free-mason

Norwegian Order of Freemasons expel Breivik

July 25, 2011 by Greg Stewart

The following was posted Sunday on the Grand Lodge of Norway website from the Grand Master of Norwegian masons.

The Norwegian Order of Freemasons expressing compassion and care

– I am appalled by the horrible atrocity that was committed in the government district and at the Utøya island, says the Sovereign Grand Master of the Norwegian Order of Freemasons, Ivar A. Skar.

We are filled with mourning and compassion for those who have been affected and their relatives.

It has appeared in the media that the accused has been a member of the Norwegian Order of Freemasons.

He has now been excluded (expelled) – the exclusion immediately effective.

The exclusion reflects that the acts he is accused of having carried out, and the values that appear to have motivated them, are completely incompatible with what we stand for as an Order.

We build our activity on Christian and humanistic values and want our members to contribute to the promotion of charity, peace and goodness among all people.

The police will of course get all the help and information we can give to contribute to the investigation.

Jay-Z’s playing with us now.

April 26, 2011 by Greg Stewart

So Jay-Z isn’t a Freemason… but his line of Rocawear is.

Not so new, but just in time for fathers day, is the Masters of the Craft T-shirt straight up with the Square and Compass. Called the Circle T, its one a few in the Rocawear line (both new and old) that’s riffing off the whole esoteric/occult/Masonic mystique.

It must mean were finally cool, right? A Hip hop mogul borrowing the iconography from the 300 year old fraternity for his own personal line of cloths.

It’s not a new thing. I remember being at a fashion trade show some years back seeing Shriners iconography being used as repeat screen printed patterns on urban apparel in much the same way. The trend at the time turned into skulls (which is why there were so many in Penny’s, Sears, Wall Mart and Target a year or so back).

But Jay-Z’s Rocawear is riffing off the Scottish Rite too, Northern Jurisdiction to be precise. It makes me wonder if his designers who lifted the imagery have any idea that their linking the rappers line to a fraternity who at one point had confederate general Albert Pike as its organizer, not that theres anything wrong with the reformed confederate general or anything, but theres an irony there when successful urban hip hop apparel connects itself to Civil War anti-history.

The Double Phoenix Tee has as its description: Short sleeve tee features a ribbed crew neckline, a printed eagle graphic design at front, and a printed logo design at left sleeve. It might just as easily to of said the Scottish Rite Double Eagle Tee… In case your wondering, here’s a link to who they lifted the graphic from.

So then, one can only assume, if J isn’t a Freemason, then he must like to dress like one, and imitation is still the best form of flattery.

Or maybe his line of apparel is just trying to fuel the extra publicity that he is some illuminiati/Freemason agent, and that he is really playing behind the scenes – given as many denials Jay-Z has made to being a Mason.

Also in the Rocawear line is a cap that sports the square and compass too in the accessories section. Imagine running into somone with that cap askance on their head representing ~~Freemasonry~~, err, I mean Jay-Z.

This is a great post on the use of Empire, Heraldry, Skulls and Esoteric Imagery In Modern Rap Culture from 2010, which you can see is not something new. But I think there is a definite connection trying to be drawn to the perceived life of the secret society as an aspirational message of the Brand, much the same way that earlier urban music linked itself to the iconic Al Pacino film Scarface. I’ve even noticed in a few local fairs that side by side on the midway game prize wall sits framed pictures of the pyramid and the eye from the dollar bill right next to the black and white poster of Tony Montana and the machine gun, ready to adorn the walls of overly macho adolescents and their aspirational “gangsta” lifestyle.

So then, is Rocawear trying to do the same thing, subtly, by making such direct use of the fraternal imagery? Are they trying to re-link Jay-Z to Freemasonry even after J denied it?

[since the original post, the apparel is no longer in the Rocawear line-up]

Rick Ross’s Free Mason = Fraternal Shark Jump?

July 22, 2010 by Masonic Traveler

The new song from Rick Ross featuring Jay-Z off the Teflon Don Album.

I’ll let the song and lyrics speak for themselves.

Free Mason.

And a bit more from Rick Ro$$ on the title and lyrics.

MTV Shows

I get that Free masonry is deep in the pocket of material culture, and that it has a variety of meanings all around, but rapper Rick Ross has adapted Freemasonry’s other spelling, Free Mason, to make it his own in the new song Free Mason on his Teflon Don album.

The onetime correctional officer from Florida turned rapper seems at home using the fraternity in his lyrics, but based on what I’ve seen so far, he’s not using it as a member of the fraternity, but rather using the idea of it to illustrate his point in the song.

From the lyrics:

like gifts of gold
I embark on life,
My path is all math
I understand the codes
these hackers can’t crack
…
Free Mason, Freelance,
Free Agents, We faster

Personally, I have mixed thoughts on the song. No one likes their sacred cows trampled, but in context, the song isn’t a terrible message. It has flow, and I think the heart was behind it in the right way. What sticks more is the use of the term Free Mason without understanding the work, knowledge, or philosophy that goes into it.

On the reverse side of that coin, have the Masons made that wisdom known in recent years so using their name in a song like this would of commanded more respect?

You be the judge, how do you feel good/bad indifferent? Is this a good representation of the ancient and honorable fraternity that you belong to? Or is this a good reference point to mark as when Masonry jumped the shark in its institutional memory in society?

