization, I signed up for the Master Craftsman series of quizzes and essays. While reading about the 9th and 10th degrees, there was a brief mention of how the degrees continue the story of the 3rd, or Master Mason degree, which differs significantly from that which is in the Symbolic Lodge, both here in Florida, and in New Jersey, where I was raised. This piqued my interest, and I was discussing it with a Brother in my Lodge, who had recently returned from a visit to the Dominican Republic, where he had visited a Lodge and witnessed a Scottish Rite Entered Apprentice degree. We decided to see if we could get this ritual, and somehow exemplify it. I talked with Brothers from other Lodges in the District, and they wanted to participate as well.

The ritual that Lake Worth used for the exemplification was the "Ritual of the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason Degree for Exclusive Use of the Scottish Rite Blue Lodges F.&A.M., working under the MWGL of the State of Louisiana, revised 1963. And for those parts not in the ritual, he incorporated some parts of Albert Pike's versions of the Degrees, found in "The Porch and the Middle Chamber".

The degrees were exemplified in three parts: EA on February 23, 2011, FC on March 23, 2011, and the MM on March 27th, 2011. The degrees were open to all Master Masons, and according to Scott, the response was tremendous and the exemplifications were very well-attended. The degree team for each of the degrees was assisted by members of the Grand Lodge of Haïti as there are many lodges that confer the Craft degrees using the Scottish Rite ritual and these brothers had familiarity with the floorwork and ritual. You can find pictures of the degree team on Lantana Lodge No. 372's website here. Scott has written a very nice article going into more detail on the three degree exemplifications; you can read more from his article published in the October 2011 edition of the Working Tools Magazine.

I'll make my disclaimers now. I am not an SR Mason but I'm very antsy to start my journey. The Scottish Rite in Minneapolis and Saint Paul are very special. At any given time during the year, some Scottish Rite degree is being conferred somewhere in the state of Minnesota. The Valley of Minneapolis performs each of the 29 degrees in two long form classes spanning over 12 weeks. The degrees are presented in full theatrical form. Saint Paul Valley confers nearly all of the degrees once per year and the Valleys of Duluth and Rochester confer more than half of the degrees once per year. Minnesota was also very fortunate to have welcomed the brothers of Internet Lodge No. 9659 to exemplify the Emulation Rite third degree for a packed house of Minnesota Masons. (You can read about the trip here and here.)

I have to say, I'm very intrigued by a Valley performing these Craft degrees. I don't know much about the Scottish Rite but from what I understand, the differences between Preston-Webb (of which I include the Royal Arch Degree) and the Scottish Rite can be quite confusing when taking the American Scottish Rite degrees 4°-32°. There is a dissonance between 3° and 4° in the degrees as conferred by SJ Valleys (the NMJ has changed the 29 degrees under their charge many times and have very little in comparison to the SJ degrees.). That's why I've been reading the Porch and the Middle Chamber. I want to feel prepared when taking the degrees.

I've also read somewhere that a Valley in Arizona (I believe the Valley of Phoenix) has conferred all 32 degrees at a regional reunion. My hope is that more Valleys will be performing these in the future. Of course, my guess is that the usual permission must be received but I think that this is a very worthwhile educational opportunity for all Master Masons.

What Lake Worth has done is very important. Masons joining today are focused on light. I found as LEO of my lodge that Masons want a lodge meeting to be dedicated to education. I completely agree and I was very happy to appease the members with papers and opening the floor to other opinions. Allowing the "Red Degrees" to be exemplified will be a boon for Valleys and Grand Lodges. More Masonic opportunities will lead to more Masonry in the state. Furthermore, a Valley exemplifying these degrees will lead to many more candidates. Brothers will bridge the lessons of SR Craft degrees to SR higher degrees and will encourage them to join and, more importantly, participate.

I want to congratulate the brothers of Valley of Lake Worth for taking this first step. This is a gamechanger and you should be proud.

What do you think? Should Valleys be exemplifying the Scottish Rite Craft or "Red" Degrees? Leave a comment.

Business Meetings

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:48:00 +0000

This will be a short post because I'm on my phone and the keyboard won't turn to landscape. I've been looking at different models for Masonic lodges lately and there seems to be two related goals, more education, less business. I had to ask myself, while thinking about these two concepts, "is there a brother who wants more business and less education?" I've never met one yet many Masonic meetings devolve into the mediocre minutiae of boring business. Why? Is it how meetings are designed? Is it a rut? I don't know but I'm seeing a turnaround.

Lodges are unshackling themselves from tedious business. Minutes are distributed instead of read, committees are formed, and their actions approved in one fell swoop, and Masters are cutting off debate. These are great advances.

My lodge has the LEO speak before any business is discussed. That way, any of the inside baseball comments about the (insert fundraiser here) will hopefully die as no one wants or remembers to talk about them. Fundraisers are not Masonry, education is.

Business isn't evil but it should be handled well and quickly. Masonic meetings are supposed to be an educational experience. That is the way to save Masonry.

Which Rite is Right… for me?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I’ve been very busy with Masonry and family lately. Being a new father and a Mason is not easy, but I make it work the best I can. About two years ago, I joined my local Royal Arch Chapter. I was the first new candidate in about three years. In keeping with Masonic tradition, I was given a position in leadership, the High Priest. So I jumped a few chairs (as in all of them) but I’ve been kept out of trouble for a while at least. I also joined the local Cryptic Council because they met in the same building.

