Saturday, October 18, 2008

What Would You Do As Grandmaster #3



Now here is a Brother who is a reformer, a strong reformer. Keep in mind as you read these essays that the perspective of the authors often are reflected in the circumstances through which the Brother has had to endure. Many reformers have been cruelly dealt with by Freemasonry. I have not the story behind the story about 2 BOWL CAIN. But I can tell he has been treated unfairly along the way and has risen anew in a different vein. I thank him very much for his contribution and urge all who read this to visit his excellent blog at:
http://tubulcain420.blogspot.com/
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I want to thank Brother Squire for allowing me the opportunity to express myself as to how and what I would do affect Freemasonry. I believe in keeping it simple. My total approach is strictly for the Blue Lodge and making it a special place for Masons to meet and become enlightened. I want the Master Mason to gather all that has been scattered, and that is Freemasonic Light, unencumbered by recognition and control of what is acceptable as real Masonic Light. All of the rites and rituals have value to all masons, and the Blue Lodge should be the Clearing House of all Masonic Light. I want the Lodges to feel Sovereign in their direction and what Light they want to disperse amongst their members. A sense of Universal acceptance amongst all who call themselves Masons, and take it seriously, is what I want to accomplish. The more we are exposed to the differences within the Craft and its history, the better we will be at understanding the Crafts original purpose and hopefully the rediscovering of the Spirit which swept across this small planet spreading Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
So Mote It Be.

1. Elections for every Grand Line Officer. They must present a platform on which they will run for office. Their platforms will be made available on line and sent to all lodges so the membership may know what their potential leaders would do for the craft. No platform, no name on ballot. No appointments to Grand Line and no progression. If you turn out to be a lame duck officer, you may be voted out of line.
2. No York or Scottish Rite bodies. The rituals and lessons will be performed by degree teams of devoted brethren. These Rites will be available to Past Master’s only, and not for titles or rank, but strictly for educational purposes. Then these Past Master’s will be given material for further Light to spread back to the Blue Lodge.
3. Shrine de-affiliated with Freemasonry. Choose: be Shriner or a Freemason.
4. Ban on all one day classes. Minimum of 8 months between degrees. Pieces of Architecture will be presented by every candidate as well as other demanding requirements for progression through the 3 degrees. Architectures will be papers written by the candidate to be read at an open lodge and then discussed by the brethren.
5. Ban on all books with the words Idiots or Dummies in it. We are a class organization and want to remain that way. My jurisdiction is not for the Dummies or Idiots crowd. Anytime a Masonic want to be author relates to Historical Masonic writers material and hard work as “CRAP” will automatically be removed without a trial. My jurisdiction will breed class, not crass.
6. No selling of Indulgences.
7. Every Lodge will have to perform at least 2 table lodges a year. If a Lodge needs help, zealous brethren will help out.
8. Local Lodges do not handle Masonic funerals anymore. A district funeral team will be set up and those zealous brothers will handle Masonic funerals when requested.
9. District Deputies must have a finance background to be able to “really” audit Lodges and Temple company books. A stop needs to be put on shady record keeping within the temples and the inspectors must be properly trained on what to look for.
10. 5 year reprieve on per capita. Every lodge or Temple Company must submit how that money is being spent on the upkeep of ones temple, especially Historical edifices. The Grand Lodge will donate to the Charitable Foundations put in place to run these facilities.
11. 5 year ban on all territorial/jurisdiction divisional codes. Allow and promote inter-visitation between ALL Freemasonic bodies within ones territory. Go and visit these other lodges, invite them to your lodge. Spread Universal Brotherhood of All Mankind. At the end of the 5 years, study to see what the positives and negatives were by spreading this type of Universal Freemasonry.
12. A college of rites for all blue lodge masons to be made available for further Light. Freemasonry has a long history of the formation and working of many rites, and all rites should be available for all masons to study and learn
13. No more parading in aprons, collars and polo shirts. If a lodge wants to parade locally, all in business attire and the WM can wear his Tile/Top Hat. That is it.
14. All Lodges must institute a Chamber of Reflection and Cave Investigations for all potential candidates.
15. Petition signees will have more responsibility on the labor and dedication that their petitioner shows. It will be handled on the Lodge level, but members will be held accountable for trying to bring in “lazy” masons.
16. 5 year ban on “National” charities. The Lodge needs to be active locally with actual labor, not just writing checks to some charity. Labor and works perfects the ashlar. We should become THE local charity. i.e. the temple company.
17. All EA’s must do Labor in the temple for the Lodge. That is what they do. Labor.
18. Freemasonry is a volunteer organization, no payment to any members for services as an officer.
19. A temple committee will be assigned to check the age of the temples around and how may the Grand Lodge help with the upkeep. The destruction of our Temples must stop. Also, the Grand Lodge will not interfere with Temple Companies running their Temples and impede their progress in saving their buildings. Their responsibility will be to detect fraudulent behavior only. Create a committee to help drive revenue to the bigger facilities. Also, make sure the Temple Companies are properly insured so no claims of fraud may be levied against them.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Item 5. A Grand Master automatically expelling a member without a trial for doing something he didn't like?

