are any TDR members Masons?

[BigEasy]

PM me if you'd like...

 

[Mike Ellis]

I am!



Deer Creek Lodge #510, AF&AM, Grand Lodge of Texas. Also Scottish Rite and Shrine, hoping to go through York Rite and become a Knight Templar someday when I have enough time.

 

[Bill Lins]

Currently DDGM, Masonic District #32, Grand Lodge of Texas, A. F. & A. M.



Also Secretary, Wharton #621 (WM, 2002-3), El Campo #918 (WM, 2003-4)



Have received appointment as District Instructor for District #32 for 2006 on.



Also APM, Holland #1 & member, Texas Lodge of Research.



Haven't yet learned how to say "No, thanks!" ;-) SMIB

 

[Mike Ellis]

Goodness Bill, you must be busier than that famous one-legged man in the kicking contest. Hats off to you brother, it's guys like you that keep the fraternity alive... . !

 

[SRadke]

Would somebody mind educating me a little on this Topic? Perhaps the really abridged version? I have no idea what you're talking about but I get the feeling it isn't laying bricks. Thanks



-Scott

 

[DRAG DIESEL]

Tom Golden in CA is a member of the masons, haven't seen him post here in ages. If you read this Tom, you are being thought about... hope all is well!

 

[Mike Ellis]

SRadke,



Freemasonry is the worlds oldest and largest fraternity. There are only 2 requirements for being a Mason - members must be male, and may not be atheists. Consequently there are millions of Masons worldwide from all walks of life - Christians, Jews, Deists, Muslims; American, Arab, Chinese, you name it.



The basic structure of Masonry is organized around the "Blue Lodge", which is the local Masonic lodge most small town Americans are familiar with. Members meet regularly at the lodge to conduct lodge business, instruct new candidates, and practice the various ceremonies that are involved. There are three degrees that members pass through - Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and finally Master Mason. As the names indicate, Freemasonry is based symbolically around the ancient craft guilds of actual working Masons.



Passing through the levels enroute to Master Mason has traditionally required a significant amount of dedication and effort for the candidate in order to learn a sizeable amount of information relating to the philosophical underpinnings of the lodge and the degrees. In recent years many jurisdictions have begun cutting back on such requirements in an effort to reach out to the modern generation and stimulate growth in membership - people don't exactly beat down an organization's door nowadays to get in if there is work or thought involved



The highest degree in Masonry that a man can attain is the rank of Master Mason, although many appendant bodies do exist which offer higher degrees (e. g. , Scottish Rite and the 32nd / 33rd degrees) that are not officially part of the blue lodge dogma. The traditional lodges are pretty formal, so some of the appendant bodies were formed to provide a recreational aspect to Masonry - for example the Shrine is sometimes referred to as the "playground of Masonry". That's true to an extent, but far from the whole picture



Lodges are organized by charter from a central Grand Lodge in each state. Each lodge has a slate of officers that changes yearly, with the top position being the lodge Master, aka the Worshipful Master (WM). The Grand lodge has an identical structure of officers, with the top position being Grand Master.



It is impractical for the Grand Master in a state like Texas to be able to monitor all the goings on in thousands of lodges under his jurisdiction, so they have the state broken into districts and in each district a representative is named to act on behalf of the Grand Master. These gentlemen, designated District Deputy Grand Masters (DDGM), do a vast amount of legwork for the Grand Lodge. They also name District Instructors who have demonstrated proficiency in the entire body of lodge work - a huge amount of information that has been learned by heart, word for word, passed down from man to man over many many years.



It takes a pretty good man to receive the backing of his peers in such a fraternity to rise to the Grand Lodge level, and a smart and hard-working one to boot. That post of Bill Lins speaks volumes, he has put in the time to serve in multiple lodges, be an instructor, and serve the Grand Lodge to boot. Whew!



Hope this info helped explain things a bit... .

 

[RT66DOC]

Great explanation, Mike. My Dad (RIP) was a Mason, WM at age 32, then on to Scottish Rite and 32nd Degree. I keep his 32nd Degree ring on my little shelf for heirlooms. Before he passed away last year at 86 he still went to lodge 4-5 times a year. Most of our activities when I was a kid were based around lodge events, softball, bowling, picnics and the always unforgettable Christmas Party. I honestly believe that the philosophies my Dad learned in the Masonic Lodge are what provided the foundation and guidelines for life that he instilled in my brother and me.

 

[BigEasy]

The reason I ask, is because I will be doing my first degree in October... I'm excited, to say the least.