I’ve had fun serving Corinthian Lodge as LEO and Corinthian Chapter as High Priest. For the upcoming year, I’ll again serve as High Priest in addition to serving as Marshal for Corinthian Lodge. I have high hopes for the Royal Arch and the Cryptic Council in Farmington. I’ve even publically struggled over whether to join Commandery.

One other development in my life is the encouragement of the brothers to give Scottish Rite a try. I have so many irons in the fire that I sometimes feel I’ll get burned out. I love Masonry and I love being active in all aspects of the Craft. So I’ve been led to a quandary, which rite is for me?

I love the Royal Arch degree. I think it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced. I think that there is a reason that the Antients believed in it so highly and why the UGLE Constitution still proclaims it, rightly or wrongly, to be a part of Ancient Craft Masonry. Of course, brothers disagree with this assertion with strong evidence of their own.

I like the York Rite from what I’ve already experienced. I like the York Rite because there is no pressure to join everything. If you just want to see the Royal Arch and the Mark Master, join Royal Arch Chapter. If you want to see the Council degrees, you have to be a RAM. If you want to be knighted, join the Chapter and the Council. The first two bodies are non-sectarian and in my opinion, at the very least, all Masons should join a Royal Arch Chapter.

I’ve posted at least two posts concerning the push by some brothers to make the York Rite one comprehensive system which would make it Christian only. I would disagree with any assertion that one must be a Christian to join a Chapter or Council. The Royal Arch is a completion in the Antients’ system of Ancient Craft Masonry. Restricting that to only Christians is patently wrong. Chapter holds a powerful and important set of degrees that is open to all Masons and should be advertised and celebrated as such.

With all that being said, I’m still very interested in the Scottish Rite. The Scottish Rite in Minnesota is very special. We have one of the few Valleys in the world, the Minneapolis Valley, that presents all 29 degrees in full form and Minneapolis Valley performs them twice a year. The other three Scottish Rite Valleys in Minnesota perform a majority of the Scottish Rite degrees, which again, is very uncommon.

To prepare myself for taking the Scottish Rite degrees, I’ve started to look at copies of the Scottish Rite Craft degrees, in particular, Albert Pike’s Porch and the Middle Chamber. Pike stated that to really prepare to take the Scottish Rite degrees, the enlightened Masonic student should have some familiarity with the Scottish Rite Craft degrees. (From Porch and the Middle Chamber, “[t]his Ritual is intended for instruction only, in the States of the Southern jurisdiction, where there are not Lodges working in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite; to be studied and understood before investiture with the fourth degree. For, without it, the system of that Rite is incomplete, and even like a fabric without foundation.” (Pike, 1872))

That’s where I’m at. I’ve decided to really dig into the Scottish Rite Craft degrees. I want to learn the alchemical meaning behind the degrees; I want to study the mystic art that seems to permeate through them. I’ve been told that this is not really necessary and that I should just enjoy the degrees. However, I really feel like I should immerse myself before I take on the extra learning of the “University of Freemasonry.” If this process takes me years, then so be it. I took me 5 years to join the Royal Arch and I really feel like, even with the close relationship between lodge and chapter, I still haven’t skimmed the surface of everything I need to understand to be confident in my knowledge of the capitular degrees.

The lodge remains the center of learning. All great things happen within a lodge. However, the Rites provide that extra basis required to be a well-rounded Masonic student. I think a Mason can remain in Lodge and never have to see them and still be happy and complete. It’s the refining qualities that the rites provide that make them both attractive and useful.

Which Rite is right? I think the answer is pretty obvious. The right Rite is the one that feels right to you. (Sorry, I'm used to the standard law school answer of "it depends.")

To which Rite do you belong? If you don’t belong to a Rite, why not? Leave a comment.

Marshal the Troops

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

At Corinthian 67, our bylaws require that the outgoing Master serve as Lodge Education Officer, and that the outgoing Lodge Education Officer serve as the Marshal. That means, if you are Master of the Lodge, you will serve two more years in some lodge leadership role. We designed our officer succession because we wanted to keep the Master in lodge as long as possible. We want his expertise.

As someone who has now been assigned a new role, I have to figure out what the heck I’m supposed to do exactly. I like to do my own thing so I’ve added a bit. Let’s start with the basic framework of a Marshal.

Let’s look at the language of the Minnesota installation ritual:

It is your duty to form and conduct processions of the Lodge on all public occasions, and to attend to such other interests in the practice of our rites, as the Master shall direct.

Okay. So I do some stuff, mostly in public. That's a start but I'm going to need some more information. Let’s go further.

This is the description from the Minnesota Officers Guide:

The Marshal should:
1. Assist the Tyler to open and close the Lodge and to set up the Lodge.
2. Present the Colors of our country.
3. Assist the Stewards.

Okay, that helps a little bit more. I’m supposed to be a helper. I like to help but again, I’m not sure what aid, other than setup and cleaning, I’m supposed to provide.

I’m writing my own job description for the office of Marshal.

Here goes:

The Marshal should:

Serve as the lodge’s Grand Lodge liaison. At a minimum, he will provide the officers of the Grand Lodge with the calendar of dates and invite them to all important lodge functions.
Present the Colors of our country.
Serve as the lodge’s public relations ambassador. These may include:

Inviting distinguished guests from the community to open lodge functions.
Asking community officials if they need assistance from the lodge.
Planning and leading any community outreach with the assistance of other brothers.

Other duties as assigned.

I will probably think of some other stuff that the Marshal should do but that’s what I can think of off the top of my head. I hope to serve Corinthian Lodge well and I want to congratulate all the officers as they continue to lead C67 to further glory.

What do you think the Marshal should do? Does your state do something differently? Leave a comment below.

