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Archives for August 2010

Why? C.A.U.S.E. That’s Why

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Arkansas is Imploding

Awhile back the Mainstream Grand Master of Arkansas visited the Grand Session of Arizona.  However, he refused to attend any of the ceremonies or meetings of the Grand Session because there were Black PHA Masons present in a tyled Lodge.  He only attended the Grand Session dinner because it was not a tyled session.

I passed on this story when it came out because I had just released the Derek Gordon story not long before and I didn’t want to just sit back and constantly nitpick by taking pot shots at Arkansas every other week.  However further developments in the whole Arkansas approach to Freemasonry compels me to once again comment on the situation in that state. At the same time nobody seems to care or think it applicable to their Freemasonry.  Consequently Arkansas Mainstream keeps on imploding while the rest of us in Freemasonry have no comment nor take any action. So once again The Beehive will report what is happening in hopes that someday, someone will think it important enough to do something.

The Arizona story was published by that fine Masonic blogger “The Burning Taper” in his piece “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?” and here is what he had to say on the subject.

It seems many rank-and-file Masons, in many locales, are becoming more and more fed up with the actions of Grand Lodge leaders.

This short article was sent to The Burning Taper recently. The author wishes to remain anonymous, for fear of retribution for reporting events and expressing his opinion.

Arizona Grand Lodge Annual Communication began with the Royal Banquet on Wednesday evening, June 2, 2010 prior to the official opening of proceedings on Thursday morning.

The Head Table consisted of Arizona Grand Lodge officers and their wives. Seated near them were the visiting dignitaries representing various Masonic grand lodge jurisdictions. There were 13 listed on the list handed out to all attending members. Most were “line” officers representing their State or jurisdiction with two currently sitting grand masters.

The two grand masters attending the Banquet were Most Worshipful Martin E. Warren, Grand Master of Masons from the Grand Lodge, F&AM of Arkansas, and Most Worshipful Lewis R. Brent, Grand Master of Masons from the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arizona. They were not seated at the same table.

When the Grand Lodge opened in Due Form in the 3rd Degree on Thursday morning the MW Lewis R. Brent from Prince Hall was present, but the MW Martin E. Warren was conspicuously absent. He was not seen in any of the subsequent tiled lodge meetings all day Friday or on Saturday.

It is the custom of the Grand Lodge that, when a pedestal officer (Grand Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden) leave their stations during the proceedings that they place the Jewel of their office on one of the brothers in the room.

Several times during the proceedings on both days, the Senior Grand Warden Brook Cunningbrook chose a highly decorated Phoenix policeman, who is a member of one of the Arizona F&AM lodges and had been shot in the line of duty, to sit high on the chair located on a pedestal in the West to replace him temporarily. He is black.

There were two other black members of Arizona F&AM lodges present and the Senior Grand Warden had them also replace him in the West. It is quite an honor to do this.

In this case, in my opinion anyway, it was kind of an “in your face” type of gesture to some of the members of the Arizona jurisdiction who have moved to Arizona from one of the 10 states that do not recognize Prince Hall and have complained about having to sit in a lodge with a black man. Whether it was directed towards the Grand Master of Arkansas, I can only speculate.

What’s interesting about this is that the Grand Master of Arkansas spent the money to fly to Arizona only to have dinner. Since it is customary for Grand Lodges to pay for the travel expenses of their grand masters, I wonder if the brethren of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas got their monies worth. Since he did not attend any of the business meetings by sitting in a tiled lodge with a black man but only attended the social functions, it seems to me that he spent a lot of money just for a free dinner and drinks, even if the cost came out of his own pocket.

This obviously was an example of the kind of “Imperial Leadership” prevalent in many jurisdictions and is not restricted to Arkansas alone.

