Tim Bryce - Freemasonry from the Edge

Freemasonry from the Edge - Tim Bryce brings a commanding presence of Masonic Leadership and wisdom on all aspects of the fraternity from the day to day operation of a lodge to the underpinnings of living the meaning of Masonry.

Performing a Job You Hate

July 31, 2013 by TimBryce

Things to consider before tackling that ugly job you despise.
– BRYCE ON WORK

Years ago, my grandmother made the observation, “In everyone’s life, you must eat a teaspoon of dirt.” There is a lot of wisdom in this comment. Throughout our lives there are little jobs we are called upon to perform, be it at home, school, the office, or wherever, tasks we simply hate to perform. Whether you have been asked to do it or realize it is something you have to do of our own free will and accord, tasks you simply do not want to undertake. Maybe it’s a job requiring physical skills and talents you simply do not possess, or maybe it’s a “dirty job” involving unique situations that are not exactly the most sanitary, such as cleaning up after an animal. Or maybe it has to do with a boss you do not like or respect, someone with an unsavory character. Working for a boss you like is one thing, working for someone you despise is something else altogether. Bottom-line, it’s a job you dislike and are reluctant to perform. So what do you do?

Quitting is the easiest alternative, if you can afford to do so, but it also means you have been defeated, which may be the reason you were asked to perform the task. Sometimes you are asked to perform no-win jobs simply because someone is looking for an opportunity to watch you fail and eliminate you. Sadistic managers are notorious of assigning such tasks. It’s a setup for which you are not expected to succeed. When I discover I have been put in such a position I usually rise to the occasion and conquer the task quickly, professionally, and with great zeal. There’s nothing quite like turning the tables on an adversary. It unnerves them.

For all other difficult tasks, I have found it’s a matter of having the right tools and working conditions for performing the job, and putting yourself in the proper frame of mind. Just resign yourself to your fate and “Get ‘R Done.” This, of course, requires patience and determination, two elements which seem to be in short supply these days.

Early in my career, we were developing a series of seminars to promote our software product line. Working with an ad agency, we devised a clever invitation which included a beautiful brochure, and an egg housed in a photo cube (you remember, those little plastic boxes where you could insert photographs). Inside the egg was an invitation to the seminar with the person’s name on it. In other words, they were instructed to crack open the egg where they found their invitation and instructions. From a marketing perspective, it was brilliant and garnered a lot of attention. To implement it though was another story.

As this was my pet project, I found myself selecting the seminar sites, compiling lists of potential attendees, and assembling the invitations. That’s right, I found myself burdened with blowing out hundreds of eggs, inserting the invitations, and resealing the eggs (using “White Out”). Assembling the boxes and brochures was easy, but preparing the eggs was another story. I simply resigned myself to the task, setup a radio and blew out hundreds of eggs and packed them up. I quickly discovered blowing eggs requires a certain knack. If you do it wrong, the egg blows up on you and creates a mess, but if you take your time and find your rhythm, you’ll do just fine. You just cannot push it too hard, and I found the job took me all night to perform. Even though our seminars were a success, I still loathe the thought of blowing out eggs. I’m sure there are other jobs that are worse, but you get the idea.

So, when you find yourself harnessed with a job you hate, either rise to the occasion and overcome adversity, thereby earning the respect of the people around you, or toss in the towel early, assuming you can afford to. Just do not let a teaspoon of dirt turn into a table spoon.

Keep the Faith!

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

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The Art of Patience

July 29, 2013 by TimBryce

BRYCE ON LIFE

– An art that is difficult to master.

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Ever since college, I have been an admirer of Rudyard Kipling’s classic poem, “If,” whereby he writes:

“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:”

The lesson here is in order to lead a mature and positive life, we should actively try to practice patience and understanding. Further, life is short and the best way to socialize and get ahead in this crazy world is to simply keep your wits about you. This isn’t quite as easy as it seems, particularly in the 21st century where road rage is common, office rage, marriage rage, etc. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I blame a lot of our problems of impatience and intolerance on the excessive use of technology where our expectations are programmed to do everything instantaneously, and we resent any form of delay, be it a speed limit, waiting in line, or arguing with another, particularly regarding politics. Patience seems to be in short supply these days.

Patience means biding your time; to wait for the proper moment or opportunity. This may be rather agonistic particularly as we seem to be spending an eternity waiting in lines for something. The right moment may never occur. Further, our patience is tried by the multitudes of people trying to invade our space mostly for purposes of advertising. For example, consider the pop-up windows suddenly appearing on our desktop, the uninvited video clips constantly harassing us, the voluminous spam e-mails we receive, and how audio volume is increased on television or radio whenever a commercial comes on. It’s like screaming kids clinging on to a mother’s dress.

