The Old Webmaster had been drawn to the luscious aroma of roast beef cooking the instant he’d entered the building. After having offered his services and been advised that all was under control, he now leaned idly on a nearby counter. “Tell us about it.”, he said.

“I was just coming in to the parking lot for the officers’ rehearsal when I was approached by a fellow who was walking by. He asked about joining. I stopped right there figuring that this might be another potential candidate but he then asked whether having a criminal record would be a problem. Offhand, I just couldn’t remember whether there’s anything in the Grand Lodge rules about that – and I told him so – but I added that I didn’t think our lodge would vote favorably knowing such a thing.  I asked if this was something current or in the far distant past. He began to get indignant and said that he could simply not tell us about it. I responded that lying to join an organization of men who shared a brotherhood built on trust wasn’t any way to go about things and that we did do background checks. He went off in a huff but it got me to thinking about the whole issue.”

“You two are certainly deep in conversation  – not to mention you being deep in lettuce as well, Worshipful.” It was the cheerful voice of the immediate past District Deputy who’d learned during his term that a dinner at this lodge was not one to miss.

“Well, we were actually talking about criminals becoming Masons.” replied the Master in a far more serious tone. “It’s that ‘guarding the West gate’ thing we hear so much about.”

The new arrival looked at The Old Webmaster whose nod and hand gesture invited his own response. “We have, as you probably both know, a prohibition in this jurisdiction against accepting a felon. Frankly, I think it’s a good one though sometimes I’ve heard disagreement. A couple of years ago, a lodge at the other end of the state even petitioned the Grand Master for a special waiver, arguing that the man had paid his debt to society through his prison sentence.”

“That is an interesting example, Brother.” said The Old Webmaster chiming in. “In fact, the Grand Master called me to ask what kind of arguments I’d seen on the internet about the issue. I told him that everything I’d seen had always missed the mark entirely.”

“Which is???” asked the Master, deciding he’d tossed the lettuce quite enough at this point.

“The victims!” replied The Old Webmaster solemnly. “It’s all well and good for someone totally detached to say that the individual has paid his debt to society but what if you were the victim of the crime? Would you agree? Perhaps, but it’s certainly not something we can assume. Victims suffer considerably, externally but emotionally far more. While one or two or ten years behind bars might satisfy the statutory requirements, it can never remove the scars that the victims have endured.”

“Now that you’ve said that” replied the past District Deputy “I remember the Grand Master saying at a meeting of all the Grand Lodge officers – I was a Grand Junior Steward at the time – that you were the one who’d brought this up. Sure made a lot of sense to me. He also said that if he were a member of a victim’s family who had an ancestor who was a Mason, they would be appalled to see someone who’d given them such grief being elevated to such an honor as that of becoming a Mason.”

The Master looked from one to the other thoughtfully. “But what about something like a ‘white collar crime’. No victim!”

“Tell that to the people who lost their jobs at Enron!” replied the visitor. “I’m not sure they’d consider themselves victimless.” The Old Webmaster nodded his assent slowly.

“But what about a crime committed as a juvenile? No wait: I just answered my own question. They’d be no record because it would be sealed.”

“That’s true” responded The Old Webmaster “but when you ask someone about a criminal past and they lie to you, it should give you a reasonable expectation as to what could transpire in the future. Beyond that, if the Investigating Committee is doing their job, there will likely be some hints of a problem along the way. They may not be entitled to the records but if somebody is lying….”

“After I’d encountered that fellow near the parking lot, I went home and read a couple of posts on the internet asserting that each case should be considered on its merits. That is a compelling argument, after all.” The Master looked from one to another for corroboration.

“Not to be contrary, Worshipful, but let’s look at who has previously considered the merits and who’ll be doing so on our behalf. Previously a jury and/or judge weighed all the evidence and came to the conclusion that the man was guilty of a crime. He was entitled to and received legal representation committed to proving his innocence. He was tried under a standard set of procedures which govern us all. In fact, it’s commonly argued that someone with a good lawyer could get away with anything so in that case, there’d be no crime to report. The fact that there was a conviction should certainly tell us something. Going further, though, who’d be doing the judging if we were to consider such an applicant? Would we have the benefit of hearing the arguments on BOTH sides or would we just hear a biased version from the adjudicated criminal? To me, the whole thing is specious at the outset but that doesn’t seem to stop some people from arguing for its support.”

The three men looked at each other. The Master finally broke the silence. “I need to start going with my first instincts on things more often. Considering criminals is stupid and so would be putting salad dressing on this salad before it’s served. I think we can probably head up to the lodge room now.”

The Old Webmaster had a broad grin on his face as he spoke to the Past District Deputy. “I’m always nervous standing beside our Master when he’s armed with salad tongs – and thinking!” The three men laughed heartily and the two waved to the others in the kitchen as they departed. Considering criminals as candidates was for now a moot issue for their lodge – and well it should be, thought The Old Webmaster.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, masonic, criminals, crime, masonry, lodge

The Old Webmaster just shook his head in bemusement as he leaned back in his chair which gave its characteristic squeal of protest. The discussion this rainy afternoon, sitting in the upstairs storage room of the Lodge, shared with the Lodge’s Master, was certainly covering a great many topics.

“Nothing gets attention like fear mongering. Heck, it’s done by everyone from world leaders, evangelists, governors, and even the local school board. The creation of a boogey-man can help them achieve their goal and whip up a frenzy, making people think they’re fighting the good fight against a very evil enemy. Ironically, it’s sometimes the person that’s spreading the rumor of evil who’s most to blame. We’re both too young to remember the Army-McCarthy Hearings of the 1950s but that was a classic example, it seems. And, if the awful never materializes, the claimant can walk away saying that he just presented his thoughts. Who can argue?”

“Sounds to me like a consultant. They bring a guy like that into our plant from time to time. He’ll fixate on some really insignificant thing – or something that’s actually non-existent but MIGHT be a problem – and get the young management people all worked up about it. The last time it was about us not following some OSHA regulation. The VP asked me to check it out and see what OSHA had to say. The regulation this consultant was on about had been rescinded the year before. But wait: you’ve done a fair amount of consulting in your time. I’d better be careful with what I say!” The Master grinned broadly. He knew his indictment would not be misconstrued.

“Yep. I came from 50 miles away and carried a brief case. Earned some fair money doing it but frankly, I was never too good. I told clients the truth and didn’t try to make things seem so very much worse than they were. They weren’t used to such an approach: truthfulness! If they were paying good money, they wanted to be told that they were doing everything wrong and the world would end tomorrow. They preferred to listen to people who told them the worst things, even if there was no connection to reality whatsoever and things were pretty much okay.” The Old Webmaster just shook his head disdainfully.

The Master nodded in agreement. His younger brother had initially joined a lodge while stationed with the Army in another part of the country. There were a couple of members there regularly ‘poisoning the well’. Fortunately, he soon moved and left that lodge behind. It was eventually merged into another and the gossips were left without an audience. “I don’t know if it’s a desire to ‘tattle’, a need to be noticed, or that odd compulsion to stare at an auto wreck but as an organization, some of our members seem to exhibit a horrible tendency to dote on this sort of junk. The ones who’re creating it seem to be few in number but with the internet, they can accumulate a rapt audience to dote on them.”

“Again, not unlike the McCarthy Hearings. Sooner or later, though, these witch hunts become exposed and their creators fall into oblivion where they should have stayed in the first place. Shakespeare wrote a play whose title always comes to mind when things like this crop up.” said The Old Webmaster with a broad grin.

“The Tempest?” asked the Master wryly.

