Ejection From The Temple
As important as Guarding its West Gate
If Freemasonry is an opportunity for fellowship with good men from all stations of life, then it holds that our Lodges must be wholly comprised of good men. Our Lodge can’t be mostly good men with a few bad apples thrown in. For if it is, it won’t be attractive to other good men, and it’ll never thrive.
Indeed a single bad apple in a Lodge will drive more good men away from the Lodge than all the good men of it will ever be able to attract.
That’s why I’ve written so much through the years about the importance of Guarding our West Gate. We must ensure that we only allow good men to become a part of our Lodge, if we hope for it to thrive.
And in fairness, I’m far from the only person to write of this. Untold numbers of Masonic writers, from those writing today, to those deep in our history have written the same thing in their own ways. Guard the West Gate. Doing so is essential to the success of Freemasonry.
This is ignored to the absolute detriment of our Ancient Craft.
Indeed I would argue that the overwhelming number of problems faced by American Freemasonry today are the direct result of Lodges lowering membership standards in response to declining membership numbers.
That lowering of standards let virtually all the bad that we encounter today into our Temples.
And of course, it kicked off a negative spiral of failure. Membership numbers decline, so standards are lowered, leading to more decline of membership numbers, and on and on, until when I became a Freemason it seemed as if the only real requirement for the Degrees of Masonry was if the man actually had a pulse.
In the years since, things have improved. Grand Lodges are pushing for Lodges to get to know a man before accepting his petition. Lodges are making more of an effort to investigate petitioners. Individual Masons are insisting on higher standards. Work to actually Guard the West Gate is actually happening in lots of Lodges. This all amounts to a really positive, if slow, change since I myself Petitioned for the Degrees of Masonry.
But no matter how well we Guard the West Gate, no matter how diligent we are, sometimes a bad apple will get through.
When that happens, we must address it.
Promptly.
Recently a Lodge in my Jurisdiction voted to bring Masonic charges against one of its members. It’s alleged that he behaved so poorly in front of potential Masons as to harm the reputation of our Craft, and drive them from it forever.
It’s good that the charges came. We all have a responsibility to ensure that our behavior not only serves to protect and preserve our reputation as individuals, and as Masons, but the reputation of Freemasonry as a whole as well.
When that doesn’t happen, we have mechanisms in Masonic law for dealing with it. And we must utilize those mechanisms.
Promptly.
This particular Lodge wasn’t so prompt. Charges could have been filed years and years ago when a District Deputy had to have the Brother removed from the Lodge Room during a Stated Meeting. Charges could have been filed long ago when the Brother was arrested. Perhaps, most likely, on other occasions as well.
But, always, second chances were given. It was hoped that negative behaviors would be amended.
I can’t help but wonder how many good men were turned away from our Gentle Craft forever by this man as he went through his daily life? Proudly declaring his Masonic membership while behaving in bad ways and saying atrocious things?
How many good men were lost, in order to try and protect the feelings of a single bad apple?
Hear, hear!! I was going to write more, but it's all just enthusiastic agreement.
In our own jurisdiction there's a fella who openly admitted that his favorite pastime was getting liquored up and going for a motorcycle ride. His love of drink and bad decisions resulted in wife beating, a standoff with police, threats of suicide by SWAT, and eventually he got tased, hog-tied, and jailed. He was let out on bond, and his wife was granted a protective order, which he promptly violated.
He took the wise counsel of some brothers and promptly withdrew his membership before anything was finalized in court so as to avoid the embarrassment of Masonic charges.
Now... there are some brothers in other lodges, and at least one in our own (who hasn't cast his shadow in lodge for two or more years), who are very openly advocating for us to restore his membership because "what we did to him was unfair and misunderstood." "If he wants to be a Mason, he should be allowed to be. His grandfather was a Mason."
Their justification? That the charges were dropped because his wife (God bless the woman, I pray she gets help) took him back because they've been together 40 years, and that's just how things go with them.
They forget this dude is a pretty well-known realtor in our tiny town, that his mug shot was all over the town Facebook group that contains two-thirds of the population, that four law enforcement agencies responded to the incident... and that the guy, in his own voice, held forth for FOUR HOURS on the phone with me, the Secretary, admitting everything that happened, his whole history, and that SINCE then... he's still drinking, has sought no program for self-betterment, etc.
Thank goodness our Blue Book says that after a member withdraws, the ONLY way he can be restored is through the lodge he withdrew from. Even if he moved to a new town, it still comes through us. And no criminal charges need to be filed or even "stick" in order for Masonic charges to be brought for conduct unbecoming that brings discredit upon the fraternity.
I had actually written an essay about it a while ago. It's still sitting in my drafts. The audacity of some people gets me fired up sometimes...
We often hear the charge to guard the West Gate, but what does it really mean? It isn't just about keeping good or bad men out—it is about preserving the future of our Lodge. There are many good men in our communities, but not every good man is prepared to become a good Mason. Freemasonry asks more than honesty and kindness; it asks for a sincere desire to improve oneself, a willingness to serve others, and a commitment to uphold the principles of our Craft.
Every petitioner has the potential to shape the future of our Lodge—good, bad, or otherwise. The Brother we welcome today will leave his mark, whether by strengthening our traditions, challenging our harmony, or inspiring those who follow. That is why guarding the West Gate is one of our most important responsibilities. By carefully distinguishing between a good man and a man who is truly ready to embrace the obligations of Freemasonry, we honor those who came before us and preserve the legacy we will leave to those who follow.