Impatience is caused by many different situations:

* When our focus is broken by an irritating distraction.

* When plans and expectations are not realized thereby causing frustration.

* You cannot seem to connect with another person in conversation (they do not understand you).

* You are stymied by technology, either inexplicably working too slow or considered “unfriendly” to use.

* When your progress is unfathomably impeded by others, particularly among motorists texting or talking on their smart phones.

* Someone rants on and on about something trivial or nonsensical, aka “gobbledygook” or “BS”.

* Or you are just inconvenienced and feel slighted, such as waiting in line.

Simple frustration is the prime cause of losing our patience. Knowing this, customer service representatives should be more sensitive to our frustrations, but they seldom are and go on autopilot instead, thereby compounding the problem. It takes an empathetic person to be sensitive to the frustrations of others.

If you have got all the time in the world, you can afford to be patient, such as retirees. However, if you are still working and trying to get things done, regardless of their importance, you are more likely to be aware of the clock and not want to waste your time. However, where is our time going? To technology. I would suggest a national “Turn Off the Technology” Day, but it is so imbued in our society, a lot of people would spazz out and suffer withdrawal.

We all have our breaking points. Some fuses are longer than others. I would like to believe my fuse is longer than most, but I have my moments, such as trying to digest the BS of “political correctness,” watching an injustice go unchallenged, or driving behind someone who obviously believes he/she is the only person on the highway. I sometimes find it necessary to simply walk away from something as opposed to compounding the problem, or in some instances, pull off the roadway until the problem has dissipated. This is probably why I prefer driving early in the morning or late at night in order to avoid such problems.

Some people find it necessary to step back from a problem and take a deep breath before continuing, thereby refreshing one’s focus. Since technology is often the culprit for becoming impatient, simply turning it off works wonders, be it a radio or television, a smart phone, a computer, or whatever device you are plugged into, thereby eliminating irritating distractions. Just turn it off, clear your head, and refocus. It’s that simple.

It’s also important to find time during the day for ourselves. We do a lot for others during the work day, such as customers, employees, vendors, or our boss and family. Our inclination is to assist or serve others, which can easily add to stress. To overcome this, find some private time during the day for you to collect your thoughts; nothing radical, just something simple, such as reading a book, closing your eyes for a cat nap, taking a walk, or just stopping to smell the roses. Such respites break up the monotony of the day, allows you to collect your thoughts, and brings your stress level down.

Practicing patience is an important part of our ability to socialize with others. Quite often, we believe it is someone else causing our frustration, and maybe that’s true. However, we must also admit we create our own problems by being self-centered and not practicing a little courtesy to others. Just remember, if you can maintain your focus, if you can remain calm in the midst of catastrophe, and do unto others as you would have others do unto you…

“Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”
– Rudyard Kipling

Keep the Faith!

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Heated Political Debates

July 12, 2013 by TimBryce

If you think political fighting is bad now, you don’t know your history.
BRYCE ON POLITICS

As members of the 21st century, we tend to believe the political discourse of this country has reached new heights. The sad reality though is we pale in comparison to our predecessors. For example, the parallels between the Obama era and that of Jefferson is actually quite remarkable. To illustrate, I recently completed Jon Meachum’s book, “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” (2012) and read about the presidential election of 1800 pitting Jefferson against his old friend, John Adams (the second President). Like Washington before him, Adams had been a Federalist. Jefferson, on the other hand was a Democrat-Republican (the origin of the Democratic Party as we know it today).

By 1800 there were already sharp ideological differences between the parties. Whereas the Federalists sought a strong federal government patterned after the British monarchy, Jeffersonian Democrats were more in favor of states rights and upholding the rights of the common man. The Federalists controlled New England, while the Democrats controlled the South. The disparity between the two parties is essentially no different than the Democrats and Republicans of today. Interestingly, Jefferson won New York which ultimately broke the log-jam (and edging out Aaron Burr).

Both parties controlled different newspapers, thereby providing a vehicle to attack each other and communicate their positions to the public. This was long an accepted form of communication until 1798; as the country approached the election of 1800 where it became apparent the Democrat-Republicans were gaining momentum, the Alien & Sedition Acts were passed by the Federalist controlled Congress, and signed into law by Federalist John Adams. The Sedition Act prohibited criticisms of the government and was viewed as a serious threat to the First Amendment by Jefferson and Madison who fought to overturn it.

