Sectarian & Partisan Freemasons Are Really Institutionalists

There is a way to differ with Palmetto Bug and his “Camping” essay. It’s with polite, quiet, respectful reason and logic.

For those Sectarian and Partisan Masons there is only one way to practice Freemasonry, their way – the way their Grand Lodge does or those associated Grand Lodges we refer to as Mainstream Masonry. And the way Freemasonry is practiced is very important to these people.

The Philosophical Masons are more interested in the net result not in the means and style used to get there. They ask, “What is the purpose of practicing Freemasonry?” The answer of course is to touch the mind, soul and character of the individual making him a better member of society and a better family man. And in the process for him to enjoy the fellowship of like-minded men and to express his born again spirit in giving back to humankind and asking for nothing in return. Any discipline or obedience that can accomplish that is worthy of our applause and our approval, say the Philosophical Masons.

But if it isn’t done a certain way according to established rules and traditions that have been handed down from the past, then it isn’t authentic says the former. And if it violates many of these rules and traditions while still keeping the name and pedigree, it isn’t authentic either says the latter.

You can see this argument played out in religion and politics also. Christian A practices his Christianity at his church and Christian B does the same at his church. But Christian A might say that Christian B is not really practicing Christianity the correct way and is therefore not going to be entitled to salvation. And he might add that his church was chartered in the First Century AD and Christian B’s is a latecomer to the scene. And Christian B might say that both practitioners are forming a close relationship with their Creator and are therefore both reaping the rewards of changed hearts. He also might say that it is Christianity and not the church that is the most influencing factor here. And there you have the two positions that you could play out between Democrats and Republicans also.

But I wouldn’t call these Sectarian & Partisan Freemasons Traditionalists. I would call them Institutionalists. They worship the Institution of Freemasonry as represented by its Grand Lodges and their Constitutions, By-Laws, Rules and Regulations. But Philosophical Freemasons would say that it is not the Institution that is most important; it is the body of thought that should take preeminence. It is not the rules and regulations of the Institution that require our strict adherence to first as much as it is our dedication to the ethics and virtues of Freemasonry.

You can see this kind of thinking in my church, The Roman Catholic church and as a member I feel I have a right to knock it when it deserves it. The church did not expose and remove Pedophile Priests for the fear of the harm it would do to the Institution of the church. Above all, Cardinals and Bishops said, the church must survive to teach and guide future generations. For that to happen some must suffer now in silence otherwise the good will be destroyed with the bad. Thus we have the cult of the Institution that is also demonstrated by many Freemasons.

This drama is played out Masonically over and over again and can be remembered in the recent machinations of the Mainstream Grand Lodge of West Virginia. The Institutionalists refused to criticize the Grand Lodge of West Virginia or its Grand Master because the Institution of Freemasonry must come under no reproach no matter what it does. Furthermore, these people say, you took an obligation to follow the rules and regulations of your Grand Lodge so neither you nor the Masons of West Virginia can try to reverse any action of a Grand Master of a Grand Lodge.

Therefore if your Grand Lodge says no Masonic discourse with what they call clandestine Freemasons, no association and no common programs then you are bound by your promise at the altar to follow those rules. Philosphical Freemasons maintain that the Institution of Freemasonry cannot violate human, civil and legal rights among them being free speech and association. Therefore they would welcome common cause, conversation and gatherings with any obedience that effectively furthers the worth of the individual.

Finally that is not to say that for Philosophical Masons there are no rules, at least not in the ones who adhere to an Obedience and abide within its walls of cooperation. I am sure there are those that Palmetto Bug describes as those for which -“Anybody can join and anything goes”. But these people are not in the field of play. Those others that you might discourse with and find mutual areas of involvement with outside the Lodge room you do not sit inside tyled doors with. Conversely most Institutionalists see the merit of emphasizing the virtues of Freemasonry as the Catholic Church does the Gospel. The difference is in how each strain prioritizes.

In Defense of Palmetto Bug

Fellow blogger and Masonic Forum member, Palmetto Bug - http://masonicline.blogspot.com/- is taking it on the chin pretty hard lately. It seems to be part of the harder, louder more strident Freemasonry in these modern times. I see the same kind of obsessive hate in the anti Bush people. It is not enough to just have a difference of opinion with our President, it is necessary by many of his opponents to paint him as evil incarnate and making their disagreement hate and hot anger.