Lodge as Lab Part 3: Let's travel!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Corinthian Lodge claims the great traveling sword of Faribault

In my continuing quest to help out Masters and other lodge officers in coming up with great ideas, I will discuss yet another important task that we took at Corinthian Lodge No. 67 during my year as Master. One project that we took upon ourselves was to meet other lodges throughout our area. The reason is that as Master Masons, we are encouraged to travel as much as possible to different lodges.

Traveling is an essential part of being a Mason. I was told by my grandpa, who was a railroad man, that during the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th centuries, railroad men would meet brothers whenever the crew would come into town, even if the lodge was not meeting on that day. The tracks were a fraternal lifeline connecting brothers from the beginning of their trip to the end. That's why many lodges were built near a railway station, as a welcoming spot for visiting brethren.

During my year in the East, we traveled to many different lodges. We didn't just limit ourselves to only the district but attempted to travel to as many different lodges as we had time for. You see, Minnesota is blessed to have many different types of lodges. We have a Traditional Observance lodge (Saint Paul Three), a British-style Lodge (Sir Winston Churchill Lodge No. 351), and a moon lodge (Accacia Lodge No. 51) just to name a few.

Traveling is a right, a couched right to be sure, but a right nonetheless. Traveling gains you new perspectives, new friends, and a new feeling of Masonic spirit. Before I took the East, we, as a lodge, rarely left Farmington. Farmington was home but sometimes, you gotta branch out and experience the wider world. And that's what we did.

Traveling has added benefits for a lodge. When you travel to a lodge, you become a representative of your lodge. If you represent your lodge well, you can create a connection, a bond with the lodge you visit. When we traveled to other lodges, invariably, we would get one or two guys to travel back to our lodge. As we traveled and shared ideas, we started something more. Lodges worked together on projects, success stories were shared, and we all became better men.

If you're a Masonic officer, plan one trip per month. It really only adds one extra day to your schedule but the payoff is so much bigger than the time you spend traveling. And you know, you've got a dues card, why not use it? Every lodge is special and every lodge has something to offer; you just have to get out there and see the Masonic world around you.

Have you traveled lately? Does your lodge have a travel schedule? What are your experiences in traveling as a lodge? Leave a comment.

Guest Article: Jack Roberts' KT Magazine Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I have received permission from Jack Roberts, High Priest of Minnesota Chapter No. 1, to publish a letter he sent to the editor of the Knights Templar Magazine. I think it's important read for all of us who are active in the York Rite.

Sir Knight Palmer,

I was disappointed to read in the March 2011 “Letters to the Editor” that another Sir Knight believes that those Brothers who do not conform to the beliefs of “fervent Christianity” should demit not only from their Templar Commanderies, but also all York Rite bodies.

The belief that a Brother must be a Christian – perhaps a fervent Christian, as suggested in the letter – to petition a York Rite body is entirely incorrect, and is a persistent mischaracterization of the nature of two of the three Masonic bodies that fall under the York Rite.

Neither Capitular Masonry nor Cryptic Masonry require a Brother to be a Christian. Neither body claims to be a Christian organization or based on Christianity. Although many of the values espoused and taught in both bodies have much in common with Christian teachings, a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and a Council of Select Masters are more similar in membership and teachings to our Blue Lodges than Commanderies.

Perhaps I should say that Chapters and Councils “could” be more similar in membership and teachings to our Blue Lodges, but many Brothers perpetuate the myth that one must be a Christian to be a York Rite Mason. This myth wreaks havoc on our efforts to bring good and true Brothers to our Chapters and Councils.

Many times I have had to explain to Brothers that the structure of the York Rite is not like the Scottish Rite, which is a coherent and structured series of degrees that build upon each other. The York Rite is a loose confederation of three bodies that could operate independently, and have, in fact, operated independently in the past. Templar Orders are not the “capstone” or “completion” of the York Rite. A Brother can derive much value from the lessons and beautiful degrees of Capitular and Cryptic Masonry without taking the Templar Orders.

We in the York Rite need to let the strength of Chapters and Councils stand on their own, and stop suggesting that one is not a “complete” or “good” York Rite Mason unless one is a fervent Christian and a Sir Knight.

Regards,

Jack Roberts

Damascus Commandery No. 1

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Business Pundit's list of 10 Inventors who were Freemasons

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Business Pundit has published a list of 10 inventors that you didn't know were Freemasons. I'm glad to see that Benny is right where he belongs.I was surprised that the inventors of the hot-air balloon, the Montgolfier Brothers, were Freemasons.

The Past Masters Degree

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot about the Past Master’s Degree. Why? Well, as a Past Master, I have taken part in both a virtual (capitular) and an actual (blue lodge) Past Master’s degree. I've been wondering for a while now if the Royal Arch Chapter should confer the degree and whether the degree is still necessary to any Masonic body, whether it be the lodge or the chapter.

I should explain what a Past Master’s degree is for anyone who may not know what it is. The Past Master's degree was originally intended to impart the secrets of the Oriental Chair on a newly elected or installed Master. It was the handing over of the keys from the old guy to the new guy. In fact, many Grand Lodges still have a chair degree for the new Master. Chair degrees exist in many Masonic bodies, most especially within the York Rite.