The Federalists also tried to pack the courts. There is no clearer example of this than Adams picking his Secretary of State, John Marshall, to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Interestingly, even though Marshall didn’t share Jefferson’s views, he was a cousin and administered the oath of office to Jefferson. The Federalists also passed the Midnight Judges Act which made sweeping changes to the judiciary before the Democrat-Republicans took control of both the executive and legislative branches.

The discourse in Congress was much louder and violent than what we are familiar with today. To illustrate, in a Congressional debate in 1798, Democratic-Republican Congressman Matthew Lyon implied that Connecticut Federalists, including Roger Griswold, were corrupt. Hearing this, Griswold called Lyon a coward on the Senate floor. Lyon responded by spitting in Griswold’s face. Following this, a motion to expel Lyon from the Senate failed. Two weeks later, Griswold charged across the Senate floor and began striking Lyon with a heavy wooden cane about his head. Lyon retrieved hot tongs from a nearby fire pit and defended himself. However, Griswold was able to disarm him. The two exchanged blows briefly until they were finally broken up. This was not the first or last time, Congressmen would physically fight on the floor of the Capitol, but it gives you an idea of the heated passion of the day. Despite today’s political hyperbole, I am not aware of an incident in recent memory involving fisticuffs on the floor of the House or Senate.

Such incendiary oratory has actually been with us for a long time. For example, consider the debates over issues such as the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Jackson’s dismantling of the National Bank, and just about every other argument leading up to the Civil War. All were just as inflammatory as the discourse of today, maybe more so.

I just wonder what effect television has had on Congressional arguments. I cannot help but believe it has somehow calmed the passions of the speakers. Without it, I can well imagine some rather loud and visceral arguments, with maybe some canes and tongs thrown in for good measure. Hmm…sounds like a good angle for reality TV doesn’t it?

Keep the Faith!

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Billy Mitchell – The Original Whistle Blower

July 10, 2013 by TimBryce

What we can learn from a famous whistle blower from yesteryear.
BRYCE ON SEEKING THE TRUTH

We’ve been hearing a lot about whistle blowers lately, particularly Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who ignited the U.S. surveillance program scandal. There are also the whistle blowers involved with the Benghazi scandal and the IRS intimidation program. Whistle blowers have actually been with us a long time. In my life, it goes back to Daniel Ellsberg who in 1969 released the “Pentagon Papers” to the “New York Times,” detailing the military activity in Viet Nam under LBJ and Nixon. This, of course, ultimately triggered Watergate. However, let’s go a little further back in time to 1925 when the Army instigated a court-martial against Colonel Billy Mitchell, an episode which has quickly been forgotten in history, but has an important bearing on the whistle blowers of today.

Although Mitchell is primarily credited for building Air Power in this country, his military history goes as far back as the Spanish-American War where he served as the youngest Army officer (at age 18). Mitchell’s notoriety though began during “The Great War” (WWI) where, as Major, he became the first American officer to come under fire in the trenches of France. During the war, he earned several decorations and citations. More importantly, it was in France where he developed his fascination and passion for the airplane as a military weapon.

Mitchell understood the potential of the airplane. His superiors did not, and saw it as nothing more than a trivial instrument for observing enemy forces. They laughed at him when he claimed airplanes could sink a ship by dropping bombs on it. At the time, battleships were considered invincible. He finally got an opportunity to prove his claims and sank the German battleship “Ostfriesland” which was to be scuttled following the war. Nonetheless, the military was unimpressed. Following the war, in peacetime, there was an emphasis on shrinking the military. Even though Mitchell begged for money for research and development, he was ignored. He even urged the military to form a separate branch dedicated to an air service, but was denied. Consequently, American Air Power diminished almost to obscurity. The English, French, Italians, even the Germans had far superior airships than the Americans, and Mitchell made sure the newspapers knew about it.

Knowing Mitchell’s image was growing larger in the press, the military sent him on assignments in order to make him disappear. In 1924 he was sent to study military defenses in the Pacific. During this time, he visited Japan and witnessed firsthand how the Japanese were embracing Air Power and realized America was far behind their counterparts. Following his tour he produced an extensive 323 page report on his assessment of American defenses in the Pacific. It was in this prophetic report that he predicted how Japan would attack Pearl Harbor with remarkable accuracy. Even though the military dismissed his report as ridiculous, Mitchell’s predictions would come true 17 years later. Nonetheless, he was buried again by the military.