“Much Ado About Nothing” replied The Old Webmaster.

They both chuckled. Smiles shared between those who can best work and best agree – without the need to artificially create a crisis.

Technorati Tags: Freemasons, freemasonry, lodge, leadership, The Old Webmaster

“I don’t have any problems with that, Brother Senior Steward. I don’t get involved in partisan politics but I do get out to vote at every election.” replied the lodge’s Master.

“Well let me give you a brochure to help you make your decision then. I’ve been giving some of these out to other lodge members but I’m not sure everyone is as excited about politics as I am.”

“I have had some complaints about your doing that, I should mention….” The Master knew he was treading on very thin ice broaching this subject with a young man with such extraordinary zeal for political campaigns.

“Why should anybody complain? I’ve been doing it outside in the parking lot mostly and I’ve never brought it up in lodge. Why are these guys so sensitive? Everybody should feel free to talk about such things outside of the lodge environment. After all, we should all be proud citizens of our country and we’re taught in our ritual….”

“Whoa, Brother!” said the Master, holding his hands up. “I’m not trying to get you upset but I think you’re missing the point here.”

“What do you mean? I’m a darn good officer – or at least that’s what I’ve been told – and I’m a strong supporter of the fraternity. I even have a blog about Masonry for cryin’ out loud.”

“And it’s where you’ve made your political views very clearly known.” said the Master. “The problem is that when you put on your ‘Masonic garb’ so to speak – with Freemasonry as part of your very visible ‘identity’, it gives the appearance that you are speaking FOR Freemasonry. You know you aren’t. I know you aren’t. Our Webmaster standing quietly against the wall over here knows more than either of us, perhaps, that you aren’t – but what does the PUBLIC see? They see a Mason supporting a particular political candidate. This, ipso facto, becomes a Mason supporting a particular political party and train of thought. It’s very much like the conundrum faced when candidates have police officers standing with them at their rallies: there’s a public perception that ALL people of that grouping feel that way – which is great if you do too but if you’re on the outside looking in, it’s not so good.”

“Worshipful…” A vigorous reply was started but then there was a pause and a much more subdued tone. “Worshipful, I mean no disrespect to either your office or yourself but I think you’re just plain wrong. That blog is my own. Masonry has nothing to do with it. I defer to our resident online expert though: Brother Webmaster, what do YOU think?”

The Old Webmaster continued his casual lean against the wall. He cleared his throat and began slowly. “My Brother, if your blog was titled ‘Oliver’s Opinions’ or ‘George’s Gripes’ and you posted some stuff about Masonry on there, I could easily accept your view – as would, I’m sure – the Master. But your blog is titled ‘The Active Freemason’ and frankly, that means that whatever you write is going to be seen by others as being somehow connected to Freemasonry. You can argue that it shouldn’t be but you’ve put on the uniform, so to speak, and your actions are now judged with that background. It’s just the reason that military personnel aren’t allowed to campaign for someone while wearing their uniform – or to take political stances while on duty. It’s somewhat the same for police officers. They’re held to a high standard in our society and their conduct in or out of uniform is judged by the same very high standard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They get no ‘time off’ from being a police officer. I’d argue that neither does a Freemason. It’s the same high standard, reinforced in that image by what is, ostensibly, the primary purpose of your blog.”

“But look at our country’s patriots. They were Masons. They were involved politically – to the hilt!”

The Master replied quickly: “Ah, but here’s the difference, my Brother: they were careful not to wear their ‘Masonic mantle’ on their sleeve as they engaged in those political acts. They behaved as Masons always but they didn’t flaunt their membership so that the public would see them as such whenever they saw them. You won’t find political speeches published in newspapers with large Masonic emblems beside the text as we see today on blogs, for example.”

“And what you feel is right for our city, state or nation may be completely opposite of what your Brother Mason might feel. And who really knows?” interjected The Old Webmaster.

“I’m not sure I fully agree with all this – but let me think about it a bit. Maybe we can go out for a beer or something after the officer’s rehearsal next Wednesday night?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll put it on my calendar.” replied the Master quickly and with a broad smile.

“And maybe we can try that new pizza place over near where you live. I heard it’ll be opening this weekend. Might be worth a try….” suggested The Old Webmaster.

It would be – they all knew – a very interesting get-together.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, politics

 

 

“No good deed goes unpunished.” The Senior Warden chimed in with an upbeat voice.

“Who was this character? Do you know?” asked the Secretary. “Did the folks at the store know what was going on?”

“I went inside and the cashier was joking with another customer about him. Apparently he’s a fellow from the community who lives alone and is known for his erratic behavior. The clerk and the customer laughed about him – but then something even more ominous happened. The customer, a man in his mid-40s I’d guess, started telling the clerk how the Freemasons were an evil bunch. He claimed he’d been a member for a bunch of years but they’d all turned out to be liars and cheats so he quit. The cashier knows me and knows I’m a Mason but she had to listen as he ranted on. After he’d spent a couple of minutes trying to impress her with how important he’d been in the organization, she told him that as a child she’d been burned terribly and had been taken to a Shriners burns hospital. That shut him up fast and he exited quickly. I just stared at her. She’s seen me wearing our lodge’s ball cap and jacket before so she knew I was a Mason. She smiled and said ‘I never did tell you about that, did I?’ She was clearly embarrassed by what had just happened. The man who’d been outside was still there and the guy who’d been at the counter was now with him. They were talking up a storm when I drove out of the parking lot.”

“Sounds like they belong together. Maybe they can start their own lodge….” added the Senior Steward. The Master’s demeanor showed that these attempts to lighten the tone were useless.

The Secretary leaned back and jutted his chin forward. “Was this customer a sort of short guy, bulky looking, thinning sandy hair and glasses?”

The Master’s eyes opened wide and he stared at the Secretary for a moment before answering. “Yes…. Yes, you’ve described him very well. Do you know this guy?”

“As you know, Worshipful, for several years I’ve been on the Grand Lodge Committee that reviews the actions of the Grand Master. This fellow came before us a few years ago to rail about the then Grand Master. While it seemed like the GM might have handled one or two things differently in retrospect, this guy was out for blood and wouldn’t stop at anything to get it. He also seemed to us to be more intent on letting all of us know how important HE was compared with everything else. It’s a sad case of someone looking for revenge.”

“Wait a minute!” said the Junior Steward. “Does this guy belong to a lodge near here?”

“He did.” replied the Secretary.

“I’ve seen him too, believe it or not. When I was visiting the other night there was some strange guy sitting in a car across the street just staring at everyone who went in. I thought he was casing cars for a robbery so I called the police. They showed up a couple of minutes later and he moved on. Man, this guy’s a former Mason and he’s stalking us now?”

There was silence in the room. Each man went through a whole series of emotions relative to the whole matter. It was The Old Webmaster who then spoke:

“Brethren, I’ve seen similar things occur in online venues involving Freemasonry and, in fact, similar tales told. I’ve come to the conclusion that those who want to mock or denigrate Freemasonry – even the precious few who were part of our friendship and fellowship who’ve decided that they know better than anyone else how things should be done – are really just souls looking for someone, anyone, to pay attention to them. They don’t get it anywhere else in their lives and those who were Masons didn’t get enough of it from us to make them happy. Something has kept them from achieving whatever it was they need to feel fulfilled. Why would people back in London in the early 1700s, for example, choose to take the time and effort to march in a parade to mock the Masons? I wish I could figure it out but it seems to me there are always those who’d rather curse the darkness than light a candle.”

