I have a few WV Masonic Grand Lodge Blue Books (history books). The best reading is the 1968 book, the year my dad was WV Grand Master. I find names of my friend's father's in each WV town.
I don't have any family history in Masonry, beyond my Great Grandfather who was a member throughout his adult life.
But, I understand the draw of learning more about family Masonic involvement.
I wanted to become a Mason, because as a really little kid, I thought that our next door neighbors (who were elderly) were my grandparents, and as they didn't yet have grandkids of their own, they went right along with that fiction. So, in essence, I had three sets.
And the fellow in question, was a Mason, an extremely active Shriner. He passed away when I was still young, but I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, so eventually I did.
Since that time I learned that his friend, and long time employer (who he eventually bought the company from) was one of the men instrumental in the creation of our Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation that I proudly serve as a director of.
So, in my self created family, there is a pretty honorable Masonic tradition.
Because I am sort of in charge of masonic education in my lodge, I spend a good amount of time researching subjects, either through books, online, research papers, etc. This space is also a good resource to get opinions and discussions as well.
AI has been a wonderful addition to do research of this type, but it is only as good as the questions you're asking. The biggest feature is how you can ask follow up questions, or more details about something as you go along. For example I was researching George Washington and his early masonic career, and from the responses I was getting, I asked for a timeline covering the results I received. It responded with a great list of events by date that showed the data I was looking for to reinforce the point I was trying to make. And all of this was certainly a great way to learn about the subjects you're interested in.
As you get used to how the AI is structured, you get better at designing queries to return the right responses. It's actually quite enjoyable, at least to me.
As I understand it, written AI works because it is a massive database of pretty much all the written words man has ever put down and preserved. A question is asked, and it goes through all of this stuff to extract the answers and gives those answers in a pleasing document, as short or long, as detailed or not, as needed.
If that is indeed how it works, to my mind the stuff in the database needs to be accurate for AI to be accurate.
But we know that more nonsense has been published about Freemasonry through the centuries than legitimate information. Both Masons and Anti-Masons have been very prolific nonsense peddlers. (Or the Masons took a 'romantic' view of history, my preferred explanation for the purposeful writing of unfactual histories and such.)
Indeed Masonry didn't even really look to create authentic history for itself until the founding of Quatuor Coronati Lodge.
But, even today, Freemasons spout nonsense. A couple of years ago I listened to a Worshipful Master give a presentation to a large group of Non-Masons about our Craft. He carefully and earnestly explained to them that Freemasonry was founded, as we know it today, at the building of King Solomon's Temple.
So, my question is, and it is an honest question:
If the AI database is overflowing with nonsense (at least as far as Freemasonry is concerned) how can we know that the answers received from it aren't nonsense?
AI isn't a database of everything man has ever written. It's code simply ranks where to look. A lot of it's information is drawn from published sources like wikipedia, science journals, and official sources.
For example, if you go to google and type "was george washington's family as rich as martha's family?" you will get a very detailed response written in a way that is almost conversational. At the end of it's response, it asked: "Would you like to know more about how George managed the Custis estate or the specific business ventures he started at Mount Vernon?". I typed in "yes, with timelines" and it gave a great follow up response to that. Go ahead and try it, and see how it interacts with you, and what else you can find out. I was using it to discover if George Washington was using Freemasonry as sort of a social step up into the aristocratic circles as part of his motivation in joining.
So it really depends on what you are trying to find out, but I've found that the AI engine is pretty honest and fair. For example if you ask it if the freemasons are part of the illuminati, it responds with:
"AI Overview
No, Freemasons and the Illuminati are not the same; Freemasonry is a real, existing fraternal organization, while the Illuminati was a short-lived historical society that became the subject of conspiracy theories, often linked to Freemasonry because the Illuminati recruited within its lodges, leading to confusion and myths about them controlling the world, which is false."
And from there you can dive deeper into why it came to that conclusion.
So, AI in itself is simply a tool that can accomplish amazing things. With that power comes inevitable abuse, but for you or me, it's a terrific way to discover answers to questions you ask.
I try to ask different models (Gemini, Claude, CoPilot, GPT-5) the same questions and compare responses. And as mentioned before, ask the model to provide citations. Perplexity AI is my favorite fact/citation checker.
This is a question that I had been meaning to ask for quite some time. There were two purposes behind it. One, to help me organize my own personal study because I feel like I am jumping all over the place with no real plan or focus. The second purpose was to spark some discussion with my lodge members outside of lodge of why education is important and how they achieve it. Unfoetunately, it seemed to have fallen flat on its face as there was very little engagement. Hopefully the question will gain more traction here.
It is a solid question. And yes, I agree, a good one to find out how others might learn, so that we can consider emulating them.
The answers here might be a bit skewed from what they would be for the population of Freemasons in general, as Emeth's readers are undoubtedly interested in Masonic education, while many Masons don't seem to be.
Too many don't seem to be. Before I was a mason I would follow the freemasonry subreddit. The first time I ever came across something you wrote was a list of books to read for the different degrees. It doesn't seem like post about education maintain speed over there either.
I remember that I crowdsourced that list because one of the most popular guys on that sub was telling new Masons that they shouldn't read any Masonic books beyond those things that might have been published by their own Grand Lodge.
I found that a bit more than shocking!
In any event, the list (created with input from a large number of Washington Masons) is still there, and can be found at:
We have a four-pronged problem in the United States beyond the fact that Masons do not read. The problems are:
• The lack of literacy continues to grow in general
• For those who do read, the bulk of anti-Mason propaganda is overwhelming
• Lack of interest in reading is fueling unintentional Masonic education programs.
The Literacy Issue
While research is lacking specifically for Masons who don’t read, a significant portion (around 21-28%) of adults are struggling with functional literacy, reading below a 5th or 6th-grade level, a trend that has worsened since 2017. This is aggravated by foundational texts from the late 19th and early 20th century (specifically Pike or Mackey) that can be difficult even for voracious readers to grasp in the first time reading the material. Even the ancient texts such as the Regius manuscript in Old English are difficult to grasp unless you have an English literature background in Shakespeare or Chaucer.
The research involving the general population bears this out. It includes large numbers of adults (around 43-45 million) unable to handle complex texts and educational disparities as well as declining scores in national assessments for students.
You don’t require formal research to understand this. Just talk to the teachers and librarians involved in your local Bikes for Books programs.
Fake Information
Fake information, often categorized as misinformation (accidental) or disinformation (intentional), has become a pervasive global issue.
Recent data highlights its rapid spread, low public trust in media, and the significant role of social media platforms.
Roughly 86% of online users believe they have been exposed to fake news.
In 2024, more than half of all internet traffic was non-human, with 37% consisting of "bad bots" designed for malicious purposes—a 5% increase from the previous year.
It is impossible to determine an exact number of anti-Masonic articles in the world, as they span centuries of religious, political, and conspiracy-focused opposition. Thousands of books, pamphlets, and articles have been published, with over nine-tenths of early anti-Masonic literature historically centered on the 1826 Morgan Affair.
Computer experts use the term “garbage in, garbage out.”
It’s this material that gets picked up by the Internet and gets regurgitated to goodness knows how many more platforms and it becomes a losing battle.
Bro. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) once noted that a lie will fly around the world faster than you can get your boots on. In our modern computer age, lies can spread faster than the speed of light.