One year later, in 1925, the Navy dirigible “Shenandoah” was destroyed in a storm in Ohio, with a loss of thirteen lives. Mitchell was outraged as he knew the ship was archaic and denounced the Navy for its “almost treasonable” attitude towards aviation:

As a patriotic American citizen, I can stand by no longer and see these disgusting performances…at the expense of the lives of our people and the delusion of the American public. We may all make mistakes but the criminal mistakes made by armies and navies, whenever they have been allowed to handle aeronautics, show their incompetence…This, then, is what I have to say on the subject, and I hope that every American will hear.(1)

Although Mitchell became a hero to the American people for his bold statements, his superiors felt otherwise and was given a court-martial for insubordination. Actually, the court-martial was what Mitchell was hoping for as he figured it was the best way to bring attention to the problem and create change. The case garnered a lot of attention in the press, and many notable proponents of Air Power testified on his behalf. In the end though, Mitchell was suspended from the Army for five years. Instead, Mitchell resigned in 1926 and spent the remainder of his life speaking on behalf of Air Power. He would die in 1936 never knowing how accurate his predictions would become in World War II. In 1942, President Roosevelt, recognized Mitchell’s contributions to Air Power by restoring his status and elevating him to the rank of Major General. In 1946, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, “in recognition of his outstanding pioneer service and foresight in the field of American military aviation”…10 years after his death.

There are some similarities, as well as differences, between Billy Mitchell and Edward Snowden. Both tried to do what they perceived to be right. Mitchell was a visionary who used his court-martial to draw public attention to the problems of Air Power. Snowden is not a visionary. He just stumbled on a problem and reported it. Whereas Mitchell stood and took his medicine as a military officer, thereby garnering the support of the American people, Snowden took flight as he didn’t want to suffer through a career ending court case as Mitchell did.

The big problem with becoming a whistle blower is that it doesn’t pay well. You might earn the admiration of the American people, but you must also face the wrath of the establishment. For example, State Department witnesses in the Congressional hearing on Benghazi have reported their career is essentially over. Likewise, Cincinnati IRS witnesses have allegedly been intimidated. It takes someone with a lot of character to stand up and report a problem, whether it be in the corporate world or government. The prime difference between Billy Mitchell and Ed Snowden is simple: Mitchell stood and took his medicine; Snowden has not. Understand this though, the American Air Power we knew today can be directly attributed to the efforts of Billy Mitchell. Had he not spoken up when he did, our air defenses would have been primitive by the start of World War II. Mitchell knew what he was talking about and would not be intimidated by the powers in authority.

Keep the Faith!

1-“The Billy Mitchell Story” by Burke Davis, page 102

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Dropping Masonic Titles

July 8, 2013 by TimBryce

Can such a change defuse Masonic politics?
BRYCE ON FREEMASONRY

Harmony is an essential ingredient to any Masonic Lodge. It is one of the main reasons men gravitate to Lodge; to escape the harsh realities of the world and sit among men who enjoy the company of others and respect the dignity of each other. To this end, it is forbidden to discuss religion and politics, be it related to government or the fraternity. Even during Masonic elections, campaigning is rebuked as it may offend someone. Despite our best intentions though, politics creeps into Masonry, particularly at election time.

It is not uncommon to have Masons whisper behind the scenes to garner votes, to seek endorsements, and run a political machine to maintain control. Far too often we have seen people elevated to a level of responsibility, yet accomplish nothing of substance during their tenure, whether it is a Worshipful Master of a Lodge, a District Deputy Grand Master, or a Grand Master. In such cases, people are looking for nothing more than recognition to feed their ego. This is why such things as aprons and titles are coveted, thereby representing badges of recognition.

It has become customary to recognize Masons as “Worshipful,” “Right Worshipful,” “Very Worshipful,” or “Most Worshipful.” Further, in correspondence we recognize ourselves as PM, PDDGM, PDI, PGM, etc. I have been guilty of this myself, but have been having second thoughts about such pompous titles. It is my belief Masons meet upon the level; that equality is of paramount importance in a Masonic Lodge; that each member’s voice weighs no more than another. Unfortunately, this is no longer true and we bow to men of title instead.

Wouldn’t it be an interesting experiment to drop the titles completely, particularly those no longer in office? Instead, we just refer to each other as “Brother” such as, “Bro. Bryce,” “Bro. Smith,” “Bro. Jones,” etc. Allow sitting officers to carry the title of their office, but when finished, revert back to the “Brother” moniker.

Some might resist and complain, “But I worked too hard for that title!” For whom did you work? A fraternity that promotes meeting upon the level or for your personal glory? Eliminating such titles could very well help defuse the politics of Masonry and encourage those people who truly have the best interests of the fraternity in mind.

What do you think?

Keep the Faith!