Those in the room again allowed their thoughts to turn inward. They all knew someone who, if given a bag of gold bars, would complain that it was too heavy.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you what I said to that clerk before I left the store though.” The Master broke the silence tentatively. “The lady behind the counter was clearly upset after she’d benefited so much from the kindness of Masonic strangers as a young child. I told her that the fellow who’d been in front of me in line reminded me of that line in Macbeth: ‘it is a tale, Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.’ She smiled and patted my hand as she gave me my change. She had tears in her eyes….”

“I think the Master had a GREAT idea with this poster thing. Can we get some more of them and maybe the rest of us can get them into the convenience stores in our areas?” The Senior Warden’s eyes met those of the Master which were starting to well up with moisture, filled with appreciation and affection.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, behavior, free-masonry

The Old Webmaster took his time chewing on his sandwich – as well as the question. He looked at the younger man intensely. He’d seen the same post when it was originally made a month earlier and he’d been troubled as well. He began deliberately. “You know as well as I do that not everyone is judicious when they write things. Messages are often quickly ‘tossed out’ without much – or any – thought, not realizing that others will see them years later. Many are written trying to make a point based on a thought they’d just had – and they express themselves poorly. In some cases, though, I can only assume that the individual has no idea how what they write will sound to others. The anonymity of the internet allows the writing of things that would NEVER be written if someone were looking over their shoulder. I saw that same post – and frankly, it reminded me of a typical rationalization for spousal abuse: the egregious behavior was done out of love….”

The Master stopped in mid-bite. He thought the post was stupid but he’d not considered this further implication. “I was troubled by it, certainly, but I didn’t take it quite that seriously. Is it possible that you’ve read too much into it?”

“Perhaps I did. Perhaps the individual just wanted to say they were ‘encouraging change’ but that isn’t what was written – and to me, it sounded much more ominous and challenging.” The Old Webmaster took another bite and chewed slowly. “And, if that’s the way I read it, was I the only one? What about non-Masons getting the impression that we encourage changes made by might and force – or threats? Will this be a subtle encouragement to other Masons that they should abandon our concept of ‘who can best work and best agree’? As I see it, it’s simply the same thing an abuser says. ‘I did it because I loved her.’ That ‘in your face’ attitude does appeal to a great many men who have not learned to subdue their passions but I know if you saw someone poking and prodding an animal, you’d immediately know they were wrong and you’d recognize it as abuse. Is it somehow different because it’s Freemasonry? Our organization is, after all, you and me and our lodge brothers and all other Masons. The person poking and prodding essentially says he enjoys putting a stick in our eye. But there’s more to it than that, in my opinion. Why keep yourself in a state of agitation, disappointment and jealousy when you can simply walk away to a happier and more productive life? Like the abuser, though, rather than saying ‘This isn’t working for me’ and moving on, he wants everyone to know just how relevant and important HE is. He charges on with his poking and prodding, convinced that his ‘challenges’ will make the object of his attention somehow better – at least for him.”

The Master shrugged slightly. What more was there to say? He agreed fully – and the analogy of the spousal abuser was spot-on. He remembered one of his neighbors several years ago saying exactly the same thing: beating his wife was done out of love. It made her ‘better’. He’d helped put the man in jail, at least for a short time.

The Old Webmaster leaned back in his chair. “It never ceases to amaze me when people who are unhappy with a given situation don’t just leave and get on with their lives. If this involved something like saving a neighborhood from gangs it’d be one thing but we’re talking about a ‘club’ of a sort where people should be of a like mind and get along. If you find you don’t fit in, you don’t waste a lot of time: you simply leave. Life’s too short to be constantly shoveling sand uphill. I guess we’ll always have the abusers with us though….”

The Old Webmaster popped the last of his sandwich into his mouth but its taste was now bitter on his tongue. So strange, he thought. Millions of men find friendship, fraternity, cooperation, comfort, and so much more as Masons while a small handful seem to want nothing more than to prove that they’re better than all the rest.

The Master could almost see the thoughts writ large on his friend’s forehead. “Our ritual addresses it well and you said it just a minute ago: ‘…who can best work and best agree’. We don’t need the abusers – of the system or its members. While poking and prodding seems to give them delight or makes them feel important, it’s totally inappropriate in my opinion.”

The Old Webmaster wiped his mouth and set down his napkin with a contended nod. “I guess the antidote to it all is to just keep on working together, productively and cooperatively. It’s what Freemasons have been doing for the past three centuries.”

“So are you going to pay for my allowing you to show how absolutely brilliant you are?” asked the Master with a wink.

“I think it’s only proper that I should pay for that privilege!” The Old Webmaster replied with a broad smile, taking the course of action he’d planned all along.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, prodding, obstinacy, abuse

“That’s a pretty broad statement.” replied The Old Webmaster. “You have something particular in mind or just everything in general?”

The Junior Warden stared into his mug. “I think Freemasonry needs to pull itself up by the bootstraps and be more than it is.” he replied after a short hesitation.

“That means, I guess, that you’ve got a pretty good handle on what Freemasonry is then. Tell me.” The Old Webmaster had learned long ago to never make assumptions about what others were thinking.

“Well, for one thing, we’re nothing but a group of old men having fish frys.”

The Old Webmaster chuckled slightly. “What else?” he asked.

“We’ve got to get more serious about ritual, we’ve got to make men wait longer for their degrees, we’ve got to raise the dues, we’ve got to….” While talking calmly, it was clear that the Junior Warden had a whole list of things that he felt were wrong.

The Old Webmaster raised his hands in supplication. “Wait! I don’t have my note pad. These are all the things wrong with FREEMASONRY?” He stared directly at the Junior Warden who hadn’t expected to be interrupted. It was so uncharacteristic of The Old Webmaster to do so.

“Well, it’s our lodge, it’s Freemasonry, it’s….” and his voice ground to a stop. He stared into his mug. “I’m just not happy at the way things are going, I guess.”

“Everything alright at home? At work?” The Junior Warden looked astonished. What did his wanting to make some changes have to do with that?

“I don’t see how that makes any difference frankly.” His tone was a bit too defensive, he realized after the words had been spoken. He looked across the table at The Old Webmaster who gazed back at him from crystal blue eyes that seemed to have seen everything at one time or another. There was a long silence.

“It’s been my experience – MY experience – ” The Old Webmaster repeated with emphasis “that those most eager to change everything about Freemasonry are often using it as a surrogate for changes they wish they could make – but can’t – in other parts of their life. I’m sure it will sound simplistic … or perhaps dismissive … or even demeaning, but you know me well enough to know that’s not the way it’s intended. I’m telling it to you straight, and I’ve seen it many times over: when somebody wants to change everything in Freemasonry, it’s not Freemasonry’s fault.”

“I can’t believe you – of all people – are satisfied with the status quo.” The tone was accusatory but not angry. After all, this man had gone out of his way to help and guide SO many of the lodge members including himself….

The Old Webmaster chuckled. “You know me better than that. No, what I am saying, though, is that Freemasonry has made its way along for better than three hundred years now. During that time there have certainly been changes. In fact, there have been LOTS of changes even though we like to pretend that nothing has changed. However, we as an organization have never seen the need for nor have we experienced overall upheaval of every facet of ourselves. We’ve been pretty good, all in all, about doing things step by step to see how they were going to work out. One of the problems with a revolution is that you can never put things back the way they were if it hasn’t worked as planned. The Humpty Dumpty concept….”

“Yeah, but we’re a Lodge of old men having fish frys….” the Junior Warden said plaintively.