More recently another source, who will remain nameless to protect him from expulsion, alleges that Van Buren Lodge of Mainstream Arkansas planned a visit to view The Oklahoma Native American Indian Degree Team perform in Heavener, Oklahoma. When the Worshipful Master of Van Buren Lodge found out that Black Masons would be present he canceled the trip. Furthermore it is alleged that Arkansas Mainstream Masons present at this decision repeated an Arkansas Grand Lodge directive that prohibits any Masons from the Grand Lodge of Arkansas attending any Masonic functions where Black Masons are present.

This source also contends that the Mainstream Grand Lodge of Arkansas is lying to its membership. He points out that the Grand Lodge Grand Session Minutes of 2010 show lawsuits being won by the GL when if you look for those lawsuits using legal aides, you can see that ARGL lost. Its reminiscent to me of of Orwell’s 1984.

This continuous bloodletting by Mainstream Arkansas has led to the spawning of a support group for suspended and expelled Arkansas Masons.  Its name is C.A.U.S.E.

Concerned
About
Unlawful
Suspensions
Expulsions

This group meets in secret as any current members of the Grand Lodge would be expelled.  It also is a service only  available to unjustly suspended and expelled Arkansas Masons and specifically excludes any so dropped for moral turpitude.

Its purposes and objectives are:

1)   Support group
2)   Networking
3)   Legal Aid
4)   Education
5)   Repatriation
6)   To get men out of Masonry thinking about Masonry again

C.A.U.S.E. is open to suspended & expelled Arkansas Masons as well as current members who wish to aid such men. While its membership and place and time of meetings cannot be shared with non members, the group will soon have a website.

This group has a start up membership of about 50 men. Currently C.A.U.S.E. leaders are helping the membership with trying to become members in other jurisdictions, lawsuits against Grand Lodge and esoteric discussions and speakers. It must be remembered in the case of civil action it has been alleged that the Grand Lodge of Arkansas has pulled the charter from some wealthy Lodges and closed them down in order to add that wealth to the Grand Lodge coffers.

Remember that when a Mason is unjustly expelled in one jurisdiction the wrong cannot be corrected in another jurisdiction (although C.A.U.S.E. is trying). All Masonic jurisdictions will mutually support one another in their suspensions or expulsions – no matter the reason. Frank Haas has been the only Mason in modern times to crash this barrier and that was just recently.

If you look at how many men are in C.A.U.S.E., which is only weeks old, and then add in former Masons in the same position from other states, you have a rather large group of disaffected Masons nationwide. These are for the most part good, honest men who have been wronged, and who sometimes seem overly angry and bitter.  They are ripe for being picked up by another Obedience, many who are classified as irregular and clandestine by Mainstream Masonry.

These are men who certain Masonic societies and forums will drop from their membership rolls once they have been suspended or expelled.  To be wronged and then to be shunted, ostracized and damned is something that only fuels the fire of bitterness and hatred.

Yet those in power who do wrong are never chastised by their peers.  They are never held accountable for their actions. There is no recourse to correct a run away, rogue Grand Lodge.

The righteous minded, ass kissing, bean counters left in Mainstream Masonry will pontificate that if there are problems in a Grand Lodge then it is only the business of that Grand Lodge and nobody else’s and all that is needed to correct matters is for the Brethren as a whole to vote to change things.

They haven’t met the Arkansas Grand Master who is alleged to have forcibly removed and expelled an 80 year old member from Grand Lodge Session who made a motion that displeased him who is the same Grand Master who is accused of having committing an immoral act that sacks every brother who attempts to bring him up on charges by expelling them without trial.

Where were all these holier than thou Masons when the Grand Master of Arkansas banned Masonic E-Mail? Where were they when Past Grand Master Frank Haas was snookered into coming to a meeting so that the Grand Master could embarrass him by expelling him in front of his father and friends without prior notice?

The other mantra used by those on the inside is, wait awhile, when all the old guys die off, things will change.  In the meantime – don’t rock the boat.  Very bad advice, indeed. There is no reforming Grand Lodges which function as bastions of the KKK who remake themselves anew with each new generation. When any thought, word or deed, and attempt at making things right is met with instant expulsion without a trial then you have a rogue Grand Lodge out of control that is governing its membership as the North Korean government governs its citizens. The only thing that is going to stop a Grand Lodge like this is action from the outside.