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American History 101

July 3, 2013 by TimBryce

BRYCE ON HISTORY

– “We are raising a generation that is historically illiterate”

While visiting with some high school teacher friends, I asked how American History was being taught today. I always had a fondness for history, even if the teacher was boring. I particularly enjoyed learning about the American Civil War, and the events leading up to it. I saw it as an epoch event which defined the American character. The aftermath of the Civil War was also interesting including carpetbagging and the corruption of the Grant administration. Most of what I learned came from History and Social Studies classes I took from elementary school to high school. I didn’t take any formal history classes in college, but learned a lot through the other courses I took. To accent the meaning of a subject, the professors often found it necessary to describe its historical roots.

I was dismayed to learn American History was being taught superficially. Remarkably, it was taught starting from World War II and progressing to today. It was also my understanding the high school history teacher made extensive use of DVD video clips as opposed to lectures which I found rather odd. Videos provide excellent stimuli, but their tightly worded scripts do not always provide the rationalization for an event.

The school’s interpretation of American history spans a paltry 73 years. I guess anything happening before 1940 was considered inconsequential, such as:

– The Great Depression and Dust Bowl
– Prohibition, bootlegging, and the rise of organized crime; e.g., Al Capone
– Women’s suffrage and the 19th Amendment
– The court martial of Gen. Billy Mitchell
– The Roaring Twenties, featuring flappers, “The Charleston”, and Jazz
– Isolationism, the RMS Lusitania, Eddie Rickenbacker, Sgt. York, Gen. Pershing, and the League of Nations
– Building of the Panama Canal
– John L. Sullivan, Jack Johnson, and Gentleman Jim Corbett
– The “Black Sox” scandal
– The Spanish-American War, including the Rough Riders and “Remember the Maine”
– The San Francisco earthquake and Johnstown flood
– The contributions of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, et al.
– The World’s Fairs of Philadelphia, Chicago, Buffalo, and New York City (twice)
– The rise of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.
– The works of Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, etc.
– The Passenger Pigeon and near extinction of the American Bison
– The Wounded Knee Massacre
– Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Gen. Custer, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn
– Manifest Destiny and “Seward’s Folly”
– Sutter’s Mill and the Gold Rush
– The impeachment of Andrew Johnson
– Carpetbaggers
– Abner Doubleday and the Cincinnati Red Stockings
– The Civil War
– John Brown raid on Harpers Ferry
– The Dred Scott Decision
– The Mexican–American War
– Tammany Hall and “Boss” Tweed
– The assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley
– The Lincoln-Douglas debates
– The Missouri Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Act
– Sugar-Rum-Slave triad
– “Old Hickory” and his dismantling of the Second Bank of the United States, and paying off the National Debt
– The War of 1812 and the Battles of Tippecanoe and New Orleans
– The burning of the White House and Washington
– Gerrymandering
– Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Louisiana Purchase
– Jefferson’s Democrat-Republicans vs. Hamilton’s Federalists.
– The founding of the District of Columbia and Pierre Charles L’Enfant
– The Whiskey Rebellion
– The significance of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights
– The Articles of Confederation
– Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold
– The Declaration of Independence
– The Revolutionary War, from Bunker Hill to Yorktown
– Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
– The effect of the British monarchy and taxation
– The French and Indian Wars
– American whaling and fishing industries
– Williamsburg, St. Augustine
– The Plymouth Colony and Compact

I guess these subjects are meaningless and carry no lessons of merit. Without such background, I seriously doubt students have an understanding of how our country was formed, struggled through hardships, and evolved. Without such knowledge, I do not believe students have a true appreciation for what our country is, our identity, why it must be defended, and will likely repeat the same mistakes. I realize math, science, and languages are important, but American history is vital for good government and citizenship.

Beyond this, I was stunned to learn “World History” was taught only beginning from World War I which was mind-boggling to me. What about Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and Japan, The Inquisition, The Wars of the Roses, The Magna Carta, Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Amerigo Vespucci, Christopher Columbus, Capt. James Cook, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Napoleon Bonapart, Charles Darwin, Joan of Arc, Socrates, Confucius, etc.?

I guess this also meant nothing and I wasted my time learning about it.

We are raising a generation that is historically illiterate and have a very sketchy, thin knowledge of the system on which our entire civilization is based on. It is regrettable and dangerous.
Historian David McCullough

And, No, Samuel Adams was not our second president.

Keep the Faith!

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For Tim’s columns, see:
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Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) “The Town Square” with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern), KGAB-AM 650 “The Morning Zone” with host Dave Chaffin (weekdays, 6:00-10:00am Mountain), and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington “The Morning News with Dave and Lance” with hosts Lance Tormey & Mike Bastinelli (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube.