 

[Mike Ellis]

We will be happy to welcome you to our great fraternity and have a new brother in our midst. I know you will enjoy the experience!



Do you have friends or relatives in the fraternity BigEasy? One of the things that mystifies many sons and relatives of Masons is that they are never asked to join. One of the most ancient strictures of Masonry (at least in our parts) is that members are NOT recruited, men must ask of their own free will.



RT66Doc, your Dad must have been a mighty fine man. Back in his time, attaining the 32nd degree was not a trivial task, and any man who has served as WM has put in more time and effort than most folks would believe.



One of the greatest privileges of my life, and one of the most formative for my worldview, has been the honor of attending lodge with so many fine men who are a generation or two older. Being able to hear their stories and see how they view the world has been an awesome experience. It's one thing to watch TV about WWII and Korea, the Great Depression etc, it's entirely another to sit down and hear about from people who were THERE and how it shaped their lives and philosophy. Being able to sit down over a plate of cornbread and beans and enjoy harmonious discussion with the brothers is a tremendous pleasure - they come from all walks of life: rich and poor, educated and self-trained, Christian and Jew. In the lodge the differences pale, all men are equal and meet on the level, a true brotherhood in the finest sense of the word.

 

[RT66DOC]

I can remember, as a small kid, listening at the bathroom door to my father mumbling. Once I cracked the door a bit and peeked in. He was sitting there in the tub with a little book in his hands talking to himself. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "Studying for Lodge, gotta know every word in this book by heart. "



Y'all have to know what I'm talking about, right?



Anybody looked at the back of a dollar bill lately?

 

[Mike Ellis]

There are a several types of those little books. One that we were presented with in Texas when joining is the Monitor of the Lodge, and contains the verbiage of the day-to-day lodge operations.



Others include more sensitive stuff that is never supposed to have been set down on paper, but which HAS been published for about 250 years now. We are probably the most un-secret "secret society" the world has ever known.



Interestingly, if a man is able to go to lodge regularly he can learn by rote an astonishing amount of material very quickly. The brain seems to soak up verbal info in this fashion like a sponge, particularly when a predictable rythm of question and answer is established. People come in and initially despair of learning all the material, but very very few have any real problem mastering it if they are able to regularly attend lodge. If you CAN'T make those study sessions though, and try to learn on your own or with irregular attendance - whoo-ee, what a chore!



There are people who are instructors like Bill, who also master materials for the appendant bodies as well as the blue lodge - they end up knowing enough material by heart to fill multiple books.

 

[Bill Lins]

Y'all are too kind! Mike, your explanation was excellent!



BigEasy, Masonry has two aims. First, to take a good man & make him better. We do this by the lessons taught; by requiring memory work (use it or lose it); and, as a Brother advances in the Lodge, by teaching him how to work with others as a team (not always easy when all involved are volunteers!), teaching the administrative skills needed to manage the business affairs of a Lodge, and how to speak to groups in a confident manner.



Secondly, to make our world a better place through our good works. American Masons contribute over one million dollars PER DAY to various charities.



Where are you located & what Lodge are you going to be initiated in?

 

[Bill Lins]

I forgot- Grey Ghost is a Brother in the Hempstead area. Haven't seen him post in quite a while, though.



RT66Doc- have you considered following in your father's footsteps?

 

[SRadke]

Thanks for the info Mike. I also recieved some info via email that was quite informative. Glad to have you gent's in the TDR and the world and I appreciate your taking the time to teach me something new today.



-Scott

 

[BigEasy]

Mike, my paternal grandfather was a Mason in Pittsburgh, and one of the last things he said before he died, was to make sure that I joined. My father had a bad experience in deMolay, and never joined, but he's considering it again, now that I'm doing it.



Bill, I'm in Warren PA, and will be entered into North Star Lodge No. 241

 

[Bill Lins]

My best wishes to both you & your dad. I hope you find Masonry to be as interesting, rewarding, & enjoyable as I have- you'll get out of it just as much (or more) as you put into it. Good luck!

 

[Bill Lins]

SRadke wrote "I also recieved some info via email that was quite informative. "



Scott, I hope you give serious consideration to petitioning a Lodge- we'd love to have you (and ALL good men) join us!

 

[Hohn]

There are three degrees that members pass through - Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and finally Master Mason.

Interesting trivia-- this is the origin of the saying "giving someone the third degree. "



jh

 

[DJaquez]

I am a member of Mount Moriah #15 AF&AM Canon City, Colorado, Also Scottish Rite and York Rite.