Now Palmetto Bug and I are adversaries on the Masonic scene. We don't agree on much and I have whopped on this respectful Brother a little hard myself until one day I caught myself going over the line. Then I had a nice chat with myself whereupon I twisted my arm and slapped my kisser a few times and reminded myself of the message we all learned in the First Degree from The Compasses - to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions within due bounds. Not that I matched what Palmetto Bug is enduring right now but it was a bit on the snippy side.

Such things happen in moments of passion with passionate people. We get carried away and we take it up one too many notches. But realizing that and coming to grips with the imperfect beings that we are, most of us proceed on on a more level headed corrected course.

But there is a group out there today - I call them provocateurs. They are in the business to ferment dissension. They deliberately pick fights. They have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe they were wronged in the Masonic process somehow. Their answer is revenge, on anybody and everybody.

So if you take a stand, if your passion for the Craft leads you into discrediting or a challenge you open yourself up to those who would literally if you were at a bar, take you out back and beat the crap out of you.

That may lead many to become Mr. Milk Toast but I am sure that is not the way Palmetto Bug wants to operate. And that is sure not the way I want to operate either. I have some very definite ideas, solid positions and I am not afraid to stick my neck out.

That's why I believe that all of us in the Blogging Community must band together to not allow Jubela, Jubelo and Jubulum to cary out their purpose. It's one thing to have an opinion but its another thing to have an agenda which you feel a need to enforce. It reminds me of some of the PETA people and the Environmentals who burn down people's houses built in former wildlife areas or the Pro Life people who bomb abortion clinics. We can't let this kind of thing get out of hand.

I say let's support Palmetto Bug, even if we do not agree with his position. As somebody once said - I may not agree with you opinion but I will die to see that you have the right to express it or something like that. Anytime I encounter these people getting out of line I will condem them and block them. Please join me.

This verse inscribed at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts reads:

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

St. John's Day Service

On Sunday July 20, 2008 District Eleven of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas held a St. John’s Day Service at New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, District Deputy Gary G. Connor, Jr. presiding. This service is a celebration and remembrance of St. John The Baptist and St. John The Evangelist.

Introductions, prayers and some congregational hymns preceded Pastor Bruce Fortner’s sermon. Pastor Fortner told us he could talk about St. John The Evangelist but he wasn’t going to. He then proceeded to tell us all the things about St. John The Evangelist he wasn’t going to talk about. But that was short lived. What he really wanted to concentrate on today, he said, was St. John The Baptist. His message centered on “crying in the wilderness” and what that really meant. He told us that we needed more crying in the wilderness today, right here in 2008. As he delivered a rousing sermon he kiddingly told us that if after every crucial point he could hear an amen then we would all be out of there in fifteen minutes but if not he would have to further elaborate to make sure the point was understood. It being a typical Texas summer day with the temperature hovering around the 100 degree mark, the Pastor got his amens loud and clear.

One of the features to note about Prince Hall and all the events that are held is that the entire Prince Hall Family participates. That means that The Heroines of Jericho and The Order of Eastern Star were right there with us. The men were all dressed in full Masonic dress and the Ladies in their best Lodge attire also.

It was a day of bringing people together not only to remind them that it is from God from whom all blessings flow and the grace and peace of our Father that is the most important thing in our lives but also for those present to bond and unite as a family in worship, prayer and fellowship.

A Noble Fight: African American Freemasonry and the Struggle for Democracy in America

Amazon announces the publication of this new book "A Noble Fight" which blends African American culture, history, politics and society around the workings of Freemsonry. This book will not be out until Novewmber 11, 2008 but it can be pre-ordered from Amazon.

Here is what Amazon says:

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A Noble Fight examines the metaphors and meanings behind the African American appropriation of the culture, ritual, and institution of freemasonry in navigating the contested domain of American democracy. Combining cultural and political theory with extensive archival research--including the discovery of a rare collection of nineteenth-century records of an African American Freemason Lodge--Corey D. B. Walker provides an innovative perspective on American politics and society during the long transition from slavery to freedom. With great care and detail, Walker argues that African American freemasonry provides a critical theoretical lens for understanding the distinctive ways African Americans have constructed a radically democratic political imaginary through racial solidarity and political nationalism, forcing us to reconsider much more circumspectly the complex relationship between voluntary associations and democratic politics.


Book Description

A Noble Fight examines the metaphors and meanings behind the African American appropriation of the culture, ritual, and institution of freemasonry in navigating the contested domain of American democracy. Combining cultural and political theory with extensive archival research--including the discovery of a rare collection of nineteenth-century records of an African American Freemason Lodge--Corey D. B. Walker provides an innovative perspective on American politics and society during the long transition from slavery to freedom. With great care and detail, Walker argues that African American freemasonry provides a critical theoretical lens for understanding the distinctive ways African Americans have constructed a radically democratic political imaginary through racial solidarity and political nationalism, forcing us to reconsider much more circumspectly the complex relationship between voluntary associations and democratic politics.