Also look for Tim’s postings in the Palm Harbor Patch, The Gentlemen’s Association, and throughout the Internet.

The Millennials

July 1, 2013 by TimBryce

BRYCE ON GENERATION Y

– Can they really save America?

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As you grow older you begin to notice small changes in your life, such as how advertisers no longer market to your age group, or how the entertainment field no longer caters to you. Consequently, you begin to find it difficult to find anything of interest on television or at the movies. Instead, you begin to read more, watch the news and perhaps some reruns before calling it a night. Your sense of fashion and style changes, as does your purchasing decisions. It finally becomes crystal clear that everything is being geared to a younger generation, not yours. In other words, you feel the world passing you by, which I can only presume to be a natural phenomenon.

If you haven’t already noticed, corporate marketing efforts are taking aim at the Millennials, those between the ages of early 20’s to 30. This group, which is also known as “Generation Y”, has surpassed the Baby Boomers and “Generation X” (early 30’s to 40’s), for marketing attention. The over 40 crowd is considered “has beens” and businesses, the media and politicians are gearing up for the Millennials instead. The big question though is, how will they respond?

Like every generation, the Millennials exhibit unbridled enthusiasm in the work place. There are lots of genuinely creative and hard working people in this group. My concern for them is threefold though: First, they are notoriously low informed in terms of current events. Thanks to technology, they may know the latest fads, fashions, music, and sports, but most do not stay abreast of current events. Second, there appears to be no sense of history, be it world, national, local, or professional. Third, parenting and management skills have deteriorated over the years. “Helicopter parents” either kept their offspring on a short leash or abdicated their parental responsibilities altogether thereby offering no direction. In business, the trend is towards micromanagement which frustrates employee motivation, and arrests growth.

These three elements are reflected in the Millenials decision making capabilities. If you are poorly informed and have no sense of history, you are likely to waste considerable time reinventing the wheel. Further, if you do not understand the world around you, in all likelihood you will waste considerable time working on the wrong things. There is also an inclination to concentrate on quick and dirty solutions as opposed to producing quality work products. Energy and zeal is one thing, making smart decisions is something else.

Consequently, I am becoming very much concerned with the Millennials assuming their role in society. Instead, we are grooming a generation of robots who will be afraid to accept responsibility, and do as they are instructed, be it from their managers or the media. I fear their ambition and entrepreneurial spirit has been broken and they will work harder, but not necessarily smarter.

Consider this about the Millennials:

* Their sense of history only goes as far back as President George W. Bush (with a twinkling of Clinton thrown in). This means they have no real grasp of the Cold War, Viet Nam, or the first Iraq war. Some do not even have a recollection of 9-11.

* Education is now more about testing and lockdowns as opposed to teaching. They have been programmed to test, not to learn.

* They cannot imagine life without their smart phones and have developed a serious addiction to technology. Without it, they are disconnected from society.

* Most have huge college debts, and many still live at home with their parents.

This sounds more like we are breeding a generation of sheep as opposed to shepherds. Then again, maybe this is precisely what business, the media and politicians are hoping for, a generation of people who can be easily manipulated; people who will purchase goods on demand, or vote for someone or something without question. Sounds kind of scary to me. I guess I’ll just stick to my reading and reruns.

Keep the Faith!

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What Role Should The Masons Have?

June 28, 2013 by TimBryce

BRYCE ON MORALITY

– Why we must become the “Merchants of Morality.”

It is no secret Masonic membership is in decline. According to the MSA, membership has gone down a whopping 68% since its high in 1959. With each passing year, fewer young men join to replace those who departed due to death. There is also no abating the number of members being suspended for non-payment of dues. A lot of people are baffled by these trends including our leaders who are at a loss as to what to do. One day classes and amnesty programs have proven ineffective. To me, the decline is indicative of an identity crisis as to who and what we are as Masons. There are those who become a Mason as nothing more than some sort of badge of honor, to make business connections, or perhaps to move on to an affiliated body, such as the Shrine. Then there are those who aspire to seek further light and seek to improve themselves in accordance with the basic tenets of Freemasonry: friendship, morality, and Brotherly love. To these people, Freemasonry is viewed as an on-going process of development as opposed to a one time proposition. The disparity between the two interpretations leads to political problems within Freemasonry and harmony suffers.