Hmmm.

Justa

Tubal Cain said...

yep, only on 1 item.

referring to our honorable institutions fore fathers work as CRAP.

Yep.

Zero tolerance for that behavior.

Any other infractions will be dealt with at the Lodge level. But if any human is going to try and profit off of the dead, passed Master's of our craft while disparaging their Labors in the Quarries for this Institution, all the while relating this Ancient and Honorable fraternity in conjunction with "Dummies and Idiots", need not be a Freemason in my Jurisdiction.
That is the only infraction that would be dealt by me, the Grand Master, in such a manner.
Otherwise, all masonic business is handled by the members of the individual Lodges.

Tubal Cain said...

Also, Thank you Brother SB.
Last night brother Peace and Sirius Brothers and Brother Brandt and Euclid, along with Halcyon did a Traditional Cosmopolitan EA degree last night that blew me and the candidate away! The ritual was a beast and made the brethren envy the candidate for what he able to experience.
The opportunity to now work and experience different rites and rituals is extremely invigorating.
I can see how this degree would be extremely impactful on an American in the 1700's. Much more inspirational and thought provoking.
Again, Thanks Brother SB!

The Palmetto Mason said...

Here we see an example of the real issue. "Reformers" (Squire's word - not mine) are not truly interested in reforming those mean ol' bad GLs and GMs. They're just mad because things didn't go their way. If things had gone their way and they were in control, they would use the same mean ol' bad tactics that they currently rail against. The "reformers" have a different vision but have more restictive tactics than the ones they're mad about.

Silence Dogood said...

To me, this article seems more like a laundry list of personal complaints, more than an attempt to help the craft flourish.

First off, the idea that we should destroy the concept of free speech in lodge by kicking out men who refer to a work as crap is ludicrous. Some of that work is "crap" and some of it is not. But, I don't know who made any of us the judge, jury, and executioner. Needless to say, the idea that someone can be kicked out for such a petty thing infuriates me.

Otherwise, this seems to be one Brother's personal view and the desire to shape Freemasonry in his own image. I just can't condone that. While I particularly liked #1, something that I have long agreed with, the Craft must govern themselves. They shouldn't have to submit to anyone's personal view of Freemasonry.

Silence Dogood said...

Palmetto Bug,

I don't think you can apply your comment to all of us. The first two articles in this series (yes, one of them was mine) were incredibly unrestrictive and only focused on restoring control to the Brethren. Not everyone who believes in a little change is doing it due to a personal agenda.

Tubal Cain said...

i've known masons to be kicked out for less. nothing new there. no change really from present system?

only 1 thing can this be applied. to a brother who profits from disparaging masonic laborers who are dead and cannot defend themselves. We have more respect and class when talking about our passed masonic laborers, especially in literature available for the profane.

this is a personal view because the title was" If I were GM for 5 years, what would I do", well I means I, so I interpreted it as a personal thing?

so far the only item receiving any comment, really, is that I refuse to tolerate masons calling undefendable brothers labor CRAP?

talk about petty?
these rules would put the control back to the Blue Lodge and blue lodge only? and give them more freedom to work and less freedom to steal at the temple company level?


pbug,
as a mason in my jurisdiction, how is a mason being restricted?

what restrictive tactics am I enacting?
only an inability to disparage honorable passed brethren?

Tubal Cain said...

silence dogood seems to think I would take away free speech?

well i am trading trashing pike and hall for politics and religion discussions? so the "free speech" in Lodge you talk about, actually gained 1 more freedom of speech than before? it is not in lodge it is being banned from, it is to profit from in the general public. I expect more from a mason than trashing dead masons works!
In lodge say what you like!?

Dean said...

Bro. 2 Bowl Cain,

I can't say I agree with everything you wrote, but I will agree that you made me scratch my head and ponder a few of your points. Good work makes men think... for that reason, I say good work brother. I'd need more time that I simply don't have to go point by point.
One point I don't agree with totally but I feel you are headed in a good direction. I don't think District Deputies should be required to have a financial background... as it would disallow a District Deputy who may excel in another area. I do think you bring up a concern though and perhaps it should be mandatory for a district or grand audit committee or something. I think most lodges could use better financial management... Just getting someone who understands the fundamentals of book keeping and financial instruments would be great in many lodges. But then that also brings up a discussion on whether individual lodges should hold surplus cash or assets.

I'll just go back to scratching my head again...

The Palmetto Mason said...

Silence: Please accept my apologies for lumping you in with certain other "reformers."

San Diego Freemason said...

Nice article Brother 2 Bowl.Yes, it is wonderful that we can now experience many beautiful Masonic rituals that have previously not been available in the U.S. I was recently initiated according to the Modern Rite and and I hear that a lodge is forming in Michigan that will be using the Rectified Scottish Rite. Exciting times that we live in. Thank you and best wishes to the Brothers at Halcyon

Peter Yancey
Lodge Intrepid #4
Los Angeles, CA
GOUSA