Masonic Education
All this has also seeped into the quality of education in our Lodges.
Most of us who are fastidious about research, have learned to spot bogus information.
But unless you do this on a regular basis and read/understand accordingly, information for a Lodge program may or may not be the truth.
If one does not know the difference, one might be promulgating bad information.
This happened to me once while sitting in on a program. A well-intentioned brother was giving a lecture on a subject that I’m knowledgeable about.
The information was distorted and, in some places, downright wrong.
I was so angry, I almost walked out.
It seems this is happening more.
I can only guess the presentation was gathered by searching the Internet. (This was a while ago and artificial intelligence (AI) had not yet become prevalent.
And now, with bad information out there, AI only picks it up and amplifies it.
Not only does it amplify it, but it generates bogus citations to defend the thesis of the subject).
Last year, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says 45 percent of all AI generated content is erroneous.
Sources of Good Masonic Literacy & Education
The best place to read Masonic material is your local Lodge library. My experience is that our Lodge libraries are rarely used. There's good material there and older members would be more than happy to give you their take on things.
We are also fortunate that we have a few well-respected research lodges here on the west coast. We have two lodges here in Washington, one in North Seattle and one in Spokane. Both do good work on Masonic research. The other side of the coin is that none of that good work is published.
The good news is that several local researchers are available to come do Lodge programs, if one asks.
In addition, Grand Lodge has a speaker’s bureau where some of these folks (including MW Cameron and a cast of dubious fellows like me) will show up by invitation.
When I give a presentation in lodge, half of the brothers (usually the older masons) look like they just want it to end so they can get back to arguing about money.
It's not the masonry they are used to. It's not the sort of things done in lodge in their lifetimes. It's change they are simply putting up with. And after my little 5 minute presentation, I get almost zero feedback. I'd ask questions, and get blank stares.
I've noticed this too, and it is really disheartening. Meeting before last at Centralia we had an educational discussion, rather similar to a round robin or a 'shrink the Lodge' and a couple of the older members refused to participate, with one going so far as to make a motion that we stop the discussion. I didn't entertain the motion, but it was pretty disheartening to hear.
That same small group of Masons can't seem to handle any change though. Around Christmas my wife put on a fancy dinner for the Lodge, turkey, ham, the whole nine yards. That same Brother emailed to express his hope that no one come to the dinner (that didn't work) and claimed that we were somehow violating the bylaws of the Lodge by even hosting it. I know that in another, neighboring Lodge that he was visiting he stood up to throw a tantrum over the fact that instead of the treasurer's chair facing West as is normally done, the Lodge had turned it so that it was facing South.
That kind of stuff is just insane.
At Centralia I have largely moved the educational stuff out of the Stated Meeting (we so still have some, for example at our last Stated our Grand Secretary came and gave us a short presentation.) We are instead holding philosophical discussions on off meeting nights. We had another good one last night.
That brother really solidly highlights issues with guarding the west gate, as well, as not being taught anything of worth. So many misconceptions held by the older brothers that just aren't true.
I think that Masonry was a heck of a lot different decades ago, and some Brothers haven't been able to accept the changes.
VW Clayton and I discuss that fairly regularly. As the two of us continue to age, we promise to 'check' each other if either of us ever starts objecting to the way the newer generations of Masons want to do things. Surely our Lodges must serve the needs of today's men, if it is to survive.
The West Gate facet on your idea works if the older man is petitioning a Lodge at that age. Cameron and I discussed that “Dotage” factor again this week, as we initiated a Brother who has a lot of knowledge and insight to offer, but is also set in his ways and opinions. It’s tough! You don’t want to reject someone who the younger generations could learn from, but if he’s not willing to learn, is he a good role model for those same generations? It’s something that our Lodges need to have some tough discussions on, and we need to be more diligent and in many cases, tough to the point of possibly angering a petitioner when we investigate them. The problem in this case is the Brother joined in the 1950’s, got more active as he got out of the military, but didn’t change as the demographics and culture of society changed. West Gate won’t work here, especially if he’s been a member for a long time. Only if he petitions to affiliate with another Lodge.
The “Check” idea is something I didn’t really come up with; it’s something I’ve noticed over the years that has helped my considerably as I get older. There are cases where I’m admonished by a Grand Officer or a Grand Master, and then there’s times where I catch and admonish, even somewhat strongly, a Grand officer’s action or idea before he makes a directive. We’re all human, and this is a good example of how we have to be On the Level in many cases, despite the position, rank and responsibility we have in this organization, or in our community. We have a couple of new members in our Lodge that frequent these comments on Emeth who have a lot to offer our craft. There are times where Cameron and I have given constructive admonishments and advice, but we’ve also had to make sure we’re not turning Centralia Lodge into our “Fiefdom,” as has happened with many Lodges throughout our Jurisdiction from time to time. I think we’re doing pretty well, and the checks have increased my self-awareness and overall wisdom.
Sounds like another good example of Freemasonry at work.
I think that one of the greatest benefits of Freemasonry is the fact that it is so multi-generational. Young men can learn and benefit from the life experiences of older men, and older men can learn about our changing world from younger men. That is very powerful, and extremely helpful.
But, it only works if both the old man and the young man endeavor to learn from the other.
Many years ago the Legislature paid for me to attend a writing class that purported to teach us how to write for people with a 5th grade reading level. The thought at the time was that a large percentage of people couldn't easily read above that level, so I must presume that the data you share here is correct.
It has seemed to me that all of the false information published about Freemasonry over the centuries (by both Masons and Non-Masons) will be amplified by AI. Even with the explanations offered above, I don't see how AI can differentiate between true published information and false published information. And something being 'authoritative' is no guarantee. Many of our most authoritative documents and books are filled with myth and falsehood. Things like Research Lodges embraced the 'authentic' histories. Before them our Craft embraced 'romantic' histories.
Two other AI things:
-AI, IMHO, will make us stupid. I remember, when I was a kid, wondering how my father could drive us hours and hours away from home, and actually get us where we were going without ever consulting a map. Then I grew up, and realized that the first time or maybe two, going somewhere one might struggle to find the way, but that after that I could drive without even thinking about it and find the place again and again. Then we got GPS, that first time or two was no longer a struggle, our gizmo would take us right there. Having used it for so long though, I've now learned that I've grown dependent upon it. I can no longer drive to out of the way places without it, even if I've driven there multiple times before. AI will do the same to us, it will result in us losing essential skills.
-AI writing, as it proliferates, will make most all writing feel the same. This will remove any desire to read as it will all be the same and thus boring. The only writing anyone will want to read will be that writing that 'breaks the rules' and is therefore interesting. But of course the old maxim is true, in order to properly break the rules, one must know the rules, and one who replies upon AI will never have an opportunity to actually learn the rules. Recently I have seen a lot of AI writing proliferating in Masonic spaces, and that in my view is unfortunate, because by embracing it those who are doing so are ensuring that in the long term they will never actually gain significant audience.
One other thing:
Writing has two primary purposes. To communicate, and to help us think. If we rely upon AI to write for us, we are not thinking, it is not helping us to think.
