Distance
How important is it?
Recently I heard about a brand new Mason in my Jurisdiction who chose to receive his Degrees from a Lodge a couple of hours away from his home. This despite the fact that there is a Lodge maybe five minutes from his home.
I’m quite familiar with both Lodges in question, and know that the one he chose to join is extremely serious about Guarding the West Gate. They really make certain that a man will be a good fit for their Lodge before they will accept a Petition. As for me, I’d be honored to be a member of either of them.
From that, I presume that this man took a good solid look at all of the Lodges in his area, and outside of it. Compared what he saw in them with what he is looking for in Freemasonry at this time, and made a decision to Petition the Lodge that best fit with his needs.
I salute his decision. It’s good that we join the Lodge that best fits us.
But, it isn’t something that we see very often. A drive of that distance is quite a commitment, particularly for a new Mason.
I found this quite interesting, and would like to discuss it here today.
If you had what you considered to be an average Lodge close to home, or a Lodge you thought to be great an hour away, which would you choose?
What if the one near you didn’t appear to look like what you were looking for at all?
Would meeting frequency play into this? Would you be more likely to join a Lodge a long way from your home if it met say every other month instead of every month?
What would a Lodge need to do in order to be so great that you’d be willing to drive an hour and a half each way to be a part of it?
I can shed a bit of my own personal perspective on these questions. There are two Lodges that I truly love about an hour and a half each way from my home. I petitioned one of them, and was thrilled to be made an honorary member of the second.
I made that drive regularly for about three years. But then I got tired. It started to wear on me, so I haven’t done it for about a year. I simply needed a break.
But, I do intend to begin again. I miss it quite a lot. But it was wearing on me.
That’s my experience anyway. Others might be more or less keen on those long nighttime drives.
But, I sure would like to discuss it, because a Lodge drawing a new Mason over such a distance is clearly offering something quite compelling.
So, what would compel you to do something similar?
Let’s chat about it…
Maybe it's important to find a Lodge that vibes with your internal vision of the kind of Mason you want to grow up to be, and maybe that's more important than distance. Maybe traveling a greater distance is part of the personal sacrifice you make to work toward perfecting the Temple. Maybe that can be part of what consecrates your work and your Lodge's work.
"What would a Lodge need to do in order to be so great that you’d be willing to drive an hour and a half each way to be a part of it?"
Today I want to be a contrarian and ask, "If you have three hours to drive back and forth, how could you use those three hours to contribute to your home lodge?" What needs doing in your lodge that you could do, or organize, that will make your lodge the stellar lodge you desire? Visiting a sick or homebound Brother? Learning a part of the ritual? Repairing a piece of equipment? Helping to prepare a meal? Organizing a morning coffee klatch among Brothers?
My Brother Todd astutely pointed out that Brothers and Lodges change and hopefully grow over time. Circumstances change. IMO, some Brothers have an unrealistic expectation that someone else will do the organizing, planning, and execution of a successful lodge experience. And that there is a Masonic 'Holy Grail' at some other lodge, if only we might seek it.
Now I believe there definitely is some values in travelling, both spiritual and practical, so let me paraphrase. What you have seen praiseworthy in other lodges, you should attempt to recreate and emulate; and what in your own lodge might appear defective, maybe you should bust your butt to amend.
Happy Thanksgiving all!