About the Author

Corey D. B. Walker is an assistant professor in the department of Africana Studies at Brown University.

Another Mainstream Grand Lodge Hit With Embezzlement

GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS

The Boston Herald reports on Saturday July 12, 2008 that up to $1.5 million has been embezzled from the coffers of The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

Acording to the Boston Hearald:

Meanwhile, Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s Securities Division is launching its own separate probe of the Grand Lodge’s finances, sending a letter of inquiry yesterday to giant financial house UBS for information on its business dealings with the ancient fraternal order, according to a source.

A law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the Suffolk probe told the Herald yesterday that members of the lodge discovered the financial irregularities and took their findings to authorities, who have in turn launched a criminal probe that is zeroing in on two Mason officials.

I would like to make two points in regards to this reoccurring problem across Mainstream Masonry.

1) Masonic Lodges have for ad infinitum refused to bring in outside professionals to run their complicated programs and financial processes. Hence many Grand Lodges have amateurs running giant Masonic Charity Programs, amateurs running Masonic Retirement Communities and amateurs running a multi million dollar end of the businesss of Grand Lodge finances. What qualifies these amateurs? They are Masons and they work cheaply. Many Grand Lodges are very wary of taking chances entrusting outside professionals with private information and dealings of Grand Lodge. Therefore to keep all that they do secrative and to save money they will appoint a Grand Lodge Officer or in house "expert" to perform the duties which would be much better and more safely be performed by an outside professional or a professional agency.

2) As you can see the government - the state of Massachusetts - is now involved in the investigation. Although they were asked in this does not mean that with future problems of another nature the state government would also not intervene and demand to see the records of Grand Lodge and documents and records it would always keep private.

So if a Grand Lodge was charged with racial discrimination and a complaint filed with EEOC it is my bet that the feds would be all over the private records and dealings of the Grand Lodge in question, never mind the negative publicity that would ensue.

Finally the Boston Herald article leaves us with this pleasant information:

The Suffolk and Galvin probes could prove to be yet another blow for area Masons, who several years ago were hit with a scandal involving former money-manager and radio-station owner Brad Bleidt. He was convicted of swindling tens of millions of dollars from area investment victims, many of them Masons.

Bleidt, who used to be a Mason, is now serving time at the federal prison in Fort Dix, N.J.

Moral of the story. Find a better way to screen out dishonrable people. See previous post BALLOT REFORM.

Grand Master of Prince Hall Texas Announces UGLE Recognition

In Grand Session on June 21, 2008 Honorable Wilbert M. Curtis, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas in his fifth annual allocution announced that on March 12, 2008, The United Grand Lodge of England, at its March Quarterly Grand Communication acted favorably on Texas' request for mutual fraternal recognition and it was so moved and passed.

Grand Master Curtis also described his spring trek to Europe, first stopping at Heidelberg, Germany for the fastest 24 hours of Masonry he has ever seen and then his continuance on to London, England where he sat in and presided at UGLE Communications. His European trip was very favorably received with relationships that will be pursued in the future.

So now it is official any Texas Prince Hall Mason can attend any UGLE Communication. But they can't attend any Communication of the Mainstream Grand Lodge of Texas. Perhaps this mutual recognition across the waters will spur a more cordial and close relationship at home.

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE

The Beehive reports on its byline, er beeline that 12 million honey bees escaped from an overturned truck in St. Leonard, New Brunswick. It seems the truck was manuvering on a highway ramp when the load shifted and the truck overtuned catapulting 330 crates of honey bees onto the highway which had to be closed.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police responded as did firefighters. Seven beekeepers were called in to try to retrieve some of the bees. A light rain stopped the bees from going far for awhile but when the sun finally came out and the day got hot all involved had their hands full.

The Toronto Star reports:

When the truck landed on its side, many of the crates — each containing four hives — broke open.

“With the impact they just went crazy,” said beekeeper Edmond Bellefleur, who drove from his home in nearby Drummond to have a look.

“The ones that were able to get out, did get out. You could see some others sticking to the hives, but once they started to open the netting and unpacking the hives one by one and putting them on pallets, then they really started to fly, and they got nasty.”

The bees had been used to pollinate a blueberry crop and were on their way back home to Ontario. One female reporter was said to have been stung twelve times because she got too close to the action. I gues now she is BEE-UTIFUL!