“My Brother, YOU have done two of those for us during the past few months and we’re scheduled for a third before your term is over. The community – both the Masonic community and our town – love those meals and you’ve become well-known throughout the District as one of the best persons for organization as a result. Frankly, I was going to suggest that we try for a pig roast or a seafood chowder night or something a bit different but didn’t want to burden you.”

“Well, I’m not really sure I’ll have the time. Things have been pretty botched up at work. In fact, I may get laid off in the not too distant future. I’m not sure….” and as the words came out, he looked across the table remembering what The Old Webmaster had said barely two minutes earlier. He hung his head in embarrassment.

The Old Webmaster arose from his chair, and began moving towards the kitchen. As he passed beside the still seated Junior Warden, he put his hand on the young man’s back. “You’ll get through this – and we’ll get it sorted out. Concentrate on the positive things you can do now to prepare for an uncertain future. I’ll ask around to see if anyone knows of any openings for somebody with a heck of a lot to offer.”

The Junior Warden felt the hand on his back. It seemed like a shield – from a Brother who was going to look after him in good times and bad. This was the Brotherhood of Freemasonry. Yes, there were things that needed to be changed in the Lodge but somehow there didn’t seem to be quite so many anymore. And somehow he knew that no matter what happened in the coming months, he could rely on his Brothers in Masonry.

Technorati Tags: Freemasons, freemasonry, changing Freemasonry, The Old Webmaster

“I hear a ‘but’ in there somewhere….” replied The Old Webmaster as he set the case containing his laptop computer on the table nearby so he could devote his full attention to the speaker.

“When I’m here, the things we are planning all seem just great. There are activities designed for just us men, there are lots of events where we bring our families, and we’re always doing one type of community project or another. Last week I realized that I’d done ten different community projects since joining the lodge and the things we’ve done really do seem to make a difference.”

“I’m still hearing that ‘but’ though.” said The Old Webmaster with a smile but with eyes furrowed. “What’s missing?”

“I was reading a blog post last week which talked about the many service projects members of a particular lodge were doing. I was astonished. They were involved with Malaria control in Africa, climate predictions around the world, mind modeling and more. Our lodge does a LOT of things but nothing on this scale. I was darn impressed.”

Even as he was speaking, The Old Webmaster’s face broadened into a sardonic grin as he shook his head slowly from side to side negatively.

“Do you remember that sign on the wall up in the storage room?” he asked.

The sign he referred to was both a history and life lesson. Carved back in the mid-1800s, it had hung on the wall of the lodge’s storage room in both its current and predecessor buildings. It had pointed to the back corner of the building where there was only a small window leading to the fire escape. It read “This Way to the Egress”. At some point every new member of the lodge would see it and ask – and they’d be told the story. Circus pioneer and showman P. T. Barnum had a combination zoo, museum, theater and freak show in New York in the 1840s. It was wildly successful. At one point Barnum observed that people were lingering too long inside his building, keeping other paying customers from entering. His solution was to post signs which read “This Way to the Egress”. Not knowing that “Egress” was another word for “Exit”, people followed those signs to what they assumed was yet another fascinating exhibit…and ended up outside.

One of Barnum’s star performers was Charles S. Stratton, also known as ‘General Tom Thumb’, billed as the world’s smallest man. Bro. Stratton was a Mason. In the 1870s he supposedly gave the sign as a gift to another Mason although it was not known if the sign was an actual one from the Barnum building or simply a sort of remembrance. That Mason had moved to their area and gave the sign to the lodge during a 50^th Anniversary celebration just after the turn of the century. It was part of the culture and fabric of the lodge and had served as a very unique reminder that Masons should practice the tenets of logic and rhetoric as inculcated in the Fellowcraft Degree.

The Junior Steward, like all members of the lodge knew the story well. “Are you saying that I’ve been hoodwinked?” he asked quickly.

“I’m afraid so.” replied The Old Webmaster with his gentle voice. “When you’ve been surfing the web I suspect you’ve seen references to something known as BOINC, haven’t you?”

“Actually, I remember going up to your ‘office’ upstairs just a few weeks ago and seeing your interesting screen saver. You explained it to me then. I haven’t installed BOINC on my computer just yet but I will soon. Looking for intelligent life in space seems like an interesting way to use a computer when it’s not doing anything else. But….”

The Old Webmaster interrupted, “Not only that, you can also be involved with Malaria control in Africa, climate predictions around the world, mind modeling and more.” He watched the Junior Steward’s face express first confusion, then understanding and then consternation. “BOINC is, you see, a software program that lets your computer participate in distributed computing projects – and there are dozens of them. I do the SETI project and have for several years now but hundreds of thousands of others run projects involving blood matching, finding cures for major human diseases and many more.”

“So you mean to tell me that their boasts of doing great works of service amount to nothing more than letting a piece of software run in the background when their computer isn’t doing anything else? How long did it take them to set the darn thing up? Five minutes? How much time do they need to spend tending it? From what you’ve told me, none at all. Yet they have the chutzpah to claim….”

The Old Webmaster uncharacteristically interrupted yet again. “Do you remember just a couple of weeks ago at our Officer’s Meeting I talked about some pseudo-Masonic organizations using the internet to make themselves seem legitimate? Well, that blog post you saw was from one of them.”

The Junior Steward just stared. After that talk he THOUGHT he was being more discriminating, but he really was taken in with this one. “It’s amazing to me that people who want to be seen as credible would stoop to such childishness.” He shook his head, rolling his eyes upwards. Then he stared directly at The Old Webmaster, a broad smile coming to his face. “By the next meeting, I’m going to have invested the necessary five minutes and I’ll be doing all of those laudable things too. In the meantime, I’ve been doing some REAL service work: wait until you hear my report at the meeting tonight about our assisting the community food pantry. I’ve got six Brothers who’ve made major time and money commitments already. It’s a heck of a lot more than letting a computer program run in the background, believe me.”

“I’m looking forward to it – and I heard that the Treasurer may have a contact that can move this along even further.” The Junior Steward’s eyes widened. ” Well, I’m going upstairs now and start my computer so it can spend the evening working on a ‘great project’ while I’m enjoying the friendship and fellowship of traditional Freemasonry!” The Old Webmaster said and off he went. He could be heard chuckling as he trudged up the long stairway to the dimly lit storage room on the upper floor. He flipped on the old light and, staring into the shadows in the back of the room, could see that famous sign still there. At least P. T. Barnum gave the folks a good show for their money, he mused. They even got a good laugh when they realized how they’d been conned. It was honest playfullness, he thought as he smiled. But his smile soon faded as thoughts turned to those who used Freemasonry’s name, reputation and tradition for their own self-aggrandizement….

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, sham, pseudo-masonry, barnum, obfuscation

“As long as it doesn’t involve another project…. I can see that look on your face – even though it’s pretty dimly lit up here.”

“Help me out on this and we’ll get you some higher wattage light bulbs!” The Master grinned broadly. “I’ve decided that our lodge needs a podcast. Can you help me? I don’t have a clue….”

“I’m curious, Worshipful: why do you want to have a podcast? To be honest, I’d have thought that if anyone had been clamoring for one they have asked me about it first – not that I’m jealous or anything….” He slapped his friend on the arm as the Master sat down in the straight chair beside the desk.

“Well, someone showed me this – geeze: I don’t know if it was a blog post or a discussion group message or what – but somebody was blathering on about how a Grand Master wasn’t doing his job properly because he wasn’t doing a podcast. Well, I thought that if he should be doing that then….” The Master was still trying to conceptualize the problem.