C.A.U.S.E. is not standing around and waiting for somebody else to do something.  It is going ahead to first take care of the hearts and souls of those men who have been so unjustly wronged, and then to mitigate some of the damage being done by a Grand Lodge who only thinks of itself and amassing more and more power.

Perhaps this movement will catch on in West Virginia and elsewhere.

Backyard Freemason – Sacred Geometry

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These videos demonstrate some seriously fascinating practical, and spiritual benefits of studying and applying Sacred Geometry in our lives, as has been done in Freemasonry.

Part 1

Part 2 picks up and talks about the point within a circle, the square, and triangle symbols are practically incorporated into everyday life. The interesting aspects of Masonic symbolism is how they are involved in our lives for doing good, for others, and for ourselves.

Part 3 looks at the wonder of the Holy Saints John associated with the Summer Solstice in order to find the “truth” of geographical exactness and centeredness which is delightful to discover!

Part 4 Looks at the psychology and spirituality of being “aligned in truth” explored

Part 5 Concludes with the power and beauty and utility of the circle and the square in our lives.


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Playing by the Rules

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Whether in business or a nonprofit organization there will be instances where you will inevitably be warned to “play by the rules.” I have heard this in just about every company I’ve consulted with, as well as the many different nonprofit organizations I have participated in over the years. Basically, it is a thinly veiled warning not to disrupt the status quo or face the consequences. It is essentially no different than saying “Do it our way or else.” Interestingly, I have discovered people either don’t know what the rules are, misinterpret them, or know them too well.

Playing by the rules doesn’t necessarily mean following the written rules, policies and procedures as defined in a formal document such as a policy manual or a set of governing docs such as bylaws. More likely it means to conform to the wishes and whims of the current regime. Volunteer organizations in particular can easily become political snake pits. One of the things you discover early on, it’s not a matter what the governing docs say as much as it is about who interprets them. Regardless of the clarity of the language, the rules will be interpreted by those in charge. Not surprising, those who admonish us to play by the rules are the same people who control them thereby turning them into a political football.

It is not uncommon to discover there are probably more unwritten rules than written. The sooner you learn them, the better. This is, of course, all a part of learning and adapting to the corporate culture. The written rules may say one thing, the unwritten rules may mean something entirely different and probably carry more weight. Too many times I have seen procedures clearly written one way, yet when I ask about them, I am told “We haven’t done it that way in years.”

As a systems man, I learned a long time ago to consult with secretaries and clerks when trying to figure out an existing system. The documentation may say one thing (if any), but the operational people know how things are really run. It kind of makes you wonder why organizations invest in developing policies and procedures if nobody is expected to follow them. In all likelihood it is to create a legal escape hatch in the event of when push comes to shove.

People will pay little attention to rules that are unfairly interpreted. In fact, they will go out of their way to subvert them, and why not? If the current regime demonstrates unethical behavior, their subordinates or constituents in all likelihood will follow suit. Again, this is all part of the corporate culture.

Getting people to conform to the formal written policies and procedures takes an individual with unusual strength of character, who understands the necessity of conformity, and interprets the rules fairly. Such people of integrity are unfortunately becoming few and far between.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim’s columns, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

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Tune into Tim’s THE BRYCE IS RIGHT! podcast Mondays-Fridays, 11:30am (Eastern).

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Taking Lodge Back to the Table

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good food, lodge, mealThroughout my experience in Freemasonry, I have been able to determine that there is one guaranteed way to increase meeting attendance and activity among the membership: provide excellent food.

It really is no surprise that food is an important part of the Masonic experience. In his book Catching Fire, Harvard-based anthropologist Richard Wrangham suggests that the act of cooking and eating has made humans evolve into social creatures. Food is at the center of virtually every social function that takes place in our society. Humans often get together to have cookouts or go out to eat. So, not surprisingly, having a dinner as part of lodge functions enhances the overall experience.