The bizarre case of the Past Master (virtual) degree in the Chapter is really representative of the fluid nature of Masonry, particularly during its nascent period. The Royal Arch, as well as the Master Mason degree, was most likely chair degree. There was an old requirement that a candidate for the Royal Arch to be a Past Master. This created a problem. Lodges, and the chapters that ultimately took on the Royal Arch, wanted to make the degree available to all Master Masons. The easy fix would have been to actually read the by-laws of that era, an example of which Jerusalem Chapter in Philadelphia states, “[n]o brother can be exalted until he has been at least three years a Master Mason and has presided six months as Master of some regular warranted lodge or has passed the Chair by Dispensation.” (I believe that it’s still the practice of the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania to allow Master Masons to be passed by dispensation of the Grand High Priest.)

Sadly, our ancient brethren believed that to allow all Masons, not just Past Masters, to take the degree would be an innovation and thus illegal. So what did our ancient brethren do? They created an innovation by allowing a Master Mason to sit in the chair for a brief moment and be called a Past Master (virtual).

In our more modern times, our English and Canadian brethren removed this requirement from the Royal Arch. I think we should do the same. The Royal Arch is not under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge, at least in the United States and Canada, so there is no need to follow any old regulation.

I think the one advantage for removing it from the Chapter work and conferring it only in lodge is to really get that brother, who has been elected to serve a term in the East, ready for his installation. Being Master of the Lodge is not easy. When I was Master, I felt incredibly overwhelmed as I’m sure that all future Masters also feel. There's a lot of planning that goes into a lodge.

Lodges are, for all intents and purposes, a small business. Many lodges own property, collect revenue, and have costs that have to be considered. The lodge has a duty to its members and to the public at large. Sadly, most Masters are ill-equipped to take on a lodge and its various business needs.

I think, by conferring a Past Master’s degree on a new Master, he can become ready. He becomes ready not because he must stand alone but because he learns to stand united with the other Past Masters that sat in the Oriental Chair before him. That’s its purpose.

Conferring the degree so as to teach a lesson is laudable but I really think that the original purpose as a Chapter degree remains, to allow Master Masons to be exalted. We can dress it up in all kinds of different costumes, add beautifully written lectures and the like but it remains unnecessary like an appendix or tonsils. It’s time to have our Chapters focus on capitular work and our lodges to celebrate the work and sacrifice of its officers.

Chair degrees are both a reward for service and a call to the leader of a Masonic body to be mindful of the work that he will have to perform for the good of the Craft. Being a Master is hard. A lot is sacrificed by the brother who takes that responsibility. Shouldn’t we at least be there, as PMs, to encourage him and give him our support, for the good of the Order?

What’s your opinion? Should the Past Master’s degree remain a necessary degree in the Royal Arch? Should it only be conferred in lodge?

Knights Templar: Questions and Concerns Before I Join

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

I will likely be petitioning a commandery near me. Before doing this, however, I’ve been asking around and researching Masonic Templarism. I’ve found some strange points that I need clarifying. In fact, from what I hear from some other Sir Knights, I’ve been made a little more reticent to join than during my initial inkling to petition.

I've decided to present my wants and don’t wants in a list.

Wants:

To learn about chivalry.
To practice chivalry.
To feel close to my paternal grandfather who was a Sir Knight.
To be an honorable man and true to his word through the lessons of knighthood.
To carry a sword because, well, it’s freakin’ cool to carry a sword.
To learn about the history of early knighthood, and what it meant to be an historical knight.
To present papers on topics of Chivalry.

Don’t Want:

To do an excessive amount of drill.
To join an evangelical Christian organization.
To be a Civil War Re-enactor.
To join a Masonic body that believes all Masons should be Christian.
To swear an oath to harm others of a different religion.

For me, I chose to go through the York Rite first. My paternal grandfather was in the York Rite while my maternal grandfather was in the Scottish Rite. I really had no idea which was better and Chapter and Council had moved to Farmington so it was an easy choice, at least for convenience sake. I have really enjoyed my time in Chapter and Council and love the challenge of making the Farmington York Rite viable. In my opinion, all Master Masons should go through the Capitular degrees, at a minimum, because I really do believe that the Royal Arch has something to say to them. Some days, I wash we lived in the English system of conferring only the Holy Royal Arch (as they call it) degree without the Mark, Past, or Most Excellent Master degrees being conferred previously because it would make that degree even more essential to the understanding of Masonry and would ease the pressure on Chapters in general. I finally have the time to “complete” the York Rite which is why of come to this series of questions and concerns.. (I’ve spoken with many companions who remind me that the three bodies are separate, so it’s not a completion of a Rite at all.)

I’m concerned that should I join the Knights, I will be joining an organization that I will demit from immediately. I was really struck by something that Worshipful Brother Ray Hayward wrote in his monthly message for Minnesota. He said that, “[s]peculative Knights Templar are those people who take the moral and spiritual aspect of the historical Templars and apply them to lead a fuller, more meaningful life.” I really hope that this will be my experience. I want to hold my sword before Circe, as Odysseus was instructed to by Hermes, using the lessons of speculative knighthood to be more assertive within my life.

In fact, I have used quite a bit of Worshipful Brother Ray’s writings to justify, for the most part, my decision to join a commandery. You can find his papers here. Worshipful Brother Ray is a very wise man and a brilliant teacher of those lessons we find within the York Rite.

So that’s where I stand right now. If you can help me out with my quandary, that would be great. Please leave a comment below or send me an email.

Minnesota Masons Featured in the WSJ

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Today, in the Wall Street Journal, Masons of Minneapolis Lodge No. 19 and Braden Lodge No. 168 were featured on the front page. And they did a great job of representing the future of Masonry. The article features many of my friends and really discusses the Fraternity in glowing fashion.