The Necessity of Lodge Audits

November 6, 2009 by TimBryce

The audit is an essential part of the checks and balances in the Lodge.
– Bryce’s Law

Like any organization, be it a public corporation or a nonprofit institution, it is necessary to periodically review the financial status of the entity which is typically performed on an annual basis (such as at the end of the financial year). Such analysis is essential in order to verify that accounting is being properly performed and that the powers that be are competently and correctly discharging their fiduciary responsibilities. It is also invaluable to assure no improprieties are being performed on the institution’s finances. I cannot image any institution, large or small, profit or nonprofit, not performing such a function.

In accounting there are fundamentally three levels of review: a “compilation” to check if the numbers add up correctly; a “financial review” which checks the numbers and comments accordingly, and; an “audit” which is an extensive review of numbers and procedures (and a costly undertaking I might add). In Freemasonry, we tend to avoid examinations of any kind from outside parties, preferring instead to analyze the Lodge’s finances internally. In my neck of the woods, the Lodge Audit is the responsibility of the Lodge’s Finance Committee to perform which is chaired by the Senior Warden and two other committeemen appointed by the Worshipful Master.

These two other committeemen specifically do not include the Secretary, the Treasurer, or the Worshipful Master, since they are part of the process under review. Hopefully, the two other committeemen have some experience in accounting but quite often they do not and usually consist of Brothers who are experienced businessmen or Past Masters.

Remarkably, I have seen Lodges who haven’t a clue as to how to perform a Lodge Audit and, as a result, shy away from performing it or do a superficial job. Either way, this does a disservice to the Lodge which depends on accurate financial records. Actually, the process is not that difficult and can be performed in a reasonably short period of time assuming you know what to look for.

There are basically two things to examine in performing a Lodge Audit: procedures and data. Procedurally, all income and expenses typically begin with the Secretary who records both in a ledger of some kind, either a cash book or using computer software (although cash books are fine, electronic spreadsheets and financial software offers the ability to automatically total accounts, thus simplifying the audit as well as for budgeting purposes). For every expense, large or small, the Secretary is to write a voucher which is to be countersigned by the Worshipful Master and passed on to the Treasurer for payment. Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. Regardless how the bill is to be paid, either electronically or manually, all expenses require an authorized voucher.

Money is collected by the Secretary (and recorded as mentioned), before being transferred to the Treasurer for deposit in a financial institution. The Treasurer should then record all transactions (both debits and credits) either using a register (check book) or using an electronic banking system (such as Quicken, MS Money, or Quick Books). The benefit of these electronic banking systems is that they are very reliable in calculating balances and provides a convenient means to audit transactions (as well as monitoring budgets).

The Treasurer should also have on hand an organized set of bank statements which the Finance Committee should examine carefully and compare to the transactions as recorded by both the Treasurer and Secretary.

To summarize the items to be reviewed by the Finance Committee:

Secretary’s ledger.
Voucher’s as issue by the Secretary.
Lodge minutes (optional) – should contain some insight about financial transactions.
Treasurer’s register (check book or electronic banking system).
Statements with all financial institutions the Lodge does business with, should be filed chronologically.
Canceled checks – this may be optional as many banks no longer return canceled checks.
Paid bills.
A Chart of Accounts (if the Lodge has one) denoting how finances are to categorized and recorded.
A copy of the current Budget (if the Lodge has one).

The Finance Committee should now be in a position to write the Lodge Audit. This should be done fairly and impartially with no malice or favoritism. The audit should address the following considerations:

Are all expenses being properly recorded by the Secretary? (Are they being posted to a standard Chart of Accounts?)
For each individual expense, was an authorized voucher properly issued (and signed by both the Secretary and the Worshipful Master)?
Are all moneys received being properly recorded by the Secretary? (Are they being posted to a standard Chart of Accounts?)
Are there any incompatibilities between the transactions recorded by the Secretary and the Lodge minutes?
Are all financial transactions being properly recorded by the Treasurer? (Are they being posted to a standard Chart of Accounts?)
Does the income and expenses recorded by both the Secretary and the Treasurer match? Are there any inconsistencies?
Does the Treasurer maintain organized copies of all bank statements?
Does the income and expenses recorded by both the Treasurer and the bank statements match? Are there any inconsistencies?
Does the Treasurer maintain organized copies of all paid bills?
How well do the financial transactions match the operating Budget of the Lodge?

The final report should mention what was examined and itemize any problems that require correction. Bottom-line, the Finance Committee should determine if the Lodge’s finances are being properly recorded and managed. Keep the report short and to the point. Do not be vindictive or complimentary, keep it all “matter of fact” and professional. If necessary, recommendations for improving the management of finances should also be noted. All members of the Finance Committee should sign the Lodge Audit. There may be other elements and formal reports required by your Grand Jurisdiction to complete, what I have mentioned here represents the basics.

The Lodge Audit represents an essential part of the “checks and balances” in managing the financial resources of the Lodge. It is a serious responsibility to perform, one that should not be taken lightly. We may not like what the audit has to say, but it is an invaluable safety valve which all Lodge officers should take to heart.

Keep the Faith.

by W:.Tim Bryce, PM, MPS
timb001@phmainstreet.com
Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
“A Foot Soldier for Freemasonry”

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any Grand Masonic jurisdiction or any other Masonic related body. As with all of my Masonic articles herein, please feel free to reuse them in Masonic publications or re-post them on Masonic web sites (except Florida). When doing so, please add the following:

Article reprinted with permission of the author and www.FreemasonInformation.com. Please forward me a copy of the publication when it is produced.

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