There is also the argument that membership is in decline due to changing attitudes and values among the public, and the fraternity’s inability to adapt to changing times. Socially, the world has changed substantially since the 20th century. It could be argued people are more apathetic, less industrious, more self-centered, and assume less personal responsibility for their actions. Further, the family unit has been steadily deteriorating, and we are witnessing an overall decline in the moral values of the country. According to a recent Gallup poll, “Values and Beliefs” (May 2013), 73% of the American public believes morality is getting worse, not better. This is unsettling to Masons and contributes to our problem of finding qualified people to fill our ranks. More importantly, there is a growing frustration within the fraternity as to the direction the country is moving.

Our choice is rather simple: we either abandon our principles and become a club like the Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc., or we maintain our integrity and educate the public in the necessity for leading a virtuous life. In other words, promote morality. To this end, there are two areas to concentrate on: Education and Role Models.

First, Masons need to renew their sense of identity and educate themselves internally on the principles of morality. This can be done through discussion groups and presentations. Following this, they can educate the public through open presentations. Such seminars would help dispel misconceptions about the fraternity and promote membership.

Second, morality is more effectively taught through role models. As such, Masons should be viewed as the “Merchants of Morality” thereby creating living models for how morality is to be practiced, such as basic courtesy and manners, and assisting others, e.g., neighbors, friends, co-workers, and the community. Freemasonry may not be a philanthropy, but we do a lot of philanthropic work. Our goal should be simple: to become living models for others to emulate (and possibly join our ranks in the process).

We should also recognize others in our community exhibiting outstanding morality, be it through a simple thank you, an award, or whatever. By acknowledging the work of role models, we are telling the public this person exhibits traits which should be applauded and emulated.

In the morality seminars I have been conducting lately, I am finding Masons to be particularly receptive to these ideas, not just the older members but particularly the younger members who crave a society based on integrity and honor as opposed to deceit and unscrupulous behavior. Memorizing catechisms may be nice, but trying to make the world a better place appears to be their idea of seeking “further light.”

Keep the Faith!

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Things We Never Throw Away

June 28, 2013 by TimBryce

BRYCE ON LIFE

– Not the important stuff, the inconsequential items.

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It’s interesting the types of objects we collect and never seem to throw away. I’m not talking about sentimental things like photographs, just the general brik a brak we are more inclined to keep instead of discarding. With me, its cigar boxes and coffee cans. I’ve used them to store everything from nails and other hardware, to tickets, baseball cards, and other trinkets. I think of them as handy storage units and, as such, hate to throw them away, even if I have an ample supply of them. Most of the time I’ll ask friends and colleagues if they want them, but most decline. Inevitably, it is with deep regret that I finally decide to throw them in the garbage. What a waste.

There are other miscellaneous items we do not like to dispose of:

Shipping boxes are typically collected with the thought they can be used to mail something to a family member or friend. They are particularly handy for birthdays and the Christmas holidays, but we tend to collect too many of them. I’ve also seen boxes that have been reused many times over the years. I think some were made back in the 60’s.

Towels and cloths have a long life expectancy. Even after we have stopped using them in the bathroom they end up in a rag bag for outdoor use, such as washing cars. Have you noticed the rag bag only gets bigger, never smaller?

Just about every household has some sort of container to collect spare change. We used an old wine jug for years to collect spare change. When we finally “cashed out,” I was amazed how much we had collected. It was easily over $100. I have seen several households though where they are never emptied and sent to the bank. I don’t think a lot of people want to waste their time with pennies, nickels, and dimes.

A lot of homes seem to collect an inordinate amount of refrigerator magnets, some with such an extensive array of pictures it is difficult to see the refrigerator behind them. Every now and then you should clean those out.

Records, CD’s, DVD’s, and VHS tapes abound in a lot of homes. I still have quite an impressive collection of 33 LP’s from my youth, as well as 45’s. Fortunately, I still have a decent turntable and will occasionally play an “oldie.” However, I know a lot of people who have maintained their record collections but have nothing to play them on. I also do not use CD’s much anymore. My kids collected a mountain of them which were quickly abandoned when the iPod was introduced. I am reluctant to dispose of them as I realize it was a substantial investment.

There are people who have collected magazines over the years, even though this is something that has essentially evaporated over time. I have some copies of “LIFE” from the 60’s featuring the space race and other newsworthy events from that decade. I also have some “TV Guides” from back then as well. People also like to keep their old “Playboys,” which I’m told are now worth a lot of money. The one magazine though that most people are hesitant to dispose of is “National Geographic.” I know of dozens of homes with extensive “NATGEO” collections, some weighing so much they bend the shelves they sit upon. My parents kept their copies for years until I finally helped clean them out. Your first inclination is to give them to the local library. If you want to see horror in the eyes of someone, bring your copies of “NATGEO” to your librarian. They will only throw them away.