Bots are certainly a problem. I noticed this past week that an old post of mine started getting a lot of 'likes.' The thing is, content here on Emeth, unlike my personal Substack doesn't appear to be very 'evergreen.' People here read the new stuff, not the old for whatever reason. So it was odd that an old post was getting so much traffic. The other thing that stood out is that the post in question shouldn't have really garnered any 'likes' at all. It wasn't an essay, it wasn't a discussion, it was just an announcement of an event that got canceled. But here it was, years later, getting a bunch of 'likes.' Clearly that's bot activity.
Three things. First, the best writing advice I ever received was the KISS principle. Keep it short and simple. Second, you're still a young buck compared to me. But, you might remember gas station maps to help get around. I was thinking recently, what would you have done as GM if Alaska was still part of our GL? I don't know if I can see Nome from my front yard if you get lost. Finally, the secret signals being sent from our sideline on Sunday ARE NOT Masonic symbols. It's to tell Bro. Sam it's his choice to hand-off or pass. I rest my case.
I do remember, and have used the gas station maps. My favorite though, and most used, were the old hand drawn Metsker county maps (they came in an orange and yellow envelope) that included all of the forest service and other back roads. Those maps of Chelan and Okanogan counties got a great deal of use in my truck. Plus of course the Thomas guides that could get one anywhere in any city.
A favorite author of mine Neal Stephenson, wrote a tome called "Cryptonomicon". It's actually a brilliant and unique tale, told in 3 different timelines from 3 different perspectives that are woven together until the end when all three stories converge. AI just can't write something like that. There are plenty of authors (some may say too many) that are masters of their craft. Neal even spent almost two pages in his book describing the proper method to eat cap'n crunch cereal. It's a brilliant story, although a bit dated as it does discuss technology from 25 years ago, but it's still a great read, and you get to learn a whole host of various cryptographic methods to boot.
So, I don't think AI will kill writing, it will just simplify research, much like the internet has replaced the Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias we had as a kid. Yes, you can use AI to write a book, but I don't think it will ever replace someone like Neal, or Patterson, or any of the other popular writers today. Even in college, using AI to write a term paper, or thesis is a battle between the AI tool, and the anti-AI AI tools that detect human versus AI writing. It's actually pretty funny.
It's funny you bring up the GPS issue, I was just thinking about that the other day. Even before mapquest, where you would provide a starting and ending destination, and it would spit out a turn by turn list sometimes pages long. I've driven across the country many times, relying on Rand McNally maps, stopping at gas stations to get the state maps when I needed more detail. It's definitely a lost skill for the younger folks, much like knowing how to tell time on an analog clock, or reading/writing cursive. We make fun of them for not knowing how to do such things, but really, does it matter? I haven't written in cursive since grade school.
But, getting back to AI, I think you're just looking at AI differently than how most people use it. We in the tech industry use AI daily to solve problems, and devise methods to a task that otherwise would take much longer and time consuming to create. The skill is knowing how to structure your query to get the best possible result, and one that takes time to develop. I have yet to find anything remotely negative or misleading in my work with AI doing masonic research, but then again, I am not asking questions that would trigger such results, and I can't think of anything that would off the top of my head to begin with. I even asked AI if the knights templar worshiped baphomet which I would think would trigger something, and it came back with:
Based on historical evidence, there is no proof that the Knights Templar worshipped a deity named Baphomet. Accusations of worshipping this figure, along with other idolatry, were manufactured by King Philip IV of France in 1307 to seize the Order's wealth, with confessions extracted under torture.
Origins of the Accusation: The name "Baphomet" appeared in the 14th-century Inquisition trial transcripts, often described inconsistently by terrified, tortured knights as a severed head, a cat, or a three-faced idol.
Misinterpretation of "Mahomet": Many historians believe "Baphomet" was an old French misspelling or corruption of "Mahomet" (Muhammad), used to falsely paint the Christian warrior monks as having converted to Islam.
Lack of Evidence: No Templar documents, rules, or artifacts from the medieval period support the existence of such an idol.
Modern Myth: The iconic, goat-headed figure of Baphomet was actually created by French occultist Éliphas Lévi in 1856, not during the medieval period.
The accusations were largely fabricated to destroy the Order, which had become too politically and financially powerful.
I haven't read the book you mention, but by coincidence I was thinking about Braided Essays just yesterday while in the shower. (I think that maybe I do my best pondering in the shower.)
A braided essay is similar to the novel you mention. Two or three seemingly different things are introduced, then braided together through the essay, eventually coming together at the end. It is one of the most well liked form of essay, and I agree, AI could never properly do one as essays like that run contrary to all rational forms of progression.
It's sort of like the President. No matter how we might feel about him or his policies, we have to admit, I think, that he speaks in public radically different than all who have come before him. I just don't mean by adding insults either. He talks about item one, then jumps to item five, then back to item one, then item three, then back to one, then back to five. He calls that 'the weave.' I think it is reflective of the forms we are discussing here.
I do agree with you, AI will not kill writing.
It won't kill writing just as Velveeta didn't kill cheese.
It will rather, I think, change writing. Most writing will be AI slop, just as most cheese is some sort of heavily processed fake cheese goop. But, there will still be people out there who write. Just as there are still plenty of cheese makers in Italy handcrafting their stuff as has been done for countless generations.
I do remember the old 'turn by turn' directions from before the talking maps in our phones we use today. I'd forgotten about them until you mentioned it, but yeah, I do remember pulling them up and printing them out before going somewhere.
You may well be right that I misunderstand how most people use AI, because I am sure that it varies a great deal from vocation to vocation. I imagine that it is heavily used for things like what you mention. I do though see lots of AI writing on this platform being passed off as human writing, and I understand from folks who write novels that platforms people buy fiction on are drowning in it.
I don't actually object to that, but I do object to people trying to hide it. To those who would claim authorship of something that they did not write. It is to my mind dishonest. But, in the end, I think that the folks who do that will only hurt themselves. It is growing easier and easier to quickly spot it. When a Masonic essay is structured in the exact same way as a political essay, and a Tarot essay, and those three things are read close together, well it just sort of jumps out as a machine creation. People will start to recognize that more and more, and when they do they will feel deceived, particularly by those who charge for their 'writing.' So, it's a promise of eventual failure to my mind.
Like you, I do find the University stuff funny. Student uses AI to write paper, University uses AI checker to reject it, so AI is adapted to get around the checker, so the checker is adapted to catch the latest changes, on and on forever. Because of course the money behind the AI tools is the same money behind the AI checkers. As I believe was the case when I was a teenage driver with radar detectors in our cars.
All of this said, I do understand that AI can be a tremendous tool for research, and that loads of people use it for that. I simply feel that it can also be a tool for fraud, and that lots of people are using it for that too.
Reading--usually done outside of Lodge...(kinda rude to do it during a Stated...LOL)
Settle and resolve "why I want to read" within your own heart first... The rest of the world is not the Judge or Arbiter of our choices. Be enthusiastic about discussing the material--perhaps compare and contrast with something directly from our Ritual... Ask the person/ people if they would like to discuss it...If they roll their eyes--say "Hey I gotta go...I just remembered I need to...." BUT, if they engage back---ahhhh... Topical discussions within Lodge--best format tho is still the Shrink The Lodge format.... Warn/Advise people up front about it.... Keep a mental checklist to make sure everyone gets a chance to add their 2 cents worth.... Question: If one can say: A penny for your thoughts--then why do people want to give you their 2 cents worth? Advise people up front to keep comments/ observations brief.... Discuss the value of Acquiring Perspective from each other. My personal success criteria at a Lodge Meeting is when even one person says: Geez--I never thought about ____ from that Perspective.... Changing the World starts at Lodge...with one...then a few more Brothers.... And Mackey's essay does constitute Masonic Reading and Education... Google: Albert Mackey/ Reading Masons..... And try to never be the 3rd iteration he cites..... VIVAT
At Centralia we have experimented with the 'Shrink the Lodge' / 'Round Robin' format quite a bit through the years. (Off and on, depending on WM whims.)
We've formalized it now. It is now firmly set for the First Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. Bro. Nowak is quite good at keeping a discussion going, and getting it to go deep, so he's become our permanent moderator.
We did move it out of our Stated Meeting night, for a couple of reasons:
-A couple of our more seasoned members object to it visibly, causing bad feelings in the Lodge.
-There was a desire to keep them going a bit longer. So, we set it for that non Stated Meeting night and run it somewhere between an hour/hour and a half. Attendance isn't big yet, but I'm confident it will grow.
-Also, we are including a Zoom option for those who don't live in the area (like most Lodges we've had plenty of Brothers who have moved away, but maintain their membership) and we are recording them for possible posting in the future.
I think if we look to the symbolism of the rough Ashlar we learn that we can only take away from what is there, shaping and moulding it to the Builders use, but we cannot add to it.
I think if we start with scholars and researchers we are likely to enhance or improve what already exists. If we have those interested in assisting their Brethren and fellow man, they are likely to continue this trend. I think perhaps our challenges sometimes come from expecting something that may not exist in the first place, or expecting too much from those without that particular skill set or desire.
I recall a comic strip with a cheetah and a fish arguing over who would win in a race, the cheetah envisioned leaving the fish in the dust on the Sahara, the fish envisioned leaving the cheetah in its wake in the river. Both might win or lose depending on their natural traits and environments, and neither considered the others abilities outside of their own perceptions of lived reality.
I think that Masonry takes on a few forms with education, fellowship, and charity being the core categories if distilled down to the essentials. Each of these are important, and the Craft would be the poorer for the loss of any one of these elements. I do think that Masonry promotes a balanced life, and that we ought to at least attempt to "round out the skill tree" as my wife would say. However, if a character starts with a notional zero in a particular category, some games do not permit progression in that category, no matter how inconvenient. Or development in that skill is negatively weighted against that characters play style as a handicap.
I wonder if we might be better served by adjusting our expectations to match the qualities that exist and improve them as we are able. Or perhaps we should more stringently inspect the men we permit access through the West Gate if we insist on expecting things of them they may never aspire to, or desire in the first place. Encouraging them to seek Lodges that align with their abilities and interests, unless they are ill suited to the Craft at all.
I know of Lodges that place a very high bar on educational pursuit, and others that focus heavily on fellowship. Many of those Brethren might never join, or be well suited to each others Lodges as a permanent member, but that is the beauty of the Craft. It enables people with so many different skill sets and personalities to find a Lodge that suits their interests and abilities, yet still permits them to partake in visitation and fellowship, periodically enjoying what each Lodge may have to offer.
Ultimately, as long as our Brethren honor their obligations I don't particularly care which aspects of Masonry they prefer to apply or enjoy. I would rather sit in Lodge with a Brother who shows up to support the Craft with whatever they may have to offer, over one who might not show up at all.
Grand Lodge used to have videos hosted on it's site of presentations by various brothers. One was a presentation and Q&A called "Elephant in the room" hosted by WB Ken Lane and VWB Zane McCune. I wish those videos were still available, I can't even find it on youtube. He also does a class at the LLR (not this year, however) of the same name, which uses the same slide deck as the video.
In it, he delves into membership, retention, and as you discussed, finding the right fit for the potential candidate. Lodges can typically fall into a few broad categories. A lodge focusing on fellowship, charity/public engagement, esoteric/masonic education, or cultural. Some lodges do at least one or more, others perhaps nothing at all. But interviewing the potential candidate is important to figure out what his aims are should be to find the right lodge for him in the district. It may not be the one you're a member of. It's important to consider what is best for that candidate, and masonry, not just a new body for the lodge. It was a great class, perhaps he'll bring it back some day.
At Centralia we've started recording our philosophical/educational discussions. It's my hope that in time we can build up a good library of these and host them as a sort of video podcast.
I think I am approaching 10~ videos and am trying not to botch the edits too badly... It is slow going. I wonder if there is a Brother who has that skill set and a willingness to assist? I am going to put out another request and keep at it until I make progress or find someone more talented than I.
>>>Ultimately, as long as our Brethren honor their obligations I don't particularly care which >>>aspects of Masonry they prefer to apply or enjoy.
I think that you hit upon something that could make an excellent educational series. What do our obligations actually say, and what does that mean? In theory and actual practice.
If we spend much time on Social Media we will see ill informed Masons bloviating about 'their obligation' in relation to some topic or another, and we will see that the Mason in question clearly misunderstands or misreads the obligations he took. This is pretty common unfortunately.
We also regularly see Lodges and Grand Lodges acting contrary to the 'letter of the law' when it comes to the obligations, showing that practice differs at least slightly and in some aspects from the clear textual meaning.
Exploring each of the provisions of the obligations would certainly be a valuable educational series. For how can we follow the obligations if we don't know them, or don't understand them?
I really like that idea. I am working on a multi article post titled, "The Call" going over the Legacy of Builders, Seekers, and Teachers. I plan to cover what those roles looked like historically, and what they might look like today. I may have to rethink some of my approach to incorporate the obligations more intentionally, though in an untyled format.
I hope these situations are merely a misunderstanding that might be addressed in a Brotherly manner. Though I have to wonder if we might need to consider repetitive and concerning patterns a little more intently, from all possible perspectives. The phrase, "Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern", comes to mind. If we have open hostilities or divisive behavior being promoted and Masonry being use to justify these comments and statement, perhaps there is too large of a divide to reconcile these beliefs or justifications. How will these patterns reflect on the Craft and our Brethren as a whole?
In many aspects of life I have found that reality often differs from what ought to be, or what is claimed. Unfortunately this can erode the trust that exists between individuals, communities, and organizations which frays the social fabric until it ceases to function. If we offer support and fail to respond to the call, will they keep faith? If we are supposed to meet on the level, yet abuse our Brethren's good nature, will it continue to be extended?
I would love to have a conversation about that topic and see how we might be able to discuss them in a untyled format for broader consumption, while keeping the obligations we have made.
I think that if we don't educate our Brothers as to the meaning of the obligations we all take, it is unreasonable to expect that they will follow them.
Yes, the individual Brother has an absolute responsibility to live by his obligations.
But, the Lodge has a responsibility to educate him about what that means.
I believe that both parties too frequently fall down on those responsibilities.
MWPGM Bailey,
I have a few WV Masonic Grand Lodge Blue Books (history books). The best reading is the 1968 book, the year my dad was WV Grand Master. I find names of my friend's father's in each WV town.
I don't have any family history in Masonry, beyond my Great Grandfather who was a member throughout his adult life.
But, I understand the draw of learning more about family Masonic involvement.
I wanted to become a Mason, because as a really little kid, I thought that our next door neighbors (who were elderly) were my grandparents, and as they didn't yet have grandkids of their own, they went right along with that fiction. So, in essence, I had three sets.
And the fellow in question, was a Mason, an extremely active Shriner. He passed away when I was still young, but I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, so eventually I did.
Since that time I learned that his friend, and long time employer (who he eventually bought the company from) was one of the men instrumental in the creation of our Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation that I proudly serve as a director of.
So, in my self created family, there is a pretty honorable Masonic tradition.
Info about the foundation is here:
https://www.srsfw.org/
Because I am sort of in charge of masonic education in my lodge, I spend a good amount of time researching subjects, either through books, online, research papers, etc. This space is also a good resource to get opinions and discussions as well.
AI has been a wonderful addition to do research of this type, but it is only as good as the questions you're asking. The biggest feature is how you can ask follow up questions, or more details about something as you go along. For example I was researching George Washington and his early masonic career, and from the responses I was getting, I asked for a timeline covering the results I received. It responded with a great list of events by date that showed the data I was looking for to reinforce the point I was trying to make. And all of this was certainly a great way to learn about the subjects you're interested in.
As you get used to how the AI is structured, you get better at designing queries to return the right responses. It's actually quite enjoyable, at least to me.
An honest question, because I don't know:
As I understand it, written AI works because it is a massive database of pretty much all the written words man has ever put down and preserved. A question is asked, and it goes through all of this stuff to extract the answers and gives those answers in a pleasing document, as short or long, as detailed or not, as needed.
If that is indeed how it works, to my mind the stuff in the database needs to be accurate for AI to be accurate.
But we know that more nonsense has been published about Freemasonry through the centuries than legitimate information. Both Masons and Anti-Masons have been very prolific nonsense peddlers. (Or the Masons took a 'romantic' view of history, my preferred explanation for the purposeful writing of unfactual histories and such.)
Indeed Masonry didn't even really look to create authentic history for itself until the founding of Quatuor Coronati Lodge.
But, even today, Freemasons spout nonsense. A couple of years ago I listened to a Worshipful Master give a presentation to a large group of Non-Masons about our Craft. He carefully and earnestly explained to them that Freemasonry was founded, as we know it today, at the building of King Solomon's Temple.
So, my question is, and it is an honest question:
If the AI database is overflowing with nonsense (at least as far as Freemasonry is concerned) how can we know that the answers received from it aren't nonsense?
AI isn't a database of everything man has ever written. It's code simply ranks where to look. A lot of it's information is drawn from published sources like wikipedia, science journals, and official sources.
For example, if you go to google and type "was george washington's family as rich as martha's family?" you will get a very detailed response written in a way that is almost conversational. At the end of it's response, it asked: "Would you like to know more about how George managed the Custis estate or the specific business ventures he started at Mount Vernon?". I typed in "yes, with timelines" and it gave a great follow up response to that. Go ahead and try it, and see how it interacts with you, and what else you can find out. I was using it to discover if George Washington was using Freemasonry as sort of a social step up into the aristocratic circles as part of his motivation in joining.
So it really depends on what you are trying to find out, but I've found that the AI engine is pretty honest and fair. For example if you ask it if the freemasons are part of the illuminati, it responds with:
"AI Overview
No, Freemasons and the Illuminati are not the same; Freemasonry is a real, existing fraternal organization, while the Illuminati was a short-lived historical society that became the subject of conspiracy theories, often linked to Freemasonry because the Illuminati recruited within its lodges, leading to confusion and myths about them controlling the world, which is false."
And from there you can dive deeper into why it came to that conclusion.
So, AI in itself is simply a tool that can accomplish amazing things. With that power comes inevitable abuse, but for you or me, it's a terrific way to discover answers to questions you ask.
When I have used AI I have asked it to cite sources and it did. That way I can go and verify things for myself.
That seems like a solid plan.
I try to ask different models (Gemini, Claude, CoPilot, GPT-5) the same questions and compare responses. And as mentioned before, ask the model to provide citations. Perplexity AI is my favorite fact/citation checker.
That seems like a solid plan. Much like one might check multiple reference books to ensure correct information.
Thanks! I appreciate this detailed answer. And certainly the Illuminati answer it generated looks correct to me.
This is a question that I had been meaning to ask for quite some time. There were two purposes behind it. One, to help me organize my own personal study because I feel like I am jumping all over the place with no real plan or focus. The second purpose was to spark some discussion with my lodge members outside of lodge of why education is important and how they achieve it. Unfoetunately, it seemed to have fallen flat on its face as there was very little engagement. Hopefully the question will gain more traction here.
It is a solid question. And yes, I agree, a good one to find out how others might learn, so that we can consider emulating them.
The answers here might be a bit skewed from what they would be for the population of Freemasons in general, as Emeth's readers are undoubtedly interested in Masonic education, while many Masons don't seem to be.
Too many don't seem to be. Before I was a mason I would follow the freemasonry subreddit. The first time I ever came across something you wrote was a list of books to read for the different degrees. It doesn't seem like post about education maintain speed over there either.
I remember that I crowdsourced that list because one of the most popular guys on that sub was telling new Masons that they shouldn't read any Masonic books beyond those things that might have been published by their own Grand Lodge.
I found that a bit more than shocking!
In any event, the list (created with input from a large number of Washington Masons) is still there, and can be found at:
https://write.as/cmbailey/the-emeth-recommended-reading-list
We have a four-pronged problem in the United States beyond the fact that Masons do not read. The problems are:
• The lack of literacy continues to grow in general
• For those who do read, the bulk of anti-Mason propaganda is overwhelming
• Lack of interest in reading is fueling unintentional Masonic education programs.
The Literacy Issue
While research is lacking specifically for Masons who don’t read, a significant portion (around 21-28%) of adults are struggling with functional literacy, reading below a 5th or 6th-grade level, a trend that has worsened since 2017. This is aggravated by foundational texts from the late 19th and early 20th century (specifically Pike or Mackey) that can be difficult even for voracious readers to grasp in the first time reading the material. Even the ancient texts such as the Regius manuscript in Old English are difficult to grasp unless you have an English literature background in Shakespeare or Chaucer.
The research involving the general population bears this out. It includes large numbers of adults (around 43-45 million) unable to handle complex texts and educational disparities as well as declining scores in national assessments for students.
You don’t require formal research to understand this. Just talk to the teachers and librarians involved in your local Bikes for Books programs.
Fake Information
Fake information, often categorized as misinformation (accidental) or disinformation (intentional), has become a pervasive global issue.
Recent data highlights its rapid spread, low public trust in media, and the significant role of social media platforms.
Roughly 86% of online users believe they have been exposed to fake news.
In 2024, more than half of all internet traffic was non-human, with 37% consisting of "bad bots" designed for malicious purposes—a 5% increase from the previous year.
It is impossible to determine an exact number of anti-Masonic articles in the world, as they span centuries of religious, political, and conspiracy-focused opposition. Thousands of books, pamphlets, and articles have been published, with over nine-tenths of early anti-Masonic literature historically centered on the 1826 Morgan Affair.
Computer experts use the term “garbage in, garbage out.”
It’s this material that gets picked up by the Internet and gets regurgitated to goodness knows how many more platforms and it becomes a losing battle.
Bro. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) once noted that a lie will fly around the world faster than you can get your boots on. In our modern computer age, lies can spread faster than the speed of light.
Masonic Education
All this has also seeped into the quality of education in our Lodges.
Most of us who are fastidious about research, have learned to spot bogus information.
But unless you do this on a regular basis and read/understand accordingly, information for a Lodge program may or may not be the truth.
If one does not know the difference, one might be promulgating bad information.
This happened to me once while sitting in on a program. A well-intentioned brother was giving a lecture on a subject that I’m knowledgeable about.
The information was distorted and, in some places, downright wrong.
I was so angry, I almost walked out.
It seems this is happening more.
I can only guess the presentation was gathered by searching the Internet. (This was a while ago and artificial intelligence (AI) had not yet become prevalent.
And now, with bad information out there, AI only picks it up and amplifies it.
Not only does it amplify it, but it generates bogus citations to defend the thesis of the subject).
Last year, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says 45 percent of all AI generated content is erroneous.
Sources of Good Masonic Literacy & Education
The best place to read Masonic material is your local Lodge library. My experience is that our Lodge libraries are rarely used. There's good material there and older members would be more than happy to give you their take on things.
We are also fortunate that we have a few well-respected research lodges here on the west coast. We have two lodges here in Washington, one in North Seattle and one in Spokane. Both do good work on Masonic research. The other side of the coin is that none of that good work is published.
The good news is that several local researchers are available to come do Lodge programs, if one asks.
In addition, Grand Lodge has a speaker’s bureau where some of these folks (including MW Cameron and a cast of dubious fellows like me) will show up by invitation.
The Fourth Point I Wish to Make
It has nothing to do about literacy or education.
It has to do with this coming Sunday.
Go Hawks!
OK. I'm done.
Very good points Brother!
When I give a presentation in lodge, half of the brothers (usually the older masons) look like they just want it to end so they can get back to arguing about money.
It's not the masonry they are used to. It's not the sort of things done in lodge in their lifetimes. It's change they are simply putting up with. And after my little 5 minute presentation, I get almost zero feedback. I'd ask questions, and get blank stares.
Bro. Glenn: Try giving in Engish next time. :)
I've noticed this too, and it is really disheartening. Meeting before last at Centralia we had an educational discussion, rather similar to a round robin or a 'shrink the Lodge' and a couple of the older members refused to participate, with one going so far as to make a motion that we stop the discussion. I didn't entertain the motion, but it was pretty disheartening to hear.
That same small group of Masons can't seem to handle any change though. Around Christmas my wife put on a fancy dinner for the Lodge, turkey, ham, the whole nine yards. That same Brother emailed to express his hope that no one come to the dinner (that didn't work) and claimed that we were somehow violating the bylaws of the Lodge by even hosting it. I know that in another, neighboring Lodge that he was visiting he stood up to throw a tantrum over the fact that instead of the treasurer's chair facing West as is normally done, the Lodge had turned it so that it was facing South.
That kind of stuff is just insane.
At Centralia I have largely moved the educational stuff out of the Stated Meeting (we so still have some, for example at our last Stated our Grand Secretary came and gave us a short presentation.) We are instead holding philosophical discussions on off meeting nights. We had another good one last night.
That brother really solidly highlights issues with guarding the west gate, as well, as not being taught anything of worth. So many misconceptions held by the older brothers that just aren't true.
I think that Masonry was a heck of a lot different decades ago, and some Brothers haven't been able to accept the changes.
VW Clayton and I discuss that fairly regularly. As the two of us continue to age, we promise to 'check' each other if either of us ever starts objecting to the way the newer generations of Masons want to do things. Surely our Lodges must serve the needs of today's men, if it is to survive.
WB Glenn:
The West Gate facet on your idea works if the older man is petitioning a Lodge at that age. Cameron and I discussed that “Dotage” factor again this week, as we initiated a Brother who has a lot of knowledge and insight to offer, but is also set in his ways and opinions. It’s tough! You don’t want to reject someone who the younger generations could learn from, but if he’s not willing to learn, is he a good role model for those same generations? It’s something that our Lodges need to have some tough discussions on, and we need to be more diligent and in many cases, tough to the point of possibly angering a petitioner when we investigate them. The problem in this case is the Brother joined in the 1950’s, got more active as he got out of the military, but didn’t change as the demographics and culture of society changed. West Gate won’t work here, especially if he’s been a member for a long time. Only if he petitions to affiliate with another Lodge.
The “Check” idea is something I didn’t really come up with; it’s something I’ve noticed over the years that has helped my considerably as I get older. There are cases where I’m admonished by a Grand Officer or a Grand Master, and then there’s times where I catch and admonish, even somewhat strongly, a Grand officer’s action or idea before he makes a directive. We’re all human, and this is a good example of how we have to be On the Level in many cases, despite the position, rank and responsibility we have in this organization, or in our community. We have a couple of new members in our Lodge that frequent these comments on Emeth who have a lot to offer our craft. There are times where Cameron and I have given constructive admonishments and advice, but we’ve also had to make sure we’re not turning Centralia Lodge into our “Fiefdom,” as has happened with many Lodges throughout our Jurisdiction from time to time. I think we’re doing pretty well, and the checks have increased my self-awareness and overall wisdom.
Sounds like another good example of Freemasonry at work.
I think that one of the greatest benefits of Freemasonry is the fact that it is so multi-generational. Young men can learn and benefit from the life experiences of older men, and older men can learn about our changing world from younger men. That is very powerful, and extremely helpful.
But, it only works if both the old man and the young man endeavor to learn from the other.
Really good points on the matter.
Some random thoughts:
Many years ago the Legislature paid for me to attend a writing class that purported to teach us how to write for people with a 5th grade reading level. The thought at the time was that a large percentage of people couldn't easily read above that level, so I must presume that the data you share here is correct.
It has seemed to me that all of the false information published about Freemasonry over the centuries (by both Masons and Non-Masons) will be amplified by AI. Even with the explanations offered above, I don't see how AI can differentiate between true published information and false published information. And something being 'authoritative' is no guarantee. Many of our most authoritative documents and books are filled with myth and falsehood. Things like Research Lodges embraced the 'authentic' histories. Before them our Craft embraced 'romantic' histories.
Two other AI things:
-AI, IMHO, will make us stupid. I remember, when I was a kid, wondering how my father could drive us hours and hours away from home, and actually get us where we were going without ever consulting a map. Then I grew up, and realized that the first time or maybe two, going somewhere one might struggle to find the way, but that after that I could drive without even thinking about it and find the place again and again. Then we got GPS, that first time or two was no longer a struggle, our gizmo would take us right there. Having used it for so long though, I've now learned that I've grown dependent upon it. I can no longer drive to out of the way places without it, even if I've driven there multiple times before. AI will do the same to us, it will result in us losing essential skills.
-AI writing, as it proliferates, will make most all writing feel the same. This will remove any desire to read as it will all be the same and thus boring. The only writing anyone will want to read will be that writing that 'breaks the rules' and is therefore interesting. But of course the old maxim is true, in order to properly break the rules, one must know the rules, and one who replies upon AI will never have an opportunity to actually learn the rules. Recently I have seen a lot of AI writing proliferating in Masonic spaces, and that in my view is unfortunate, because by embracing it those who are doing so are ensuring that in the long term they will never actually gain significant audience.
One other thing:
Writing has two primary purposes. To communicate, and to help us think. If we rely upon AI to write for us, we are not thinking, it is not helping us to think.
Bots are certainly a problem. I noticed this past week that an old post of mine started getting a lot of 'likes.' The thing is, content here on Emeth, unlike my personal Substack doesn't appear to be very 'evergreen.' People here read the new stuff, not the old for whatever reason. So it was odd that an old post was getting so much traffic. The other thing that stood out is that the post in question shouldn't have really garnered any 'likes' at all. It wasn't an essay, it wasn't a discussion, it was just an announcement of an event that got canceled. But here it was, years later, getting a bunch of 'likes.' Clearly that's bot activity.
An yep! Go Hawks!
Three things. First, the best writing advice I ever received was the KISS principle. Keep it short and simple. Second, you're still a young buck compared to me. But, you might remember gas station maps to help get around. I was thinking recently, what would you have done as GM if Alaska was still part of our GL? I don't know if I can see Nome from my front yard if you get lost. Finally, the secret signals being sent from our sideline on Sunday ARE NOT Masonic symbols. It's to tell Bro. Sam it's his choice to hand-off or pass. I rest my case.
I do remember, and have used the gas station maps. My favorite though, and most used, were the old hand drawn Metsker county maps (they came in an orange and yellow envelope) that included all of the forest service and other back roads. Those maps of Chelan and Okanogan counties got a great deal of use in my truck. Plus of course the Thomas guides that could get one anywhere in any city.
A favorite author of mine Neal Stephenson, wrote a tome called "Cryptonomicon". It's actually a brilliant and unique tale, told in 3 different timelines from 3 different perspectives that are woven together until the end when all three stories converge. AI just can't write something like that. There are plenty of authors (some may say too many) that are masters of their craft. Neal even spent almost two pages in his book describing the proper method to eat cap'n crunch cereal. It's a brilliant story, although a bit dated as it does discuss technology from 25 years ago, but it's still a great read, and you get to learn a whole host of various cryptographic methods to boot.
So, I don't think AI will kill writing, it will just simplify research, much like the internet has replaced the Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias we had as a kid. Yes, you can use AI to write a book, but I don't think it will ever replace someone like Neal, or Patterson, or any of the other popular writers today. Even in college, using AI to write a term paper, or thesis is a battle between the AI tool, and the anti-AI AI tools that detect human versus AI writing. It's actually pretty funny.
It's funny you bring up the GPS issue, I was just thinking about that the other day. Even before mapquest, where you would provide a starting and ending destination, and it would spit out a turn by turn list sometimes pages long. I've driven across the country many times, relying on Rand McNally maps, stopping at gas stations to get the state maps when I needed more detail. It's definitely a lost skill for the younger folks, much like knowing how to tell time on an analog clock, or reading/writing cursive. We make fun of them for not knowing how to do such things, but really, does it matter? I haven't written in cursive since grade school.
But, getting back to AI, I think you're just looking at AI differently than how most people use it. We in the tech industry use AI daily to solve problems, and devise methods to a task that otherwise would take much longer and time consuming to create. The skill is knowing how to structure your query to get the best possible result, and one that takes time to develop. I have yet to find anything remotely negative or misleading in my work with AI doing masonic research, but then again, I am not asking questions that would trigger such results, and I can't think of anything that would off the top of my head to begin with. I even asked AI if the knights templar worshiped baphomet which I would think would trigger something, and it came back with:
Based on historical evidence, there is no proof that the Knights Templar worshipped a deity named Baphomet. Accusations of worshipping this figure, along with other idolatry, were manufactured by King Philip IV of France in 1307 to seize the Order's wealth, with confessions extracted under torture.
Origins of the Accusation: The name "Baphomet" appeared in the 14th-century Inquisition trial transcripts, often described inconsistently by terrified, tortured knights as a severed head, a cat, or a three-faced idol.
Misinterpretation of "Mahomet": Many historians believe "Baphomet" was an old French misspelling or corruption of "Mahomet" (Muhammad), used to falsely paint the Christian warrior monks as having converted to Islam.
Lack of Evidence: No Templar documents, rules, or artifacts from the medieval period support the existence of such an idol.
Modern Myth: The iconic, goat-headed figure of Baphomet was actually created by French occultist Éliphas Lévi in 1856, not during the medieval period.
The accusations were largely fabricated to destroy the Order, which had become too politically and financially powerful.
I haven't read the book you mention, but by coincidence I was thinking about Braided Essays just yesterday while in the shower. (I think that maybe I do my best pondering in the shower.)
A braided essay is similar to the novel you mention. Two or three seemingly different things are introduced, then braided together through the essay, eventually coming together at the end. It is one of the most well liked form of essay, and I agree, AI could never properly do one as essays like that run contrary to all rational forms of progression.
It's sort of like the President. No matter how we might feel about him or his policies, we have to admit, I think, that he speaks in public radically different than all who have come before him. I just don't mean by adding insults either. He talks about item one, then jumps to item five, then back to item one, then item three, then back to one, then back to five. He calls that 'the weave.' I think it is reflective of the forms we are discussing here.
I do agree with you, AI will not kill writing.
It won't kill writing just as Velveeta didn't kill cheese.
It will rather, I think, change writing. Most writing will be AI slop, just as most cheese is some sort of heavily processed fake cheese goop. But, there will still be people out there who write. Just as there are still plenty of cheese makers in Italy handcrafting their stuff as has been done for countless generations.
I do remember the old 'turn by turn' directions from before the talking maps in our phones we use today. I'd forgotten about them until you mentioned it, but yeah, I do remember pulling them up and printing them out before going somewhere.
You may well be right that I misunderstand how most people use AI, because I am sure that it varies a great deal from vocation to vocation. I imagine that it is heavily used for things like what you mention. I do though see lots of AI writing on this platform being passed off as human writing, and I understand from folks who write novels that platforms people buy fiction on are drowning in it.
I don't actually object to that, but I do object to people trying to hide it. To those who would claim authorship of something that they did not write. It is to my mind dishonest. But, in the end, I think that the folks who do that will only hurt themselves. It is growing easier and easier to quickly spot it. When a Masonic essay is structured in the exact same way as a political essay, and a Tarot essay, and those three things are read close together, well it just sort of jumps out as a machine creation. People will start to recognize that more and more, and when they do they will feel deceived, particularly by those who charge for their 'writing.' So, it's a promise of eventual failure to my mind.
Like you, I do find the University stuff funny. Student uses AI to write paper, University uses AI checker to reject it, so AI is adapted to get around the checker, so the checker is adapted to catch the latest changes, on and on forever. Because of course the money behind the AI tools is the same money behind the AI checkers. As I believe was the case when I was a teenage driver with radar detectors in our cars.
All of this said, I do understand that AI can be a tremendous tool for research, and that loads of people use it for that. I simply feel that it can also be a tool for fraud, and that lots of people are using it for that too.
Reading--usually done outside of Lodge...(kinda rude to do it during a Stated...LOL)
Settle and resolve "why I want to read" within your own heart first... The rest of the world is not the Judge or Arbiter of our choices. Be enthusiastic about discussing the material--perhaps compare and contrast with something directly from our Ritual... Ask the person/ people if they would like to discuss it...If they roll their eyes--say "Hey I gotta go...I just remembered I need to...." BUT, if they engage back---ahhhh... Topical discussions within Lodge--best format tho is still the Shrink The Lodge format.... Warn/Advise people up front about it.... Keep a mental checklist to make sure everyone gets a chance to add their 2 cents worth.... Question: If one can say: A penny for your thoughts--then why do people want to give you their 2 cents worth? Advise people up front to keep comments/ observations brief.... Discuss the value of Acquiring Perspective from each other. My personal success criteria at a Lodge Meeting is when even one person says: Geez--I never thought about ____ from that Perspective.... Changing the World starts at Lodge...with one...then a few more Brothers.... And Mackey's essay does constitute Masonic Reading and Education... Google: Albert Mackey/ Reading Masons..... And try to never be the 3rd iteration he cites..... VIVAT
At Centralia we have experimented with the 'Shrink the Lodge' / 'Round Robin' format quite a bit through the years. (Off and on, depending on WM whims.)
We've formalized it now. It is now firmly set for the First Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. Bro. Nowak is quite good at keeping a discussion going, and getting it to go deep, so he's become our permanent moderator.
We did move it out of our Stated Meeting night, for a couple of reasons:
-A couple of our more seasoned members object to it visibly, causing bad feelings in the Lodge.
-There was a desire to keep them going a bit longer. So, we set it for that non Stated Meeting night and run it somewhere between an hour/hour and a half. Attendance isn't big yet, but I'm confident it will grow.
-Also, we are including a Zoom option for those who don't live in the area (like most Lodges we've had plenty of Brothers who have moved away, but maintain their membership) and we are recording them for possible posting in the future.
I think if we look to the symbolism of the rough Ashlar we learn that we can only take away from what is there, shaping and moulding it to the Builders use, but we cannot add to it.
I think if we start with scholars and researchers we are likely to enhance or improve what already exists. If we have those interested in assisting their Brethren and fellow man, they are likely to continue this trend. I think perhaps our challenges sometimes come from expecting something that may not exist in the first place, or expecting too much from those without that particular skill set or desire.
I recall a comic strip with a cheetah and a fish arguing over who would win in a race, the cheetah envisioned leaving the fish in the dust on the Sahara, the fish envisioned leaving the cheetah in its wake in the river. Both might win or lose depending on their natural traits and environments, and neither considered the others abilities outside of their own perceptions of lived reality.
I think that Masonry takes on a few forms with education, fellowship, and charity being the core categories if distilled down to the essentials. Each of these are important, and the Craft would be the poorer for the loss of any one of these elements. I do think that Masonry promotes a balanced life, and that we ought to at least attempt to "round out the skill tree" as my wife would say. However, if a character starts with a notional zero in a particular category, some games do not permit progression in that category, no matter how inconvenient. Or development in that skill is negatively weighted against that characters play style as a handicap.
I wonder if we might be better served by adjusting our expectations to match the qualities that exist and improve them as we are able. Or perhaps we should more stringently inspect the men we permit access through the West Gate if we insist on expecting things of them they may never aspire to, or desire in the first place. Encouraging them to seek Lodges that align with their abilities and interests, unless they are ill suited to the Craft at all.
I know of Lodges that place a very high bar on educational pursuit, and others that focus heavily on fellowship. Many of those Brethren might never join, or be well suited to each others Lodges as a permanent member, but that is the beauty of the Craft. It enables people with so many different skill sets and personalities to find a Lodge that suits their interests and abilities, yet still permits them to partake in visitation and fellowship, periodically enjoying what each Lodge may have to offer.
Ultimately, as long as our Brethren honor their obligations I don't particularly care which aspects of Masonry they prefer to apply or enjoy. I would rather sit in Lodge with a Brother who shows up to support the Craft with whatever they may have to offer, over one who might not show up at all.
Grand Lodge used to have videos hosted on it's site of presentations by various brothers. One was a presentation and Q&A called "Elephant in the room" hosted by WB Ken Lane and VWB Zane McCune. I wish those videos were still available, I can't even find it on youtube. He also does a class at the LLR (not this year, however) of the same name, which uses the same slide deck as the video.
In it, he delves into membership, retention, and as you discussed, finding the right fit for the potential candidate. Lodges can typically fall into a few broad categories. A lodge focusing on fellowship, charity/public engagement, esoteric/masonic education, or cultural. Some lodges do at least one or more, others perhaps nothing at all. But interviewing the potential candidate is important to figure out what his aims are should be to find the right lodge for him in the district. It may not be the one you're a member of. It's important to consider what is best for that candidate, and masonry, not just a new body for the lodge. It was a great class, perhaps he'll bring it back some day.
At Centralia we've started recording our philosophical/educational discussions. It's my hope that in time we can build up a good library of these and host them as a sort of video podcast.
I think I am approaching 10~ videos and am trying not to botch the edits too badly... It is slow going. I wonder if there is a Brother who has that skill set and a willingness to assist? I am going to put out another request and keep at it until I make progress or find someone more talented than I.
I'm afraid that I don't know anyone who does that kind of work, but I'm certain that we must have Brothers who do.
>>>Ultimately, as long as our Brethren honor their obligations I don't particularly care which >>>aspects of Masonry they prefer to apply or enjoy.
I think that you hit upon something that could make an excellent educational series. What do our obligations actually say, and what does that mean? In theory and actual practice.
If we spend much time on Social Media we will see ill informed Masons bloviating about 'their obligation' in relation to some topic or another, and we will see that the Mason in question clearly misunderstands or misreads the obligations he took. This is pretty common unfortunately.
We also regularly see Lodges and Grand Lodges acting contrary to the 'letter of the law' when it comes to the obligations, showing that practice differs at least slightly and in some aspects from the clear textual meaning.
Exploring each of the provisions of the obligations would certainly be a valuable educational series. For how can we follow the obligations if we don't know them, or don't understand them?
I really like that idea. I am working on a multi article post titled, "The Call" going over the Legacy of Builders, Seekers, and Teachers. I plan to cover what those roles looked like historically, and what they might look like today. I may have to rethink some of my approach to incorporate the obligations more intentionally, though in an untyled format.
I hope these situations are merely a misunderstanding that might be addressed in a Brotherly manner. Though I have to wonder if we might need to consider repetitive and concerning patterns a little more intently, from all possible perspectives. The phrase, "Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern", comes to mind. If we have open hostilities or divisive behavior being promoted and Masonry being use to justify these comments and statement, perhaps there is too large of a divide to reconcile these beliefs or justifications. How will these patterns reflect on the Craft and our Brethren as a whole?
In many aspects of life I have found that reality often differs from what ought to be, or what is claimed. Unfortunately this can erode the trust that exists between individuals, communities, and organizations which frays the social fabric until it ceases to function. If we offer support and fail to respond to the call, will they keep faith? If we are supposed to meet on the level, yet abuse our Brethren's good nature, will it continue to be extended?
I would love to have a conversation about that topic and see how we might be able to discuss them in a untyled format for broader consumption, while keeping the obligations we have made.
I think that if we don't educate our Brothers as to the meaning of the obligations we all take, it is unreasonable to expect that they will follow them.
Yes, the individual Brother has an absolute responsibility to live by his obligations.
But, the Lodge has a responsibility to educate him about what that means.
I believe that both parties too frequently fall down on those responsibilities.