Brother Matt, a good friend of mine, gave three reasons why he joined:

"I wanted to become a better person, I like retro stuff, and I'm a big believer in guys hanging out and talking with other guys."

I think sums it up for a lot of Masons.

I was fortunate enough to be in the discussion group at Braden described in the article. For me, watching Masonry evolve into a new style, unlike what are grandfathers or great-grandfathers were members of, will be interesting to see. Thank you brothers for allowing me to sit in with all of you. And congrats to WBro. Reed and Bro. Adam of #19 and Bro. Matt of Braden for the great quotes. What a great day for Minnesota Masonry.

Broaden Your Horizons

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I wrote this article for the E-Mason Newsletter that goes out once a month from the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. If you want to subscribe, fill in your e-mail address in the lower right corner of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota website. I subscribe to all six Area e-newsletters because I like to stay informed of what's going on throughout the state.

Masonic Education is such a broad topic for lodges to deal with when planning a stated communication that I think that lodges avoid educational presentations because they are unable to fully grasp what is expected. As LEO of my lodge, I have been thinking more and more what the brothers want. I think Lodges, and LEO’s in particular, are hit with two major assumptions, 1) that education should only come from the LEO and 2) only Masonic subjects should be discussed in lodge.

The creation of the Lodge Education Officer has been either a boon or a bust for lodges. I have heard from some brothers that the LEO is expected to come to lodge with education every meeting. This is patently wrong. It is the duty of every Mason to continue learning. So how can a LEO get other brothers involved in the education process? As I was thinking about this question, I remembered something that Amazon.com does for individuals and corporations. Amazon runs a website called the Mechanical Turk which enables companies to finish tasks that computers are incapable of doing by using human energy. In the age of the Internet, this is called crowdsourcing. People can look at photos and tag who’s in them or read an article and find word choice problems which computers are incapable of seeing and understanding. LEOs, use crowdsourcing to your advantage. You’re not alone. You don’t need be the only person to present education. Instead, get brothers to write papers or make presentations about subjects that interest them. This brings me to my next point: you needn’t be obsessed with dogfooding.

Dogfooding is a term used by software and Internet companies to describe using only those products that were created in-house. It’s the idea that if you only use what you make, you will make sure that it is the best. Many in Masonry think that the only truth we need to be in search of comes from inside our ritual. I disagree. Many times, ideas of a non-Masonic nature should be discussed in lodge. I find many interesting articles about new discoveries in space and physics, in philosophy, or art and music that are relevant to or pique the interest of another brother. Many times, any of the aforementioned subjects can relate back to the seven liberal arts and sciences. We are restricted only from discussing politics and religion in lodge. Again, don’t get bogged down by content. We don’t need to regurgitate everything that Mackey has said, or look at every infinitesimal nuance that may be drawn out from the ritual. Learning what an actual stonemason does or discussing the advances in quantum computing is just as relevant to the modern Mason as the symbolism of the all-seeing eye.

LEO’s, just remember that you’re not along and that you’re not beholden to Masonic subjects. And as always, if you ever do hit a snare, make sure to contact the Grand Lodge’s Education Committee. They are an incredible resource. The Education Committee also publishes an assortment of papers and presentations that can be used in lodge. Education in lodge is not unattainable, it just requires a little planning.

Freemasonry and Pop Culture: Run DMC - It's Tricky

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:30:00 +0000

Although I'm not in the AASR, I've always wanted to join. Why? Because they wear fashionable caps. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Observe:

What do you think?

Guest Article: Speech by MWB Thomas C. Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Johnson) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:45:00 +0000

This is a speech delivered to Guildhall Lodge No. 553 of Stillwater, Oklahoma by Most Worshipful Brother Thomas C. Jackson, PGM, Minnesota. Reprinted with permission. Please visit his great online Masonic resource, LodgeBuilder.

Thomas C. Jackson, PGM Minnesota 2008-09

Speech to Guildhall Lodge, Oklahoma
By Thomas C. Jackson, PGM, Minnesota
At the Petroleum Club, September 7, 2011

Guildhall Lodge brothers, and guests.
I am very pleased to join you on this beautiful evening, to share with you this wonderful festive board. My compliments go to the planners, and to Worshipful Master Dunaway for an excellent venue and meal, and to Robert Davis who invited me to speak.

I will do my best to provide you a topic of interest.

Before THAT, I’m going to tell you about myself, because it will help you understand how I came to the perspective I will outline today.

As mentioned in the introduction, I am a PGM of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, having served in 2008‐09, and am an honorary PGM of the GL of Cyprus, on whose behalf I have played the thrilling game of jurisdictional politics and helped them win recognition, in spite of England’s reluctance, as one of the newest grand lodges in the international family of recognized groups.

My interests as a grand lodge officer, and in the years since, have been largely focused on the area of revitalization, along with my foreign entanglements.

I obviously didn’t listen to Washington when he warned about those.

Besides Freemasonry, I also have a deep affinity and prior history of volunteerism with my college fraternity, and am waist deep in a project to finally deliver on the promise of connecting this fraternity‐friendly collegiate pool of fellows to Masonic lodges which can often provide a healthy post‐college step for these young men and a massive boost to our numbers.

Are there any college fraternity men in the audience?

It’s a topic for another day, but I want you to know that, I believe, jurisdictions that attempt to start a "university lodge” are almost certainly doing it wrong.

But like I said, that’s a topic for another day. Or maybe for the pub this evening.

