As many of you reading this may already know, I have been a Mason for many years. Joining the Fraternity was one of my proudest events. I don’t regret any of my Masonic endeavors and have been privileged to serve in many leadership roles over the years. I have learned many useful tools that are beneficial in the business world as well as social engagements. It has helped me learn myself and thereby improve myself in many areas. The tenets on which Masonry is based are morally based foundations on which to build yourselves. I still very much believe in the principles Masonry represents. I intend to continue following the tenets of Masonry and will happily help others that choose the same path. I continue to support MY Lodge as well as the Fraternity and only want to help it reach the potential it has.
Disclaimer: This Blog post and all future ones about the fraternity are MY opinion with the intent on improving the organization. It should NOT reflect the opinions of any Masonic jurisdiction nor any Lodge of which I am a member or attend.
However, I am saddened to realize what this once great fraternity is becoming. Over roughly the past year, I have met with one disappointment after another. Ironically, it has been a year of uncertainty for me in my personal life and one which I could really could have used the help of many of my Brethren that were unavailable to me (more on that later). Outwardly, the fraternity still does much good work without the expectation of recognition or reward (one of its many great tenets). Inwardly, it still offers the same opportunities for self growth that it always has if one is truly seeking to learn and improve oneself. Unfortunately, though, the Fraternity is shrinking in membership size and in my humble opinion also in stature and overall respect as well. Why, you may ask? Well, it is not immune from the risk of any other societal weakness or influence. Stories of self serving leaders with personal agendas are becoming more and more frequent. In many ways, it is becoming more of a political ‘boys’ club with niche geographic subcultures than a unified world Fraternity full of Brotherly love. Sure, there are still many great members that are incredible role models and teachers. I have many Brothers that I trust and treasure. But, the days of blindly trusting a Mason are sorely numbered and fading fast. Good, morally responsible men who were once the very core of a healthy and robust organization are losing interest or dying off. As the profane world continues to trend toward one of immediate gratification and convenient access to knowledge and earthly rewards for the self promoted, the Fraternity becomes less of a fascination for those seeking improvement and more of a hierarchy for those seeking authority and entitlement. Why, or how, is this being allowed to happen? Well, as the sheer numbers drop off, the leadership becomes too focused on memberships (and frankly participation and even dues income) and less focused on integrity and personal improvement initiatives. That trend and speed of decline is exacerbated by the loss of interest by experienced members that once were key to keeping the level of esteem high. Those members that insisted on accountability and high bars are being outnumbered by glory seekers and authoritarians... thus driving away even more well intended Masons and potential new members that once saw the Fraternity as a way to find mentors and role models for self improvement.
So, why do I seem to have given up on the Fraternity and sound like I am bashing it? Well, not for the sake of bashing or being malicious. No, it is rather to make a call to action for all of us (yes, myself included). Legacy Masons that have become apathetic to where Masonry is going. We shouldn't be critical without willing to offer ourselves (time, talent, or resources) to raise the bar and bring things back to where they need to be. In doing that, we can return the Fraternity to the splendor and respect that used to drive intrigue and attract those desiring self-improvement and have a servant mentality.
What has brought me, personally to these seemingly dire conclusions and driving my making of this call to action? Just look around. With Social media becoming such a basis for our news and the transparency that modern technology and its adoption have enabled, you don't have to look far to see Fraternal ‘dirty laundry’ being aired across multiple jurisdictions. Brethren, this is unavoidable and hiding the laundry or censuring the sharing of it is NOT the answer. Fixing the root issues IS the answer. That starts with yourself (ourselves) and quickly extends to our Local Lodges. A grass roots transformation, if you will. We need to have open and transparent discussions on the most difficult topics and remember that Masonry is most healthy when members respect each others differences and work together on solutions. “Fix” things there early, often, and consistently. It will become habit and mutual respect will once again become the norm. Holding each other accountable for the moral tenets will also once again become the norm. Hopefully the leadership improvements will begin trickling ‘up’ the organization. Those that have been climbing the ranks for personal and improper reasons and rewards will quickly become more conspicuous and be held more accountable for their own self improvement. But first, WE have to be present and influential to our Lodges.
If you have read this far, you must have a genuine concern or at least a piqued curiosity. So, I would love to share with you a recent event that helped bring me to this juncture in my Masonic career. For the first time since my being raised in 1991, I was recently summoned as a witness in a Masonic trial. It was not a trial that clearly mirrored legal penalties in the profane world. It was not a felony that made for a clear cut Masonic ruling. No, the nature of the Masonic charges were of moral (or rather implied, immoral) actions potentially labeling a Brother as Un-Masonic. It is not my intent to try this case again in the public domain nor for me to personally pass judgment. Rather, I hope to share my conclusions of the Masonic trial experience, and all the behaviors leading to it, in hopes that we can improve the fraternity and spare most of you from the unpleasantness I recently endured. This trial was completely avoidable. It didn't occur because of guilt nor innocence but because Brothers failed each other at multiple points in the journey. It all starts with direct 1:1 resolution. PLEASE go to a person with whom you have differences, first. If both parties are trying to live by Masonic principle, you will be able to resolve almost ANY issue by having the difficult discussion and respecting each others perspective. If that fails (because it does take two), then please try to have open discussion of issues in open Lodge. Be Brothers and give counsel and comfort to each other. All actions are results of motivators and/or needs. Find out what your Brother needs and openly reciprocate feedback. Continue the cycle until issues subside. This will make for a healthier Lodge and a more inviting and attractive culture. It addresses both the long and short term health of the Lodge. Lastly, I implore you to only escalate to your district or Grand Lodge authorities as a very last resort. It becomes much less personal and much more political at that level and frankly, you are failing each other and all your Brethren if it gets that far. NOTHING good comes from a Masonic trial.
Keep in mind that I, personally, was NOT on trial. I was only a witness. But, sides (camps) were formed and social cliques aligned. Nobody was allowed to be an independent thinker nor have a “free” thought. You were either “with us or against us”. Apparently, despite your best efforts, you cannot be ‘Switzerland’ (known for being neutral) in today’s Masonic fraternity. The person that was being tried was ultimately found guilty and sentenced. I, personally, neither supported nor condoned many of his actions involving other Brethren. Instead, I tried to understand his motivations and offer advice (counsel and comfort). The results for my approach? One, I feel that I did right by that Brother. What he ultimately does with our interaction and my advice is up to how he chooses to apply it to his own journey and self improvement efforts. But the other result for me was painful and disheartening. Those Brethren that have allowed themselves to have disdain for that Brother’s actions had labeled him as pure evil and automatically put me in his camp as if I had committed his infractions myself. Yes, I know, that is more human nature than any of us may like to admit. But, I expected MORE from my Brethren. I expected them to talk with me before labeling me and certainly before talking about me to others. Had they been genuinely interested, they would have found out how I had actually advised the accused Brother as well as some background that led to his frustrations. NOT one Brother across two different Lodges involved took the opportunity to sit down with me and discuss whatever they had on their mind about the situation. They never showed true interest in knowing my perspective. More importantly, they didn't do that for the accused Brother, either. He was charged and the matter was punted to Grand Lodge before local Brethren took an interest in his Masonic well being and improvement. Local mentality, since he wasn’t an active participant in obvious dominant clique behavior, was to get him out of the Fraternity and/or make him other people’s problem. While this behavior by your local Brethren is hurtful enough, I have also come to understand why this has become normalized. The district and Grand Lodge officers that became involved exacerbated everything instead of mediating. They labeled me and others the same as the accused and helped shun us all as well as endorse local Lodge bias. No district nor Grand Lodge officer EVER reached out to the accused nor anyone that tried to counsel him. They never asked even the simplest of questions to get to the truth. It was as if the default District and Grand leadership approach was to get rid of anyone that was involved if the local Lodge punted an issue to them. That seemed to be their way of continuing to solicit ‘favor’ from the apparent local leaders and to keep themselves in positions of authority. I know as I read what I’m typing that I sound VERY critical of leadership. I don’t offer these observations lightly. Please note, I am fully aware that communication is always a two way street. I assure you that I tried on multiple occasions via multiple ways to communicate with my District and Grand Lodge leaders. They had every opportunity to speak and interact with me. The choice not to do so was entirely on them. I was frankly shut down on every occasion and more firmly placed in a “camp” of others’ choosing.
To make matters worse, I was summoned as a witness and treated with hostility by the prosecutor. Again, I was not the Brother on trial. He attempted to TELL me while on the stand how to think and believe and maintained a critical tone toward me for not blindly agreeing with him under oath. I do NOT feel like I am exaggerating on the description of that trial experience and have learned that other witnesses were treated similarly, or worse. All of this is a matter of record (actually recorded), now. This would make ANYONE hesitate to come forward in the future for or against any Brother while trying to shed light on the truth. Witnesses, simply, should not be persecuted. Therefore, I concluded from my own 1st experience at a trial that Masonic trial “attorneys” are mostly competitive lawyers in the profane world that approach Masonic trials as a playground for their trade where they are not bound by the same public judicial process and boundaries and have put their Masonic trial conviction reputations (win at all cost) above the general welfare of the Fraternity and any of its Brethren. The objective in the trial with which I was involved seemed to be a matter of “winning” and not that of arriving at truth or “justice”. The same result and verdict would have likely been reached, admittedly and possibly rightfully so, had we also maintained Masonic decorum in the process.
Bottom line, I urge you to take a renewed interest in your local Lodges. How we treat each other is a huge part of why members are losing interest in the Fraternity and fewer people are petitioning for membership. Guard the west, but also help restore the integrity of the institution. Focus on quality of membership instead of quantity. Hold leadership accountable and don’t shy away from addressing the issues 1:1 and at your local Lodges. Put the ‘lawyers’ out of a job by addressing things in your Lodge and not allowing them to escalate beyond your walls. We are our Brothers’ keepers. If you want to benefit from the Fraternity, you must value the help of your Brethren. And, you must be committed to help them when they need it, too. Sometimes that requires work. If you cannot commit, maybe you should just turn in your dues card. I will focus on a Brother’s needs and development MORE than I intend to focus on a title/position for myself. I wish everyone would do the same. It would be much more in line with what Masonry offers to teach us.
While I have learned a lot about many of my Brethren through these recent sagas, I have NO regret from any counsel and comfort I have offered any of them... especially to the now convicted. I did for him what I hope Brothers would do for me if I lose important perspective. The ones I ‘blame’ for my being labeled and persecuted as ‘guilty by association’ are all the ones that failed to reach out to me and attempt to draw their own conclusions and form their own opinions before labeling me. I know who those Brothers are now and will certainly be cautious of their motives and behavior.
Any Brother that wishes to discuss or has a need I can help address.... please reach out directly. Happy to give you the courtesy of a genuine discussion, a simple gesture that I and many others are often denied if not in the inner circle of today’s ‘cool kids’ club. And, if I find that I have formed any of my opinions here in error and our interaction enlightens me in that way… YOU will be the first to know and will be offered an apology. For the sake of the Fraternity, I actually hope that I am wrong about some of what I’ve concluded.
The gory details of the referenced trial, issues leading up to it, and drama that resulted from it are much more numerous and complicated. There were additional accusations, some related spin-off charges, and a plethora of personal interactions that could also be evaluated. Some fallout treatment of some Brothers is also still occurring. I refuse to re-hash or debate those details. I have or am trying to rebuild any personal relationships that I know need attention and ask all involved to do the same. This blog post is simply a journal about my personal experience, the way the Fraternity and my Brethren made me feel, my concerns about where the organization is headed, and my call to action to address the culture in general.
I continue to have all of my Brethren and the Fraternity in my prayers.
Fraternally AND sincerely,
Your Brother
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