I have seen different methods of providing a lodge dinner. One way is for the lodge members to cook the meal themselves. Sometimes, this is largely successful. Some lodges have the Brethren get together and cook the meal as a sort of social event with great success. Often, these lodges have members that enjoy the act of cooking and are very good at the art of preparing food. On the other hand, many of the lodges that cook the meals themselves produce bland, sub-par dinners that attract little attention from the members. In these lodges, the task of cooking is thought of as a chore and often the success of the meal is considered to be directly proportional to how cheaply it could be provided.

Another method of providing food is to have a meal catered or take the lodge event to a restaurant. This method requires the Brethren to either pay out of pocket or provide sufficient funds to the lodge to purchase such services. This is personally my favorite way to provide a feast at the lodge. It allows the Brethren to show up and enjoy the meal rather than show up at the lodge to work in the kitchen. Unfortunately, many Masons see this as an unneeded expenditure. They feel that it is too expensive for the Brethren. However, they don’t understand that a lodge can often purchase meals for the members for less than $20 per member per month. I believe that Masonry is worth $20 a month, but that is a subject for another article.

Regardless of how a meal is procured, it’s quality must be top notch. If you eat off of paper plates, the experience feels cheap and unimpressive. It is amazing how the attitude of a lodge will change when a dinner requires real glassware and silverware. Also, it is suggested that attire for a meal be at least a shirt and tie, but again that is a subject for another article.

Now, here is where I am going to suggest a real change. Historically, Masonry took place at the dinner table. The 1734 version of Anderson’s Consitutions contains a list of General Regulations which mention how Masonic feasts should be administered numerous times. In other words, feasting was so important that it was actually included in the earliest Masonic regulations. In America, early lodges were accustomed to meeting in taverns and enjoying food and drink as part of their meetings. I suggest that we must take the lodge back to the table. The lodge room is for degree work and conducting the regular business meetings, but the table is where the real Masonic intercourse can take place. Discussion about Masonry and Masonic education is better digested at the dinner table. The Brethren are more relaxed and less anxious. In the lodge room, the members often become restless and are in a hurry to end the meeting. But at the table, the Brethren are willing to sit and enjoy themselves.

You can hold many different functions at the table. Hold an official table lodge, invite a guest speaker to make some remarks, have a round table discussion, or allow Brothers an open forum to present their views on Masonic teachings. The possibilities are endless. It is guaranteed that good feasts combined with interesting conversation or speakers and a quality atmosphere will lead to a more active lodge.

One of the first changes that we can make to truly improve Freemasonry is to get back to the dinner table. Hold Masonic feasts regularly and often. Make them classy affairs that the Brethren can be excited about and look forward to attending. If the Brethren perceive their time with the lodge as valuable, they will not be afraid to spend a little money in order to enjoy a dinner with their fellow Masons.

PHA Conference Of Grandmasters Website

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Conference of Grand Masters Prince Hall MasonsOne of the interesting items that Grand Master Wilbert M. Curtis introduced us to at our summer Grand Session of PHA Texas was the new Conference of Grand Masters PHA website.  It is really quite well done.

There are two interactive maps where you can slide your cursor over a state and it will show you the Grand Master of that state or territory with his picture, website and E-Mail address.  Another map will do the same thing for Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons .  Both maps are also broken down into Regions and each Region is also part of the information included in a visit to each state.

When the Grand Masters meet, the Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons also meet at the same time and place.  Including the women with the men in joint but separate gatherings is a constant theme in Prince Hall Masonry.  Not so on the Mainstream side.

The website has a center picture which changes, a touch of Masonic art and symbolism and good color.  It also has a fair amount of information.  You can learn about the origin of Prince Hall Masonry and the origin of the Adoptive Rite among Black women.  Another click will show you all the Grand Lodge websites list alphabetically. Other tabs will bring you to PHA charities and to other Masonic links.