Tonight I would like to address the topic of, “The Forgotten Freemason.” This is a fellow who MIGHT become a Freemason if we were to catch him at the right stages of his development. Or he might be too old for us to reach in time. As a group, I fear though, men like him represent a LOST GENERATION. I’ve brought a clip with me, a movie preview that will give you a visual…

Not to pick on Matthew McConnaghy, but his example is legion. Did you catch his age? 35, and living with his parents. We see ‘men’ like his character in films such as the Dumb and Dumberer movies. Anything with Chris Farley. Our Idiot Brother – not my actual brother, but the current movie of that title.… These movies reflect the cultural reality.

Here’s another:

How old were those fellows sitting around the living room in the afternoon? 30? And another:

I cringe any time this commercial comes on. These 20‐somethings are actual customers, extolling praise for a company called Game Fly, which is like Netflix for video gamers. These are probably not recruitment prospects. What they are, are casualties of war. A cultural war. Seriously ‐‐ Let me ask a question of those of you who are, oh, 40 or older. When is the last time that you said you were going over to some other fellow’s home to… PLAY!?! ‐‐In a nonsports related context. Sure, we play football. But I remember as I got older, IN JUNIOR HIGH, when I consciously lowered my voice and said I was going to go “play a game of hoops, Mom.” By 11 or 12 there was no talk of “playing” even though back in those days we had video games. Pong. Mario Brothers.

Today, our culture tells these fellows that, well, playing is what boys or even men in their 20s and 30s do. These are the men, the boys I want Freemasonry to rescue. With this context in mind of what the average boy or man does on a Wednesday evening in September, instead of joining us at the Petroleum Club, I thought I would explain some of the projects we’ve taken on and how we are addressing this freakin’ cultural wasteland.

We’ll get back to the Lost Generation.
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Each of our revitalization projects aims to increase a man’s involvement in the lodge from a lower level to a higher one. I view lodge participation on a spectrum, when it comes to revitalization, with the goal being to increase participation and involvement wherever the man starts. Experience shows that having more, even if smaller lodges promote a higher level of average involvement per man.

One of the high‐points of my year as Grand Master was to have signed the charter petitions of two new lodges that we started; these represent the first new, startup, evening lodges formed in Minnesota in 25 years. Before signing these new charters, I told the assembled masters and wardens from my seat in the Grand East that we are simply out of the habit of starting new lodges, and far too practiced at closing or merging those we have.

Nationally, there are anywhere from zero to perhaps six lodges formed each year. HALF of these in the past decade have been Traditional Observance lodges. You can give yourselves a round of applause as one of the icons of this movement.

I assume most of you are founders of this lodge or of the Tulsa Traditional Observance lodge, true? As you well know, starting a lodge is harder than it may seem from the outside. I commend you for this work.

Half of the other half of new lodges formed in the US during the past decade, that is, about 25% of all lodges formed in the US going back even 20 years, have come from the GL of DC. I will explain shortly their approach to this successful effort.

So it was a rather big deal to start up two new lodges back home.

In this effort, I worked with a group of dedicated young leaders from around my state, who’ve done the heavy lifting. We’ve done it – not me. Nothing would have happened without them. I was the one pushing from the back, encouraging and rallying during all those late night “what if” discussions we had.

I tell you all this so you understand I want to help others find their entry into Freemasonry. I want to find a way to deliver Freemasonry’s gifts to society as a whole, and then to ensure we have vibrant lodges when they arrive. Our tactics have been to encourage involvement, lodge formation, solvency and membership stability, and a few other items I will describe later in this talk.

OK. That’s the introduction. There will be a middle section, and then we can all hope, a extraordinary conclusion. If I fail you in any way and you begin to get bored, please, do EVERYONE a favor, and ask me a question...

I want to discuss the impact of new lodges as a revitalization technique, but first would like to survey the field from a bit higher altitude. Help me list the innovations that have taken place in Masonry recently, will you?Say over the past forty years?

Traditional Observance – or Traditional Practice

Use of ciphers in most jurisdictions

One Day Classes – love ‘em or hate ‘em

Lodge Education Programs and LEOs

Repair of most Prince Hall relationships

Relaxation of some language on Masonic Solicitation.

The mind reels from the pace of such rapid change. Doesn’t it?

Another key innovation is the rediscovery of Affinity Lodges. I say rediscovery, because I am convinced that in the golden era, pre WWI, much of new lodge formation centered around a specific affinity, whether the members named it that or not. New lodges may have been job related, employer or union related, shift related, town or neighborhood related, or perhaps were connected to a Shrine unit or another interest group. To this way of thinking, a traditional practices lodge can be one form of an affinity group. Affinity is simply an additional point of connection that helps bond a group of brothers together. I don’t believe a single lodge can be all things to all brothers. Instead, an affinity strategy helps brothers (or prospects) of similar interests gravitate toward specific lodges.

The Grand Lodge of DC has formed a new lodge every 18 months for the past twenty years. They’ve doubled their membership in that time, and their count of lodges. These are small lodges, and for my part I am convinced that these are a bigger success story than any big, ponderous lodge such as my home lodge. Because with small lodges, every man has a job to do. Their affinity ranges from specific languages, to ritual variations, to professions, historical interests, and lodges to support universities. All are small‐to mid‐sized, but thriving. To compare and contrast, my home lodge has 650 brothers, 200 of whom we see at least once per year. The rest are in other states, or they no longer drive, or [air quotes] “life is busy”. You know the type of lodge. My new lodge, Sir Winston Churchill, has 45 men now, of whom we see 42 on a regular basis. Three are working out of state and visit when they can. A Traditional Observance lodge would feel more comfortable with our arrangement: required RSVPs, higher fees, festive boards, and certainly, vibrant presentations and expectations of every member.

Long ago, had my home lodge split into four or six smaller lodges over time, because of a Code requirement or ceiling, with all the groups meeting at different times at the same building, and with the resulting involvement of four or six full sets of officers instead of a single set, our brethren would be substantially more involved on average, leading to a healthier outcome for Masonry. Peripheral brothers would step up to take on roles that were not filled. I no longer believe big lodges are a healthy evolution. Of course, being dragged into this change wouldn’t work. Members would have to choose this course themselves, and have the positive attitude essential to any such culture change.

As a new lodge, the choice was before us at the beginning. Was our BEST PURPOSE to study Churchill, the roots of our ritual and other aspects of our English nature? So much of our past had been lost to the rise and precipitous fall of big lodge, social club Masonry. Just like Traditional Observance lodges, we could explore what our forebears did so well. Or, was our best purpose to take an opportunity where so much scrutiny was on us as a new lodge, and create a teaching lodge, a model lodge? Contemplating this, we had the idea of turning the word “Emulation” on its head, to not just practice Emulation Work, the predominant British ritual, but to be an EMULATABLE lodge. Without knowing it, our visitors would study US, to their benefit, if we were good enough. A third path was suggested, because with four, and now five men who had been, are, or who will be Grand Master, we may have easily slipped into a role of serving as the lodge that would get things done for the Grand Master – a project lodge – to serve any grand officer who asked. Pragmatic, I suppose, if not inspiring.

Historical lodge… Model Lodge… Service lodge…

Which of these, do you think is closest to the Traditional Practices model?

The question remains, now three years later. In a sense, we are doing all three. This gives us a dynamic unrest, and it’s in the ongoing conversation that we continue to derive benefit. We are inward focused, with a vibrant educational mission and core, strongly supported by the brethren. And we are outwardly focused, generating four festive boards a year and several big events, our recent Atlantic Brotherhood Summit and Masons in Motion are examples. The ABS brought in a dozen or more Masons from the UK’s Internet Lodge for a series of events, including a riverboat cruise, festive board and a British Third Degree exemplification that was witnessed by several hundred Masons. Our Masons in Motion event is a group of Masons running the Twin Cities Marathon this coming October 2nd, which was designed to raise charitable donations from all Minnesota lodges. We embarked on these events in spite of our being the youngest lodge in our state, with no building, no real money, and ‘only’ 45 men. Finally, our grand lodge‐centric view keeps us keenly aware of our job as role models, and where we can, we assist grand lodge officers who ask.

I’ll tell you this much: We prefer to call ourselves an Affinity lodge, versus a Traditional Observance lodge, though we have many, if not all the trappings. Informal polling suggested that, statewide, our brethren prefer the Affinity label to Traditional Observance. This may cut to the core of a problem with TO lodges: how one defines them.

“Problem” may be too strong a word. How about “Barrier to wider acceptance.”

You know more about Traditional Observance or Traditional Practice lodges than I do. So, please accept my notions as an example of the perceptions that are out there.

So we were aware of some ‘baggage’ with this ‘movement’ of returning to our roots. But we wanted some of the good things that we’d learned from leaders in the Masonic Restoration movement. Some of these leaders are here today.

During our formation, when we sniffed around, we found that traditional lodges – well, let me re‐phrase that. MAINSTREAM lodges, are a bit scared of you, of all Traditional Practices lodges. They don’t know if they can do what you do. They feel somewhat insulted actually, as if your mere presence says they are doing it wrong. They don’t know if they can keep it up if they tried to DO WHAT YOU DO. And because the definition is still slippery, they have a hard time pinning down whether they are doing it right IF THEY TRY. So they duck and cover when the subject comes up.

We had all this in mind when creating Churchill and MacArthur lodges. The question on our minds was, is our best purpose to be inward focused Masons and an inward focused lodge? Or are we outward focused? Can we be both?

I know what is easier. I know what is safer.

Heck, I know what is probably better for myself strictly as an individual Mason and seeker. But that isn’t the road we’ve taken, in developing the culture of Churchill Lodge. In this age of cocooning it is less risky and very comfortable to hunker down, individually, or with our families or small groups, and avoid the agora. ‐‐The marketplace. But which of these philosophies would usher in the best future for our friends, our community, our state and our grand lodge?

Not to mention, the kids of this lost generation.

That is the pivot point that I came to, which frustrates me about modern lodges, ALL lodges. The frustration is the same, whether they be mainstream lodges or traditional observance lodges.

We Masons lack deep engagement in our world today. We have the inheritance, the responsibility even, for ALL THIS GREAT STUFF! Yet we hide it under a bushel. Our focus is maddeningly ‐ selfishly ‐ inwardly focused. We’re monkish in our reserve, yet in the middle ages only a very few monks were able to hide themselves away in solitude and study. Most of them engaged with the world as a face of Godly service to humanity, in contrast to the more imperious priests. For a moment, picture Friar Tuck, just one of the fellows, or the Christian Brothers, happily making their brandy and wine for the townfolk, compared to the image of the priest presiding over high church before he retreats to his cloister? Today, what should be our best lodges, have a tendency to carry on like a group of modern St. Jeromes or those other cave‐dwelling, aesthetic monks, and worship at the flame of knowledge but with NO CALLING TO USE IT TO SPARK INSIGHT AND DEEPENING WITHIN OTHERS. At risk of being a tiresome nag, in many speeches I therefore have challenged my generation of Masons, my lodges, to impact society in a visible, authentic and fearless way. What good is it, I ask, to know the nuanced differences between Anderson’s first and second constitutions, but without an ability to proclaim Masonic Values – interchangeable with the highest aspirations of Western Civilization – to young men in the lodge, to prospectives, to our families and neighbors, and our fellow workers?

How long can the Craft last without an ability to readily proclaim our alternative course to a society that has fallen so far from its prime?

To engage in this fight, we’ve adopted a Culture of the Lodge document, discussed with each petitioner, and signed by all of us, along with our bylaws.

Key points of the Culture of Churchill Lodge:

1. Members must, must, must remain active in their home lodge. Our intent is to spread ideas around.

2. We discuss a pragmatic philosophical issue at each meeting. Examples include the nature of lodge charitable donations, raising self‐sufficient children, how ‘tough love’ works, and a roundtable about the most impactful mentors in each of our lives.

3. We discuss a lodge management problem at most meetings. Examples include NPD management, encouragement of volunteers, and lodge promotion. These discussions often occur after the formal close, when we are enjoying a meal together or gathering around the firepit.

4. We have a limit of 60 men, and some members are challenging us to limit the lodge to 40. Perhaps triggering formation of a new lodge when we hit the hard ceiling of 60.

5. We’ve agreed to a surprising level of transparency. Our discussions and many of our “sensitive issues” are reviewed on our website, and with our home lodges. The intent is to bring simmering issues to the surface. We realize we face many of the same problems other lodges face. Prospective members that shy away because we are dealing with real‐world issues are pretty much like fair weather friends, eh?

6. Members are encouraged to engage as leaders in their home lodges, but also in politics, church, etc. We have two brothers stepping up to run for local school board and city council seats.

7. Visitation is encouraged and visitors are ‘rushed’ in the sense that we make every effort to engage visitors in our conversations, to discuss problems and solutions that will help them, and NOT for the purpose of recruitment.

8. Collaboration with other lodges is highly sought after. Our big event in June, bringing those British Masons to the US for the Atlantic Brotherhood Summit meant we asked several neighboring lodges to assist with greeting, and to participate in our festive board.

All of these are steps that take positive action, going beyond study, and self improvement. The aim of the Craft must be to result in Action if we are to survive. Study and purity of form are not enough. We have been given a great gift, and I would that we were all to act as mirrors, reflecting our light outward, professing our values.

I imagine building a network of lodges that train engagement in professing our values.

In contemplating this, I am indebted to the great state of Oklahoma, and one of your own. He’s a friend I haven’t met face‐to‐face yet, but I know him. Brett McKay of the Art of Manliness website has tapped into something that I use every week in my fraternal work. Do some of you from Veritas Lodge know Brett?
Please pass along my greetings. I use AOM topics to derive discussion items at my lodges and with my collegiate fraternity chapters. A dozen of our brothers at Churchill Lodge have similar engagement points where they seek to make a substantial difference in the lives of young men at crucial points: With high school students, or young adulthood, in fraternal connections, at their first job. We engage in church, as professors, as scouting leaders or coaches. If we do this, new members will come. I’ve found that do‐ers attract other do‐ers to step up.

Our affinity then, is an external focus, but to do this we need a strong internal lodestar, a program where we challenge each other and teach each other to engage as best we can. I know from speaking with you tonight that my perception of Traditional Observance is colored by my experiences back home with our local group. In fact, I wish I had a group like yours in Minnesota to point to as an example when the subject came up. Warm. Tightly connected to the jurisdiction. We could easily support similar lodges in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Rochester. Maybe a couple more. I find that our local lodge of the Traditional Observance movement still lacks ‘warmth’ and engagement with the broader jurisdiction and community. Lodges can and should “feed us.” The pastor I had growing up told us how he would get so caught up in church politics and the day to day of giving his sermons, and in service, that he sometimes got dried up in a way. He had to break off and go somewhere so he, in turn, could recharge his spirit, and in his terminology, GET FED. Get fed. I always liked that metaphor. He would insist on his annual spiritual retreat. He would attend other churches and sit in the congregation.

I think that his example points the way for us in Minnesota, and may hold a clue for the role of a good lodge elsewhere. It recharges us, so we can get back to the front lines in the culture wars. Because we are, whether we know it or not, cultural warriors. We are called to fight for our values in a world that needs us so desperately.

The videos I showed you are snapshots of a terrible waste. These boys haven’t been challenged, haven’t had the right discipline, and they are left woefully unprepared for life in the real world. Commercials generally make me ill – it seems every adult male is portrayed as a dunderhead or child, compared to the wisdom of his wife. The “Peter Pan” games‐playing commercials are even worse. How can these young men waste their passion on things with so little meaning?

I call on you, the best and brightest of Masons, to use what you’ve learned from the Craft to engage outsiders even when it is scary and when the room isn’t sympathetic. Get yourself outside of the lodge, and lead, work, profess your values, teach, inspire.

Call video games and reality TV what it is: A waste of time.

Pull those whom you can influence into opportunities for volunteerism, charity and lessons of manliness. Be that interesting old man in your neighborhood who knows how to fix things, or who recognizes someone having a sorrowful day, and knows how to give good advice.

Run for office, teach a community class, start these conversations at your home lodges.

So many kids come from broken homes. Give them a role model. Talk with them.

Individually, we can only reach out to a relative few. But, like in the film, Pay It Forward, if we reach a few, they, in turn may reach others, and so on, and so on…

Wherever you can engage, get out there and make something good happen. Be more than just a knowledge collector, a title collector, or a pin collector.

Thank you for your time this evening.

Please visit www.ChurchillLodge.org and to www.TheChairmen.org for more information.
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