People also like to keep the cheap plastic pots that plants come in. I’m not sure why. They are cleaned out, dutifully stacked, and tucked away in a garage or shed where they do nothing more than take up space and collect dust. I guess this is one of those “You never know…” type of items.

Parents like to keep old board games their offspring played with during their youth. I think it’s a law that every household must have a copy of “Monopoly” tucked away in a closet somewhere. My mom also has an old “Parcheesi” set, as well as checkers and chess which nobody has used in several decades, and an old Erector Set. By the way, does anybody remember Chinese Checkers?

There are lots of other items people collect, such as old cameras, spices in the kitchen, even paper sales receipts for insignificant items.

I’m sure there are many more items I’m overlooking but these are the things that come to mind. Some we collect due to sentimental value or we perceive them as investments, others we believe will have some practical use sometime in the future. The reality though is that most of it just belongs in the garbage.

With that said, does anyone need a coffee can or cigar box?

Keep the Faith!

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For Tim’s columns, see:
timbryce.com

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Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) “The Town Square” with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern), KGAB-AM 650 “The Morning Zone” with host Dave Chaffin (weekdays, 6:00-10:00am Mountain), and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington “The Morning News with Dave and Lance” with hosts Lance Tormey & Mike Bastinelli (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube.

Snapped

June 26, 2013 by TimBryce

BRYCE ON LIFE

– That’s it; enough is enough; leave me alone!

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Recently I came upon the following headline, “Drinking Too Much Coffee Is Now A Mental Disorder” and I was taken aback by the column. I don’t know which was worse; the column itself or that a publication would give it Internet ink. After reading it, I just snapped. I’ve been drinking coffee since college and, like a lot of people, have made it a natural part of my morning ritual. I love a good cup of coffee and I don’t want to be accused of having a mental disorder. This type of warning is how political correctness starts and frankly I’m sick of it.

I’m going to continue to drink coffee, enjoy my Scotch, and smoke a good cigar. No, I do not need Viagra, Cialis, and my testosterone level is just fine thank you. No, I do not need all of the drugs they list incessantly on television, and I certainly do not want to bother my doctor to talk about it. Yet, I am remarkably free of social disorders and mood swings. I eat red meat, as well as white, fish, and just about everything else. No, I am not planning on dropping them anytime soon. I use salt, pepper, sugar and other condiments as I see fit, and I’ll bet my cholesterol is better than those of you who do not. I’ll drink a “Big Gulp” if I am so inclined, and maybe enjoy some chocolate now and then. I do not need to see the listing of calories on my menu; I already know what is good for me, and what is not.

No, I do not want to shave my chest or wear whisker stubble at work because it is supposed to be sexy; it’s stupid. I am not impressed with what Hollywood produces, nor do I care what the dim bulb entertainment crowd thinks. I also do not like computer generated graphics in the movies, preferring instead a good story line and script, but I guess that’s asking too much. I still do not wear a helmet when I ride a bicycle, which isn’t often, and I occasionally forget to put my seat belt on; I guess I like to live on the wild side.

I do not believe in “undocumented immigrants”, they are illegal and they are certainly not citizens, hence I’ll continue to use the expression “illegal aliens” regardless if it offends anyone. And, Yes, there is still a “War on Terror” and there are “Extremist Muslims” who are terrorists. No matter how you try to dress up a pig, it’s still a pig. I do not need any sugarcoating. Also, quit trying to give my money away to someone else. I’ll decide what charities I want to support. And leave my guns alone. The “violent” cartoons of the 1950’s didn’t cause me to kill anyone or mutilate myself.

I guess what I’m saying is quit trying to dig up crap that I couldn’t care less about. Do not try to be my conscience. Solve the big stuff stupid and let the little stuff take care of itself. Where I come from, you are responsible for your own actions. No, I do not want to live in a Nanny state where I’m “dumbed down” by the likes of Mayor Bloomberg who should just go away and mind his own business.

I may not be politically correct all the time but I certainly do not lose sleep over it. Why can’t these pseudo do-gooders just work and pay their bills like everyone else, and leave the rest of us alone? Thank you for your interpretation of what you believe is good or bad, but I’ll make my own decisions.

With that said, please forgive the nasty twitch, I think it was the caffeine talking.

Keep the Faith!

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

For Tim’s columns, see:
timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) “The Town Square” with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern), KGAB-AM 650 “The Morning Zone” with host Dave Chaffin (weekdays, 6:00-10:00am Mountain), and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington “The Morning News with Dave and Lance” with hosts Lance Tormey & Mike Bastinelli (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube.