My latest piece The 50 year member-Some assembly required has been posted on the Midnight Freemasons website.
There was a Past Master in my mother lodge who would say “The day you become a Master Mason is the one and only day he can truly call his own.” His belief was simple, every other day in your life a guy has to share with someone else. His wedding day is pretty much about the bridge, the guy just need to shower, dress nice and show up. anniversaries are pretty much the same way but being raised to the Sublime degree is truly his day.
This belief was based on his argument against multiple candidates and one day classes but in this piece Pudge comes to the realization that once a man has been raised he now must begin his journey in his Masonic life.
I think in some ways we have began to think that once you are a member your journey is over and nothing is more is required of you. In some ways we lead the brother to believe that he is a Mason now therefore in any minute some ball of light will hit him upside the head and BOOM he is enlightened. I believe this is one reason why men get frustrated with meetings where Secretaries read minutes in a monotone for forty five minutes and then the lodge argues over the price of light bulbs for another hour. (They are also extremely mind numbingly boring too).
I’m not saying we shouldn’t include Masonic education in our meetings, far from it. I just think we also need to stress to a new brother that he needs to read, and research and converse with learned Brethren on his own in addition to what he learns inside a tiled lodge.
I hope you enjoy this piece and if you do please share my work with your friends and Brethren.