But what I enjoy seeing on the site most of all is the spelling out of the Purpose of the Grand Masters conference along with pictures of the officers and a breakdown of regional heads.  Along with the Purpose are listed also the  Objectives for the Grand Masters and Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons.

To view the  website go here:    http://www.conferenceofgrandmasterspha.org/home.asp

The Prince Hall Site gives you the feeling of some tight bonding among the different jurisdictions.  It also sets a definite agenda while at the same time allowing some time for position papers.

Taking a look at the Mainstream Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America, Inc. I see a site that doesn’t seem to want to show off Masonry, doesn’t emphasize togetherness, is less informational and not quite so elegant.

To view that website go here:      http://www.cgmna.org/index.htm

Contrast the two for yourself and see if you come to the same conclusions.

The Backyard Freemason

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The Backyard Freemason, also known as Kerry Shirts, has been posting videos several months on You Tube and with a wealth of them on there now, I struck me to post some up and share them with a wider audience.

The author of the video is a relatively “young” mason but is already well steeped in the mysteries and philosophy.  Top it off with a well articulated position and some good information and you get a terrific video.

For now, sit back and enjoy the first episode of the Backyard Freemason.

Think of this as a primer of the videos to come as I’ll post more in upcoming weeks.

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Furnishing A New Masonic Home

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It’s amazing the myriad details that have to be attended to in building a new Lodge building.  There are committees galore dealing with permits, foundation, framing, supplies, contractor, sub contractors such as a plumber and electrician, code inspections and probably a lot more I have left out.

Pride of Mt. Pisgah LodgeWe have a nice double lot that extends way in from the road as you can see from the picture. The Lodge is all a buzz like little beavers with meetings, phone calls, follow-up meetings on the meetings.  The Master is well organized and the Lodge now has in place the necessary ingredients to get the building raised.  A lot of the inside work will be done by Lodge members.  I can just see myself helping to hang drywall, if that’s how you say it. A tradesman I ain’t.

All the bases seem to be covered except……………………well when I brought up the subject of furniture.  I can’t blame anybody for that because it really is not part of building the edifice.  It’s what comes after.  But after a few merges and renting for a number of years using somebody else’s furniture, my Lodge’s furniture seems to be no more.  Maybe there are a few pieces saved, scattered here and there at members houses for safekeeping, but that remains to be seen.

Since I am going to be little help in the construction of the building, I turned my thoughts to what I could do about getting us some furniture.  We need an altar, East, West and South stations encompassing chairs therein, the three lesser lights, chairs and/or benches for the rest of the officers and the sidelines members and even rods for the Deacons & Stewards.

My thoughts turned to an article I wrote not too long ago where Paul Dean Lodge AF & AM of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts merged with Paul Revere Lodge, sold its building and donated all its furniture to the Lodges of Bangor, Maine who were rebuilding after a fire completely destroyed all that they had. A delegation from Paul Dean participated in the rededication ceremony of Bangor’s new quarters and was lauded before the entire group.  What a great story!

http://ep9.f3a.mwp.accessdomain.com/2010/05/masonic-organ-donor-2/

Could there be another Lodge somewhere in the U.S.A. who is also turning in its charter or merging and has furniture that they no longer have a use for? Or as a Brother and friend of mine suggested:

What about commissioning some of it from currently skilled people, some might even be retired and do it as a labor of love for cost. What an opportunity !   ” This Worhipful Master’s Chair designed, carved and assembled by ________________ for the benefit of the lodge and the good of the Craft. AL 6010 “

So if you are reading this and can be of help please get in contact.  It looks like the Lodge building will be raised at the beginning of the New Year and by spring we should have the inside completed. The Master says we are probably going to be able to beat that schedule and have it completed earlier.

Pride of Mt. Pisgah Lodge #135 would enjoy the opportunity to fete and regale all, who would join us in our celebration and aid us in the completion of a Masonic home, with some of that famous Southern Masonic hospitality.

Becoming a Dues Paying Mason

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dues cardThroughout my entire experience in Freemasonry, I have wondered what can be done to bring those Freemasons that do not attend lodge meetings back into our temples. I found these dues-paying Masons to be a frustrating breed. They must believe that being a Freemason is important enough to continually make a monetary payment to their Masonic organizations and yet it is not important enough for them to actually attend and contribute their time.

I assisted in planning and executing a number of lodge functions in order to bring these silent members back and there seemed to be no response. I began to develop the opinion that these men were simply neglecting their Masonic duties.

And then, I became one of them.

It wasn’t intentional at first. It started by moving to another town, then I became busy with my career, then I lost contact with my closest Brothers, and then before I knew it, Masonry wasn’t even on my mind anymore. Occasionally I would post a story on The Euphrates that I had written while I was active in the lodge, but that was only because it was convenient and could be done in five minutes. I was literally uninterested in Freemasonry.

This sounds like an easy problem to fix. If you aren’t an active Freemason, just attend a lodge meeting and get involved, right?

Wrong. I found out rather quickly that there was nothing motivating me to go back to lodge.

There isn’t anything interesting about a lodge meeting. We pay the bills, plan mundane dinners, and discuss our charitable endeavors. I didn’t join the Freemasons to do any of those things and no one ever told me that that is what we really do when I was petitioning. I stopped caring about Masonry, because Masonry was boring and a complete waste of my time. I realized that the only reason I used to be active was because I enjoyed socializing with the many good friends that I had in my lodge. Without that connection, Masonry was no longer important.

That is the problem with modern Freemasonry. I’ve heard so many Masons say “You’ll meet so many good men in Masonry.” Well, sure you do, but I have also met many good men outside of Freemasonry and the vast majority of my friends do not belong to the fraternity. So that is no reason to join or remain a Freemason.

Many men cannot explain exactly why they want to be a Freemason, but it almost always has the same theme. Men join Freemasonry because they believe that it will lead them to enlightenment both mentally and spiritually, give them some sort of moral compass, and will help them to lead a better life. They expect a top-notch society. One in which all men meet upon the level, but upon a level above the profane world outside of the lodge. They expect an education. They expect class. They expect a life-changing experience.

I know, because that is exactly what I expected.

Sadly, our lodges are stuck in a time warp. We are obsessed with sticking to the 1950’s model of a civic organization. We talk about making our lodges more attractive and yet we continue to operate them in the same outdated way. We want to operate on the cheap. We want to “dumb down” Masonry to make it easier to grasp. We want to copy the model that Rotary and Kiwanis have provided instead of following the model that Freemasonry created over 250 years ago. We have turned our organization into an outrageous bureaucracy where every single event requires the unneeded approval of some Masonic dignitary. The world’s greatest fraternity has become the world’s most mundane organization.

That is the state of Freemasonry today. That is why men become dues-paying Masons. That is why I became a dues-paying Mason. If Freemasons want the society to survive, some radical changes must be made. Over the next few weeks, I am going to discuss this in detail.

The question that must be discussed is: “What must Freemasonry become in order to be relevant in American society again?”

Burn a Koran Day with the Dove World Outreach Center

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This event has been canceled – Follow the story about how the Fla. pastor will ‘not today, not ever’ burn Quran, from the Washington Post .

I want to start this with the question I finish this piece with: Are YOU ruled by your passions?

Dove World Outreach Center, a New Testament Church based in Gainesville Florida, is holding a Burn a Quran day on the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The event is to be in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam. The church’s maxim: Islam is of the devil!

Akbar Ahmed, in ‘Burn Quran Day’ an outrage to Muslims a Special to CNN,
suggests that the event “has already caused alarm in the Muslim world, with the pre-eminent Sunni university, Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt, condemning it as “stirring up hate and discrimination.”

After a measure of looking at the website for the Dove World Outreach, at the heart of their action is a fear that the United States is falling to the influence of Islam (suggesting that Europe has already fallen), and that if we (Americans) do not stand up now Muslim’s will dominate government political office and ideology, eradicating what Pastor Terry Jones (author of the book Islam Is of the Devil) says is an American Christian ideal.

This speaks to a broader notion of the America being founded on an Evangelical Christian premise (from the founding fathers up to present day), and if explored further is increasingly becoming a part of the political rhetoric behind the scenes in American government.

Each of these elements are a part of a greater whole, the building blocks that reach towards a pinnacle, an apex where the tipping point of is either balanced or overturned and a ideology takes hold. Even today, more Americans say Obama is a Muslim than they did when he took office, when clearly his religious affiliations were a part of the election rhetoric (remember Reverend Wright?).

Is this leading to a change in how we see religion in America?  Is it in an effort to change how Religion and politics interact (or at least shape public life)?  Or more specifically, in how we look at our relationship to Religion?  Is this a point in history when the notion of Religious Freedom is no longer relevant and a line in the sand is drawn to take a stand on what exactly is FREE and what is isn’t?  America is obviously less religious than it was 50 years ago, the Pew study on Religion and America from 2009 showed that more American’s are leaning away from the church rather than towards it, so is this new rhetoric a way to shock us and regain our attention?  Ahmed in his CNN piece mentions the perspective of the founding fathers saying “Not only does the burning of holy texts reflect the darkest days of medieval Europe and Nazi Germany, but it is hard to think of anything more un-American, by the definition of the Founding Fathers themselves.”

George Washington welcomed the Jews to America as the “stock of Abraham” while John Adams showed the utmost respect for Islam, naming the Prophet Mohamed as one of the greatest truth seekers in history. Benjamin Franklin called him a model of compassion.

…Thomas Jefferson kept the same Quran in his personal collection and it informed his decision to host the first presidential iftaar during Ramadan.”

This is a relevant conversation to Freemasonry in that it is not talking about faith, it is a dialog on how we intersect with it.  How can a society that is predicated on its membership having a faith stand by (or even support) the denigration of one of the faiths of its members?

What I suggest is that as Freemasonry recognizes ALL FAITHS, it therefore cannot tolerate the desecration of ANY FAITH, including the burning of a Holy Book that could share space on the very alter in which Masonic Oaths are taken.  This transcends the separation of faith and Masonry, and rests at the heart of what BEING a Mason is about.

But, I’m sure many would disagree with this position, that many Freemasons would see it not from the perspective of their affiliation to Masonry but through their faith, which I suggest puts them at odds with their Societies philosophy.

I am willing to take the stand and say that Freemasonry does not condone or tolerate the desecration of the Muslim Volume of the Sacred Law, and that the actions of the Dove World Outreach Center is anything but a peaceful extension of an Olive branch from a Dove as the centers name implies and is rather a means to declare A Christian Holy War on Islam. The message is coming from a church that declares Islam Satanic, I don’t know how else to interpret the message. The soldiers for this Christian Holy War are being made today, (see the film Jesus Camp if you need to see how), and Rev. Jones is firing the first shot to try and start it.

Without a doubt there is another way to commemorate 9/11 than the burning of a faiths holy scripture.

Are you ruled by your passions? Do you support the burning of the Koran on 9/11/2010?  Are you at odds with your Societies philosophy?

Prince Hall Freemasonry In The Lone Star State

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Prince Hall Freemasonry In The Lone Star State From Cuney to Curtis, 1875-2003

Prince Hall Freemasonry In The Lone Star State
From Cuney to Curtis, 1875-2003

Rev. Bro. Dr. Robert L. Uzzel has penned a very comprehensive look into Texas Prince Hall Masonry from its inception into the 21st century as well as a look into society, politics, and some of the events that shaped the history of the Lone Star State.

After a minimal setting of the stage he tells the story of Texas Prince Hall Masonry through the eyes of each Grand Master and those who surrounded them. We get a look at what each Grand Master said at Grand Sessions, the programs they originated and implemented, the successes they had and the failures that also dogged their tenure.

Uzzel pulls no punches.  He tells all about both the good stuff and the bad stuff. We learn about the Grand Master who was an influential politician, the Grand Master who started as a contractor and bridge builder but later became a Sate Rep., the three Grand Masters who were also church Bishops, the Grand Master who served 20 years in the Grand East, the Grand Master whose house burned down, the Grand Master who spoke of Masons as pathfinders and who banned Duncan’s ritual, the Grand Master whose wife was as prominent in Masonic circles as he was, the Grand Master who was a public school principal and who erected a monument at Brenham, Texas commemorating the formation of the Grand Lodge, the Grand Master who’s tenure saw the failure of the Grand Lodge’s Bank & Trust Company, the Grand Master who was also Sovereign Grand Commander, Scottish Rite, South Jurisdiction and who visited Liberia, the Grand Master who was tried for un-Masonic conduct, the Grand Master who was a District Court judge and the Grand Master who had a protracted legal battle with the Order of Eastern Star.

The first Grand Master of Prince Hall Texas was The Honorable Norris Wright Cuney who was installed as such in Brenham, Texas on August 19, 1875 by Capt. William D. Matthews, Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge. The Beehive honors that date by posting this article on August 19, 2010. Twenty more Grand Masters followed to this date. The present Grand Master, The Honorable Wilbert M. Curtis was installed in 2003 and is enjoying his seventh year in the Grand East.

Along the way many a Grand Master has made many an inspiring address to his Grand Lodge, all readable in Uzzel’s masterpiece. One of the best was this portion of the fourth Grand Master’s address, by the Honorable Abram Grant, to the Seventh Annual Communication on June 7, 1882.

“Assembled in these consecrated walls for the discharge of the important duties entrusted to our supervision, in the full enjoyment of peace, there is every reason for the expression of profound gratitude to the Almighty God, that, despite our frailties and shortcomings, His tender care has been ever manifest, and for humble aspiration that the present session and proceedings may be so conducted that not only shall they profit our venerable craft but also redound to the greater glory of our Heavenly Father, to whose name we ascribe all honor and praise. You have come here to declare your appreciation of the character and the objects of Freemasonry; to record your homage for its founders, and admiration of its splendid charities, and dedicate yourselves to the permanence and perpetuation of its principles.  And we would leave here also for the generations which are soon to fill our places some proof that we endeavored to transmit the great inheritance unimpaired; that in our estimate of its principles, in our veneration of its charities, in our devotion to its morality, in our regard for whatever improves human happiness, we are not altogether unworthy of the high trust confided in us. Other places and other occasions you reserve for strife and disputation, and struggle for mastery and the sharp competitions of life.  But here shall be peace and reconciliation.  Within these walls, the knowledge and the morality, which are of no creed and no party, which are graceful and profitable for all alike, which are  true and real to every mind and to every conscience, and in every brain and heart – these itself – these alone are inculcated here.  Happy, especially, if we shall rouse ourselves to their utmost capacity – if we shall feel that we are summoned by a new notice and by an obligation unfelt before, to an unaccustomed effort to appropriate to our hearts and reason all the countless good which is hidden in the principles and teachings of Freemasonry.”

Uzzel tells us in the concluding epilogue that, “The lives of the twenty-one Grand Masters who have presided over the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas in the past 125 years have influenced and been influenced by many important historical events. Thus it is impossible to totally separate Masonic history from other aspects of history.  Much interesting information can be gleaned by examining the lives of these twenty-one men.”

And if you pick up and read “Prince Hall Freemasonry In The Lone Star State” you shall have a very unique and well assembled insight into the times, the lives and the history of the late nineteenth and all of the twentieth century written from the point of view of the struggle of Black Masonry to surmount and survive all the obstacles put in its path.

I recommend this book most highly.