“There are several issues here, Worshipful. Let me address the most basic first: what is it that you’re going to be talking about? Do you want to provide education, lodge information, or something else? And who’s going to be your target audience? After all, you do get to talk with us in lodge on a pretty regular basis. Is there something more you need to say? While there are a number of folks who are enthralled by podcasting, for most it’s completely unknown. Frankly, to me it’s not even as pervasive as audio books. With those, there are some real adherents but if it weren’t for those who have difficulty seeing or who are need stuff to fill their daily commute and don’t want to listen to a public radio pledge break, there’d probably be a pretty small audio book market, not that it’s all that large to begin with. Don’t get me wrong: there are a couple of very good podcasts out there but sadly, like blogs, they tend to be or become very personal. You can get some very good information from some but in many others, it’s a total and complete waste of time. How will yours be different?”

The Master turned away and stared at the door. He really didn’t have a clue as to why he wanted to do this. It seemed awfully important when he’d read about the Grand Master who didn’t….

The Old Webmaster continued: “I don’t know of a single Grand Master who’s doing a podcast – and I’m pretty darn active online. Now if I posted that statement online tonight, someone would pop right up to point out that Grand Master X of a particular jurisdiction has created three podcasts. But so what: that’s like sending out three newsletters, in my opinion. It’s not enough to make an impact and if 99% of the Masonic world doesn’t know about it, what’s it worth? That’s not to say that everyone won’t be doing it in 10 years. It’s a great concept but heck: right now, precious few Grand Lodges even have a formalized means of sharing information quickly through their websites or a dedicated e-mail list. So I’d suggest that whoever it was writing a rant was doing nothing more than that: writing a rant.”

The Master looked absently up at the dim light on the wall. “Perhaps my time would be better spent doing things I know will have some value to the Craft….” His voice drifted off. Why did he come up with these crazy whims, he thought to himself.

The Old Webmaster chuckled. “From what I’ve seen in my online travels, some of those who rail the longest and loudest about the ‘evils’ of Grand Lodges have never done the basic work of running a lodge, much less anything more broad. Much like the military sometimes, they just have to gripe because they know they’re not in charge and probably won’t ever be. A complaint that a Grand Master isn’t podcasting is a ‘cheap shot’ at best. That notwithstanding, there’s a place for everything on the internet and, sadly, few Grand Lodges are capitalizing on the potential they have for free or very low cost advertising, information sharing and membership development. I think, though, what’s needed at a lodge level is quite a bit different than what you’d want/need for a Grand Lodge.”

“OK. So now I’ve got back the free time that would have gone into my podcast.” The Master grinned from ear to ear.

“If I may make a suggestion: I’m wondering if we shouldn’t be instituting an old-fashioned calling tree to check on our elderly members…. I think we could probably get about three times as many members into that sort of thing than listening to a podcast. And we’ve got an important lodge anniversary coming up in a couple of years: perhaps a couple of the guys could be talked into researching what was done at such celebrations at the lodge in years past.”

The Master looked up at the dim light that had been on the wall for probably the past 50 years. “So I wonder where they do conversions of whale oil lamps….”

They both smiled at each other, sharing the warm familiarity that is Freemasonry.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, scholarships, podcasting

“He wanted pistachio? Really?” The Old Webmaster grinned broadly. “Why the NERVE….” He chuckled out loud.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly that. He just started carping about the fact that we always had only three flavors of ice cream and he felt that we needed to have something different. He mentioned pistachio….”

“I like pistachio myself,” replied The Old Webmaster “but it’s a pretty unique flavor and not one which sells particularly well anywhere. I wonder if our Brother is bothered by something else….” His tone became more serious.

The Junior Warden’s tone followed suit. “Yeah, the same thing crossed my mind actually. Fortunately he wasn’t making a scene about it but when he’d moved away and was standing alone, I approached him to talk about it. I was met with a barrage of complaints about the whole barbeque thing. I extricated myself pretty quickly and came in here saying that I needed to check on supplies. Think I should tell the Master?” The Junior Warden clearly understood the importance of harmony in the lodge and even went so far as to poll members on what they’d most like for meals and refreshments at each meeting.

“Always let the Master know what’s going on. When you’re in that office, you’ll understand just how important that is. And sometimes people just have a bad day and react badly to totally unrelated events. However, I’m willing to bet I know the Brother who made the comment.” The Old Webmaster was now staring intently out one of the cellar windows.

“You can still see him standing alone over there.” and they both peered into the parking area together. The Old Webmaster turned away and shook his head ruefully.

“Should I presume you know more about what’s going on than I do?….” said the Junior Warden, his voice trailing off.

“It’s the conundrum of the lost sheep, I’m afraid. You know that there have been problems and issues surrounding this Brother since the first week he was a member. Somehow he got sucked into a vat of negativity on the web and now nothing we do seems to please him. He goes online and gets pumped up with how Masonry is all wrong and then comes here to tell us all about it.” The Old Webmaster turned back to see one of the Past Masters of the lodge standing with the young man. Then, he watched, the young man turned and stomped out of the yard leaving the Past Master staring at his back. Peripherally, they also saw that the Master had seen this happen and a quick nod led them both into the hall where the Junior Warden and The Old Webmaster stood.

“I was probably way out of line, Worshipful, but I told him that if he didn’t like things – despite all the changes we’d made to accommodate him – then he shouldn’t let the door hit him in the butt on the way out.” The Past Master spoke without defiance or malice. He had spoken what he felt and although he was regretful, he also knew that a cancer can spread rapidly and often excising it is the only cure.

The Junior Warden piped in quickly: “He” and he nodded at The Old Webmaster “has just mentioned the Parable of the Lost Sheep. There is that to consider I guess. I’d just been castigated for not having pistachio ice cream available….”

The two recent arrivals simply stared. Pistachio ice cream….

“Any further sage thoughts on that parable you could share for our guidance?” asked the Master, turning squarely to The Old Webmaster.

“Sometimes there are no good answers to these things. We try our best but in the final analysis, Freemasonry isn’t for everyone. A man might have been at a different point in his life when he joined or – in the case of our new Brother – we may have allowed him to believe that the lodge would be all about HIM. I’m surprised that such a thing happened here but…. ” He shrugged his shoulders.

“From a pragmatic standpoint, I don’t think we want to stop carrying chocolate in favor of pistachio – and our Brother already knows that only three 5 gallon containers will fit in that outdoor freezer. Worshipful, I don’t think I want to take the blame for this one.” The Junior Warden’s voice was not defiant in the least. He was clearly facing a conundrum as to the food service however.

The Master looked each man in the eye and then spoke. He began slowly. “At the outset, we blamed ourselves for all our failings and you’ll recall that we changed a number of things, more to keep him happy than because they needed changing. It’s hard to tell whether his behavior is righteous indignation or simply wanting attention: either way, we can see it’s not helpful and the constant submission to every perceived slight is doing nothing but dragging the rest of us down. We can suggest that he should consider the others before himself but in the final analysis, if he’s determined to be unhappy, I think we need to be looking after the rest of the flock. We can rejoice when – or if – he returns and we can make him as welcome as if he’d never left but I think we’ve bent backwards as far as we should go.”

“I probably shouldn’t have said anything.” the Past Master said in a very resigned voice. “I’ll call him tonight and apologize.” He was certainly willing to take responsibility for any problems he might have inadvertently caused.

“But don’t take it personally if he hangs up on you….” replied The Old Webmaster. “I frankly don’t think this is about you or about us: it’s about him. At some point he will, hopefully, realize how immature he’s been and we can move on from there. I guess that from time to time there will be those who’ll chafe against whatever obstacle they encounter, even if it’s one of their own making. It’s too bad but that’s the way of life it seems – and even something like the tenets of Freemasonry never manage to fully sink in for some people regardless of what’s done.”

They all nodded. There was not much more to say. Suddenly The Old Webmaster put a hand to his ear as if to hear a sound from the outside. The others looked at each other and at him quizzically. “I thought I heard some chili calling my name from out there….” he said solemnly. They all laughed and immediately headed back into the friendship and fun which marked their monthly chicken barbecue.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, working together, agreement, fraternity

The Master broke the silence. “It was nice to see so many members of our lodge there today, don’t you think? It was a long way to travel and he was our District Deputy so many years ago that I was concerned that most of our younger guys would stay away. I’m proud of them for making the trip and I’m sure his family and his lodge members appreciated us travelling there.”

The Senior Warden who was driving nodded affirmatively. “All of the lodges in the District had a respectable representation. After the past several years of declining membership, I’m glad our Brother got to see the start of our renaissance. I’m told he’d worked hard for Masonry all his life.”

The Treasurer, the oldest of them all, sitting in the back of the van leaned forward. “He joined Masonry just a couple of years before I did and we’d met once or twice at district events. Many years later, we got to know each other while serving on a Grand Lodge Committee together. I remember one day at the annual Grand Lodge session about ten years ago, we happened to sit together for lunch. I told him that things at our lodge were looking pretty grim. Of course this was back well before any of you had joined.” He turned towards The Old Webmaster sitting in the co-pilot’s seat and grinned: “Or, in your case, before you moved to town and affiliated.” He resumed the story. “You know, he just leaned back and smiled. He said to me, ‘Stop worrying about your legacy. Get on with the good work of Freemasonry. The legacies will take care of themselves.’ Well, I was just stunned. I didn’t really know what he was talking about but he just smiled, slapped me on the arm, and went on about his business. To this day, I’m not really sure I fully understood what he was trying to tell me.”

The sounds of the motor and the wheels rolling toward home were the only sounds in the van for several minutes. Finally the Master broke the silence. He turned towards The Old Webmaster. “You knew him pretty well, I gather. Do you know what he meant?”

Everyone in the vehicle knew that the comment was directed to the man who, although sitting sideways in his seat so as to be a part of the conversation, had been staring out the front window seemingly lost in thought. “I think perhaps I do…” he said thoughtfully. “We’d actually discussed the issue of legacy at length once when we carpooled to a meeting in the capital. He fully understood that each of us as Masons leaves a legacy implanted on our lodge and on our Brethren. It might be powerful or it might be nearly insignificant but in any event, our passage as a Mason would leave a mark. That mark – good or bad – would be the legacy we left and if we tried our best to live our lives according to the tenets of Freemasonry, we’d live respected and die lamented…just as it says in our ritual.”

There was another long pause while each of those in the car assimilated that thought.

The Treasurer broke the silence once again. “Not every Mason leaves a positive legacy though. He had some major problems in his own lodge a few years back I recall.” His voice softened even as he was completing the sentence. He began again, “I think, though, that they were ultimately the better for it. Those who stayed, ignoring the din from that fellow who was out for his own glory, seemed to really grow and prosper. They’ve got a very strong lodge now and the negativity seems to have been superseded by many some ongoing positive legacies that are being created. I guess he was right, now that I think about it: ‘Get on with the good work and the legacies will take care of themselves.’”

The Old Webmaster coughed slightly. Only the Senior Warden, driving, didn’t stare – although he too glanced towards the passenger’s seat. “One of the things our late Brother knew was that we who’ve ‘been around the block’ as Masons can be Legacy Coaches. We can help the newer fellows understand that what they do today – what they do tomorrow – creates a legacy, good or bad, and that it’s entirely up to them how they’ll be remembered. Leader or loser, winner or whiner: what they are to be, they are now becoming.” He paused but for several miles and several minutes, each man was deep in his own thoughts.

“Legacy Coach….” the Senior Warden finally said quietly, so quietly that the Treasurer in the back seat could barely hear him above the road noise. “Helping others make a positive difference. Darn good thing – and something I’d sure like to be remembered for….” His words trailed off as he nodded affirmatively.

Other heads in the car bobbed gently in agreement as well, each realizing that this day they’d perhaps taken on – quite unexpectedly – a new role. The Legacy DID take care of itself.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, masonic, legacy

“What’s up?” asked The Old Webmaster.

“Well, before the meeting this evening I got into an interesting discussion about our charitable spending with the fellow who’ll become Junior Steward at the next installation. Has he talked with you about this?” They’d reached the Treasurer’s van and he put his case inside. He opened the back hatch so they could sit but still enjoy the fragrant evening air.

“He hasn’t said anything to me. Is there some reason why he would have?”

“One of his suggestions – requests, actually – was that we list all of our charitable giving we do on the lodge’s website… and keep a running dollar total of it” said the Treasurer hesitatingly. “I’m not really sure what to think about that. It seems an awful lot like bragging but maybe I’m just too ‘old school’ and feel that charity is something that gentlemen don’t need to brag about.”

The Old Webmaster nodded. It wasn’t the first time he’d thought about the conundrum. “We Masons really are schizophrenic when it comes to charity, aren’t we?” he mused. “We don’t give our time, talents, and cash because we’re hoping for some sort of recognition and yet so many men are drawn to the organization initially from having seen our extensive charity work that to not acknowledge it publicly could lead many to believe that we only do things for ourselves. Some – even some Masons – quibble that our charity is 99% involved with the Shrine hospitals and most of that money comes from invested funds. They ignore the many bequests made by Masons in their wills which brought the invested funds to the point where it could achieve such returns. And we both know well that there are hundreds upon hundreds of little-mentioned charitable programs occurring throughout Masonic jurisdictions that the public will likely never know about. While on a business trip a couple of years ago I visited a lodge whose members actively refurbish various types of medical equipment: wheel chairs, canes, crutches, and that sort of thing. There are a goodly number of folks who don’t have the funds to buy those things – or don’t want to spend the money for just a few weeks or months of use so here’s a great Masonic charity that never gets ‘counted’. We both know the things our lodge and its members do – but many would feel uncomfortable being recognized for those efforts….” His voice trailed off and he stared up at the stars now beginning to populate the darkening night sky.

“Freemasonry’s not about charity, though…” said the Treasurer similarly gazing skyward. They both stared upward watching the miracles of the Creator slowly present themselves.

“Do I remember someone saying that he enjoyed photography?” asked The Old Webmaster. The Treasurer’s thoughts were yanked back to earth.

“I think I recall hearing that…. but what….?”

“While he’s been active at meetings here, I never seem to see him at any of our other events. I’ve just figured he was off attending to other matters. I wonder if he feels somewhat odd about just ’showing up’ – and I was thinking that perhaps if we encouraged him to start coming for the purpose of being our ‘lodge photographer’, he might get more involved. I’d then have some pictures to put with the stories about our activities on the website and we’d be letting people know about our charitable AND our fun activities without making a big deal over it. Do you think that might work?”

The Treasurer rose from the back bumper seat. “I’m going to give him a call on my way home!”

“It’s still dusk when lots of accidents happen and there’s a fair amount of wildlife moving around this time of year. Why not wait a few extra minutes until you’re safely home. Just don’t stay on the phone too very long – and tell Marie it was my fault that you were here late. She’ll understand.”

