The Organic Growth of Freemasonry

In our district we have a familiar membership pattern as many Freemasons are familiar with. One lodge is strong, in new members and frequently fills the sidelines. In the very next town over, the lodge is weak and unable to hold new brothers. The critical mass is seemingly unobtainable. Thinking of possible district wide solutions to this, many lodges now randomly direct inquiries to closest lodge. To improve upon this, and make the growth somewhat more organic, the district could implement a 5 year strategy. A slight bias could be offerred to a select lodge in need. Nearby lodges would show a preference for the lodge when considering visitations in the district, then one would be as likely to meet district brothers at that selected lodge as local lodge brothers. Inquiries sent to the Grand Lodge could be slightly skewed to advantage the selected lodge, all geographical things being relatively equal. Using this technique within five years new brothers would be as likely to get the flavor of the whole district and be more likely not to go NPD/demit. This is organic growth, from the center outward and more akin to actual natural tendenies of living organisms, utilizing our old friend the golden spiral.

The Thousand Year Day

It has been said that a day in the life of our earth is like a thousand years. In the history of our spiritual quest for evolution we are again upon a thousand year cusp. In western tradition we have marked the time and the half time. Mohammed received his revelation at a half time. Jesus came to mark a new count, which roughly agreed with the Hebrew thousand year increments of the Temple. In the year 1000 a mighty resurgence of expectation of the return, yielded a resolute Europe ready to retake the holy land so that the Saviour might return as hoped. Many years of bloodshed followed in the Middle East. Now a new dawn, and additionally, the 26000 year calendar is also coinciding for change. The Aquarian age begins, and we are just 9 years past the millenia. So what shall we do? Repeat the bloodshed of the last go round, or shall we embark on a new path, one following more along eastern traditions, where the stain to the soul is considered when violence is thought of.

Small Towns and Foreign Brothers

Brothers, those of you who lived in foreign lands can vouch for this , when you find a place or a person in your new home, where most consdier you a bit to different to get to know, you really appreciate it. I have noticed a very disturbing trend at my lodge. For whatever reason, we have had many new brothers come tous of late, who are foreigners , and we have managed somehow to make them mostly all be unable to feel it beneficial in lodge, enough so not to keep coming back. They come for a few meetings and thats it. This is a major problem brothers! We must goout of our way to make absolutely sure that these brothers are taken care of.

American Tolerance,Tradition, and Terra

American Freemasonry is that most fortunate of organizations to have had come into being at a time of scientific advancement in a bountiful and expansive land. Founded upon principles of equality and tolerance, she has flourished because every man truelly still has the potential, not just the ideal, of being accepted, not excepted, within her halls as suitable stone, ashlar, on the way to becoming more properly useful for the Builders purpose. And because of these circumstances which were inherent in our founding on this soil, we continue to show the way to the future of Freemasonry. We do however need to constantly be vigilant against every violation of our ancient landmarks of equality and high mindedness, of wisdom and understanding.
Our's is a land of worthy waters and plentiful resource. Rare has been the occasion here where a man must consider his physical needs to the exclusion of those of other citizens. Here there is plenty of room and public land so that no man need be concerned about crowding with unwashed brethren. Thusly enriched by invention and ingenuity, being the beacon for genius and opportunity, inviting the best and brighest the world over, we have been fortunetly enabled, so that men need not fear for lack and have little tradition of that innocence lost. And so too, we have become accustomed, unaware that Freemasonry in other lands rises from culture where elitism was a necessity of an organized society and public education was not a standard available to all citizens, where no matter the bootstrap not every man or even his son had the prospect of raising himself up. Each man was not able to be seen by others as capable of reaching his potential. And frequently governments have served to reinforce these standards of exclusivity. The ideals of freedom, brotherhood and equality were not practical realities reasonably expected by all citizens.
This is not to say that we haven't, in America, had our challenges with religious tolerance and capitalistic exploitation. Only that the latitude enabled by plenty combined with standards of tolerance and personal responsibility, has kept us disentangled from traditions of divisiveness. We have to fight still for these landmarks of excellence, to walk the walk, to be sure that all men of whatever benevolent religion and class may find an open door in our humble fraternity. That he only be required to be on that journey of seeking love and light for himself and for his fellowman. In the future hopefully, all men will have the benefit of travel to other lands, and will then be able to compare his own motherland to those of others, and love his own the more, and attempt to improve the lot of all others by keeping high ideals, speaking and living them, as a baseline of attitude.
All this is so much sociology compared to actual events which transpire in our lodges every day. The courtesies afforded our new brethren may be lagging as we have forgotten largely the modes of conduct which were standards of behaviour even one generation ago. I cringe when I hear of an investigation committee which has managed to put off a petitioning individual over questions of religion. Or a brother who shortly after completing his degrees finds few to converse with in lodge and shortly stops showing up. This when compared to the gregarious extension of friendship in other fraternities like the Sons of Italy and UNICO leaves still something to be desired. We shouldn't mistake our lack of manners for actual class.

The seed cast on rocky ground

Okay so now we are in the public eye, the Dan Brown book represents to me the beginning of the plateau as far as our collective voice in the wilderness crying out for the brotherhood of man. Now begins the real work.

AC/DC service

This blogsite refers to this reality as polarized, positive and negative, service to others or service to self. This is the nature of the individuals choice, with all the degrees in between the poles of ultimate selfishness and ultimate selflessness. The equivalent law in the material world are the different types of electricity conduction. Direct or DC current is exemplified metaphysically by a service which is unidirectional, one giver and one taker. AC or alternating current, spiritually it is reciprocal, where neither pole gives or takes exclusively, but alternates in service sometimes receiving sometimes giving. In the physical world, AC power is much easier to use in order to span the vast distances in transmission. I'll bet its the same spiritually, across the ethereal heavens.

As A Man Thinketh

Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority the bark of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catstrophe and destruction. This a bit from the little gem of a book by James Allen. Our fraternity is full of men with definite purpose who work toward a goal for our common humanity. Perhaps this common purpose is one reason we persist.

The Blue Tide Is Here

At Ct.'s semi-annual MWPGM Clifford Stamm (2003-2004) addressed the assembled brethren regarding the generational ebbing and flowing of membership in the fraternity. Some research had been done by the Scottish Rite of Maine finding that there is a four generation cycle of membership in Freemasonry. Consisting of first building- creative, rebellious-drop out generation, intellectual-questioning, and tribal-joining. Certainly we are coming out of rebellious decades. We have had a drop out generation with a vengeance, now we see elements of the other three merging in a global way, hopefully toward a time of world seeking and peaceful building. The intellectual compass is set, the mystical elements are winning out, men continue to follow the great admonition to know themselves. Science is ever more pointing back toward the alchemical arcana, and universal love is finding a focus point here and now. So we must now do the difficult work of nurturing these men who come to our doors never assuming that this generation of tribesmen are just like those in the outside unquestioning world, they come to the temple for wisdom, and an end to the bull.

Connecticut Freemasons State Wide Open House

Many Ct. lodges will be open to the public on Saturday November 7th 2009 in the state of Connecticut. This is not a mandate from Grand Master Carlstrom, opting rather for an encouragement to the lodges to welcome in their neighbors who have long been supporters of Freemasonry. It is also an invitation to those who are just curious or even skeptical of our intentions, so that by our so doing, we offer to attempt to answer any questions that anyone may have, and hopefully reduce distortions. Nothing to hide, open hands and hearts. This may reduce the mystique of our work somewhat, but that is of little consequence in the grand scope of things, there is little need for secrecy happily these days in this country, and the mystery should go way beyond seeing the ornaments of a lodge before ones degrees. While it may be that few visitors come to our doors, if even one person is impacted by the days events in a positive way, it will be a success. In 2007, we ran a joint open house with Prince Hall under MWGMs Bagwell and Greene.

The Moral Bankrupcy of Wall Street Continues

Is it time for citizens of this country to stop investing their retirements through Wall Street?
Just this month AIG gave out bonuses equivalent to the amount of taxpayer money funnelled through them to Goldman Sachs during the crisis. They are bleeding this country and they know it, we do have an alternative. This money will not be returned to taxpayers. If it is true that one is responsible for the outcomes of ones investments, then John Q. Public is contributing to the moral decay of our financial system. The arrogance is staggering. I may be done with dollar cost averaging very soon.