The two men shook hands. The handshake they used was different from that of others but to them, it was the most natural way of shaking hands in the world.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, friendship, photography, charity

The Old Webmaster gently placed his hand on the young man’s elbow and guided him to the side of the room where, in plain view of all, they could speak without being overheard. The young man cast his eyes on the floor as he began speaking hesitantly: “I’m going through a rough time at home. My wife wants a divorce and I’m just not sure what to do. I thought things were pretty good but…” The young man was close to tears. He kept his back to the rest of the room while The Old Webmaster scrunched his shoulders down to signal the intensity of the conversation to any who might come near in an attempt to be friendly.

“Please don’t say anything about this to anyone.” the young man added. “I will keep a Brother Master Mason’s secrets as my own.” replied The Old Webmaster quickly. “Is there anything I can do? Anything the Lodge can do?”

“Well, just bear with me I guess. I can’t believe that she wants to break our marriage vows. It hurts me so deeply inside.”

“Things happen – and people sometimes change. That’s life and there’s not much anyone can do to change that. Some women chafe too at the ‘obey’ part of the ceremony….” This was not the first time The Old Webmaster had heard this same story but each time was unique – just as the individuals involved. “May I offer a small amount of advice?”

“I would certainly appreciate ANYTHING.” replied the young man.

“You promised to love, honor and cherish her. There’s no reason to break those vows, either now or ever. Your love may come in a different way in the future and the amount of ‘honoring and cherishing’ may be diminished greatly but you’ve had some good times together and there’s no reason whatsoever – no matter how provoked – to allow your life to be diminished. You need to stay on the moral high ground and not allow excuses like things she might do in her anger or confusion to take you away from that.” The Old Webmaster put a hand on his forearm. “You MUST avoid becoming bitter. If you do, you’ll lash out and lose all credibility – even with yourself. I’ve watched it happen far too many times. Do the right thing – and stay on the moral high ground!”

The young man looked up and saw in the eyes of The Old Webmaster a lifetime of compassion and caring. He nodded slowly but affirmatively.

“Just because someone else does something wrong – violates their obligations as in this case – doesn’t give you the right to do likewise. If you’re half the man I think you are, you’ll remember always that two wrongs don’t make a right – and that using someone else’s actions to justify your own is cowardice in the purest sense. Others do that all the time; you have the chance to be different – and at the end of your days, you’ll be able to look yourself in the mirror knowing that you did the right thing regardless of what others might do.”

“Do you think I’d be missed if I headed on home now?” asked the young man tentatively.

“Call me or e-mail me if you need something. Any hour! Just one last thing: is it ok for me to mention this to the Master so he’ll have a heads-up on it?”

“Absolutely. I’d appreciate it. Just between the two of you for now though.” and with that the young man headed directly to the door. The Old Webmaster watched him go. Eyes followed his passage and then turned to see if they could read something in the face of the man with whom he’d been speaking. The Old Webmaster, however, was already back at the table, intent on pouring a cup of coffee for himself. To onlookers, he was taking great care not to spill; in reality, he was oblivious to what he was doing, his mind frantically searching for things that might help ease the Brother’s pain but knowing there would be little at all.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, obligations

“Have you seen the newspaper today?” he said, catching his breath from the rapid ascent. “This is NOT good news.” Looking at the masthead of the page in the Master’s hand, The Old Webmaster knew this was about the news announcement of a possible financial problem – perhaps embezzlement – in a neighboring Grand Lodge. “This is AWFUL.” The Master was still catching his breath and his fluster was not simply from climbing the steep stairs.

“Sit down here. Read this blog – and then we’ll talk.” They exchanged chairs and the Master recognized the page graphics as something he’d seen before. He knew that The Old Webmaster was one of a very few Masons who regularly followed most Masonic blogs. Personally he felt such activity was a waste of time but in cases like this, it was interesting to see what was being said. He read the article through – and then read it slowly a second time. He turned to see his friend leaning against a nearby elderly filing cabinet, watching for his reaction.

“What on EARTH is he railing about?” the Master turned to face his friend while the desk chair gave its customary squeak of protest. The Old Webmaster settled in to the old and threadbare but eminently comfortable overstuffed chair which had served the lodge well for many decades.

“This seems to be the classic example of what you’ve said to me a dozen times: if you want to find ill-formed opinion and misleading information, read a Masonic blog or two. Do you have any idea what Grand Lodges have been hit with embezzlements lately?”

The Old Webmaster shook his head from side to side. “The article mentions a Mason from that same jurisdiction who is now in federal prison but he stole from lodges, churches, community clubs, and individuals. There was embezzlement northeast of there a couple of years earlier but again, it was a local lodge along with a number of other groups, mostly non-Masonic. Neither case involved Grand Lodge funds – but why let the facts get in the way of a good rant?”

“And we’re not the only ones who use volunteers to handle our funds, for cryin’ out loud.” responded the Master. “This just seems like a convenient situation on which to hang one’s personal agenda. Has he got some sort of gripe against Grand Lodges?”

“Some of the ‘back-story’ here is that the blogger is a Past Master in that very jurisdiction. His lodge even meets in the Grand Lodge building. Knowing that, you’ve got to wonder about his motivation as well as his apparent lack of knowledge of his former jurisdiction.” The Old Webmaster stopped there and stared towards the opposite wall. The Master could see there was more to it – but that was enough on personalities.

“And there are two other things that really bothered me about that blog” the Master said. “First is that it’s stupid to assume that problems are caused because we tend to use volunteers – or that those volunteers don’t know anything. Heck, the fellows I know at Grand Lodge who are involved in financial matters put their heart and soul into it. That there might be a bad apple slip through is no different than any other organization in our world. Look at the story on FEMA trailer fraud and embezzlement that’s also big in the paper today. Look at the housing crisis and the fraud that involved hundreds, thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people, all paid and many with professional credentials. Earlier in the week there was a story about unaccounted-for funds millions with a group that runs schools. There was a story about fraud in the Medicare program as well as a New York City employee who embezzled nine million dollars intended to identify 9-11 victims. Late last year the former President of France plus twenty others including four of his Chiefs of Staff were placed under formal investigation for embezzlement.” He paused and shook his head yet again. “I try not to rationalize or to be an apologist for Freemasonry but we’re not unique and that has nothing to do with the fact that our members who do the yeoman’s portion of the work are volunteers. Other organizations – and even governments – with paid employees and paid outside professionals fall victim as well, sometimes more easily. This ‘Brother’ chooses to paint all Masons with a brush of incompetence and ignorance, though, without having even a small portion of the facts. Seems to me like there’s more going on than just righteous indignation….”

The Old Webmaster nodded in agreement. “The Red Cross is an interesting example also and there are dozens of cases every year involving theft from physicians’ offices – but often those who are blogging seem to have a VERY limited background on the issues about which they proselytize or they willfully neglect to address the issues objectively. Obviously everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I just find it disturbing that some of these people grasp at straws to make their points and push their own agenda which in this case seems to involve bashing Grand Lodges.”

“I think I’ll call the Finance Committee and the Treasurer. We should get together to review our own lodge procedures for ensuring financial integrity” said the Master.

“It is easy to become complacent when we’re dealing with friends and Brothers but we’ve also got a fiduciary duty to act responsibly. Due diligence can help minimize problems but it can never eliminate them totally – as FAR more than just a few Masons have found out over the years.”

“Want to grab lunch?” asked the Master. And off they went to the local sandwich shop as the screen saver turned the blog post to black.

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, embezzlement, theft, volunteers

“Just answering a couple of e-mails before heading off to pick up some things for the Kiwanis rummage sale. If you’ve got nothing better to do, you can give me a hand with it.” the Old Webmaster replied, grinning broadly while tipping his head slightly to look over his glasses. The Masons and the Kiwanis in town had a great working relationship and many shared members. Each gave the other a hand on major projects: it worked quite well.

“Your e-mail? That doesn’t look e-mail at all…..” He hesitated and leaned even closer. ” – at least not like MY e-mail.” The Master was fascinated as he peered at the screen.

“That’s because we use different e-mail programs. It may also be because I’ve got a different size screen than you do, have it set at a different resolution and use a background color scheme which I’ve found, after several years of trial and error, is pleasing to these old eyes. It’s all a matter of how we see things – and likely too, how we see things at different times in our lives.”

“Yes, but it’s not at all like mine. I just don’t understand. I can see the titles of your e-mails but in mine….” The Master continued to stare intently as The Old Webmaster leaned off to the side to give him a better view.

“I guess we’re all the ‘victims’ – for better or worse – of our past experiences. I’ve come to this particular e-mail program because it’s rock-solid, doesn’t allow the majority of viruses to trouble me or others, and because it’s proven itself time and time again. Others take a different tack and are quick to toss aside what works for the glitter of something different – or they take what they get for free and are happy with it. I don’t suspect you’d ever think that I pretty much walk to the beat of a different drummer….”

“I think I’ve heard that said more than once!” The Master patted the shoulder of his Masonic Brother while continuing to stare at his computer screen.

“And some think that I’m just old-fashioned and out of touch I suppose – but then again, I don’t think that bending and blowing with every breeze makes much sense. I’d rather build my moral and Masonic edifice on more solid ground and not move it around every few days.”

“Well, old fashioned or out-of-touch are CERTAINLY not terms I’d use with you, my friend!” the Master quickly interjected. “From the time I’ve joined I’ve benefitted from your advice, most of it very forward-looking.”

“Thank you, Worshipful, but in some ways – like this e-mail program – I’ll admit to being unwilling to change. A colleague at work says I won’t compromise – even a little – in order to move ahead. On the other hand, I’ve moved ahead far further than a lot of those folks while maintaining both my dignity and my sanity! And yes: I am unwilling to compromise, particularly when the alternative is unproven or buggy. ” The Old Webmaster was also staring at his screen – thinking beyond.

“Looking at things differently can cause problems for an individual – and sometimes a real culture clash can result. Generational differences make it particularly tough and in a voluntary association such as ours, there can be lots of hard feelings when people don’t all see eye-to-eye. Not that I’m saying that differences can’t be good….”

The Old Webmaster turned to face him and smiled – a very knowing smile.

“OK. OK. I remember when I first got here and tried to tell everyone what Freemasonry REALLY was all about.” He hung his head in mock remorse, smiling all the while. “Fortunately I was bright enough to realize that we could row together or I’d be out adrift somewhere. Seeing things differently, I came to learn quickly with the help of Brothers like yourself, doesn’t have to mean arguing, demanding one’s own way, and being deliberately provocative. And so I guess the lesson here is the same: that you can reach the same goal by different means. That everyone does things differently but if they’ve all got the same goal, there’s no reason to get alarmed at what the other person is up to?”

“Or that in an organization that’s as old and as large as Freemasonry, there’s plenty of room for a wide variety of interests and ideas – and that perhaps sometimes what works doesn’t need to be changed completely – like my old e-mail program!” The Old Webmaster chuckled slightly – and the Master looked at his face, smiling from ear to ear. “But about that question you dodged a few minutes ago, Worshipful….”

“Saddle up, Ol’ Webmaster! We’re going to collect enough stuff to keep those Kiwanians selling until midnight!”

Technorati Tags: The Old Webmaster, freemasonry, Masonic, opinions

“I don’t think you’ve been talking to the fellows who’ve been knocking on our door lately – and if you have, maybe you haven’t talked with them about what piqued their curiosity.” replied The Old Webmaster.

The Junior Warden tipped his head to one side and furrowed his brow. “Are you saying that they DO join because of that?”

“Ask them. When they get through talking about their own personal reasons like wanting to find meaning in their lives, a beloved grandfather or uncle who was a member, and all that, they’ll tell you – nearly to a man – that they were impressed with the names of SO many famous Freemasons. You know: in many cases it’s like a who’s who of leaders.”

“But we have so few LIVING examples….”

“You don’t really believe that, do you? There are LOTS of Masons making a very big difference in our communities today. Proportionally, Freemasonry is nowhere as big as it was compared to the overall male population a hundred or more years ago and due to having lost the 60s generation, we seem to have skipped a bunch of people who might otherwise have joined. Further, anyone who’s interested in national politics where all the attention seems to focus learns early on that they shouldn’t join ANYTHING that might cost them a single vote so they stay away from us and a lot of other worthwhile organizations. All that notwithstanding, I’ve watched so many new initiates kneel at our altar and then, there – or not long afterwards – they’re overwhelmed with the proud and distinguished history to which they are now joined. The feeling of brotherhood comes to them first – but once they realize the breadth and depth of that brotherhood over the centuries, they understand their connection to that continuum. It’s a powerful bond indeed.” The Old Webmaster looked over the top rim of his glasses.

“Now that you say it, that’s certainly true in my case….” He stared absently into space. “Can’t we put some of Freemasonry’s current members up there though?”

“Members are free to disclose whether or not they’re affiliated with us and many have quite publicly. In these days, though, where historical revisionism and near fanatical beliefs held by some persons can put families at risk, many chose to keep their affiliations – be it church, club, or Freemasonry – more private. I don’t think anyone is ever ashamed of that affiliation as a Mason but sometimes it has been used by our detractors to cause hardships. A classic example was when a certain blogger decided to ‘announce’ the church and location of a Minister/Mason hoping it would cause an embarrassment to the individual and perhaps even loss of his job. Ironically, when the blogger’s job was ‘outed’ a few months later by someone else, he was righteously indignant. It’s more than that, though, and there’s a whole history of hatred against Freemasonry. The Holocaust Museum in Washington has a whole section which explains these horrors but far less reported are incidents like airline hijackings where terrorists would look for Masonic rings or dues cards in wallets and then beat the men nearly to death. Servicemen going to certain countries are warned about disclosing their religion and, if applicable, Masonic membership.”

The Old Webmaster realized his thoughts were drifting. “Sorry. This is in some ways personal for me. Because of that potential danger, we let members decide whether or not they want to be identified as Masons. In reality, I think that most of them don’t make a ‘big deal’ out of their membership not because they’re embarrassed but because they simply don’t feel they measure up to the ‘important people’ of the past. Heck, a recently elected Governor didn’t feel that the Masons should be particularly proud of his achievements – which transcended partisan politics by a mile. He was encouraged into accepting the recognition. His election brought honor and recognition to himself but he had long been deeply involved as a Mason – and it was very much a part of his life. He didn’t want anyone – and particularly other Masons – to think he was bragging that he was more important somehow than they were. He was concerned that being identified as a living ‘famous Freemason’ might do that.”

“I think I see what you’re saying. But after all, getting elected Governor is no small feat – in even the smallest state!”

“That’s right! But it comes down to ‘meeting on the level’ that we hold so dear. None of us thinks that we’re more important than the other – and if we do, we hopefully see the error of our ways before it gets too far along.”

“OK. Well, that pretty well explains why we don’t have more ‘current names’ on that ‘famous’ list. Listen: do you want to go next door to the café and grab lunch? It would surely be better than this dark storage room that you use as your office….”

“I’ve never met a meal I didn’t like!” said The Old Webmaster, smiling broadly. He rose from the rickety wooden chair which squealed in appreciation. If only it knew where they were going….

Technorati Tags: Freemasons, freemasonry, famous freemasons, The Old Webmaster