MWPGM Bailey, in the past, my father's WV Masonic Grand Lodge Blue Book (history book) was published each year. I have a copy of the 1968 Blue Book, that lists names of members of each Lodge (plus what my father said at many functions)!
At the end of his life, at the age of 91, he was WV Grand Lecturer Emeritus (many words in his memory)!
I don't remember ever seeing a Jurisdiction wide directory/oration book like that here. I do though remember that when I was first a Mason, these were published district wide by a lot of districts. I don't recall seeing a new one of those for a long time though.
As an EA, might I offer my ignorant observation, in which I do not have the experience of brothers with many years more, that we are given but two tools, and a reference to a third. The third, I speak of now.
The compasses are to circumscribe our actions with men, and more so brothers in Masonry. We're also given the 24 inch gauge. Personally, I am seeing much use for the common gavel as I learn to apply the other two tools.
I see, and recognize the conflict you're discussing, and I am here for it -- this organization needs it to survive. Other brothers in our lodge, and others, also resonate with this message; I won't speak for them, but I trust they will stand with my new voice as a light in the dark.
I think that as generations change, the primary reasons for seeking to become a Mason change, and I think we are seeing that change now. I believe that we've been seeing this for perhaps 20 years now, first in a really small way, now in a large (the largest) wave. Those seeking knowledge in their Lodges, and meaningful experience in their Lodges are now the clear majority. As we move forward, we must ensure that our Brothers who became Masons for other reasons continue to feel welcome and wanted, but we can not allow them to stand in the way of quality Masonic experiences.
I share your concern about the brothers' lack of interest in supporting and reading Masonic literature. Our lodge has a library of over 5,000 books cataloged to the Library of Congress. Many of these books are rare and out of print, yet they sit unread and gathering dust on the shelves.
Many years back, I wrote a paper titled, "The Leisure Mason." I contend that it isn't money that hinders masons from pursuing deeper knowledge, but their use of time. For ancient Greeks, leisure was prized for the pursuit of knowledge and the betterment of the soul. Today, leisure time, if we get it at all, means relaxing, Netflix and chilling, or doom-scrolling social media.
Part of making a good man better is to instruct him on how to handle his leisure time. His boss doesn't support outside activities that improve the man's soul, and his family places "dibs" on whatever leftover time he may have. Getting a mason to utilize leisure for personal development may be our biggest challenge. And, if we dig deep down into why a young man is interested in Masonry, he wants to know how to do this as well.
We can spend an hour doom scrolling social media, or we can spend that hour improving our minds. One is addictive and one is beneficial. I suppose it is much the same as eating a glazed donut for breakfast or a healthy breakfast. If we are willing to give up what addicts us to keep our body healthy, maybe we can convince ourselves to do the same with our mind.
Read an excellent history of the Craft by John Dickie and some older texts by WL Wilmhurst but would be happy for any recommendations to read over the summer ☀️
Prior to becoming Worshipful Master, I made my plans largely based on two books. The first, mentioned elsewhere in this thread is Observing the Craft. I have multiple copies, and re-read it every few years:
The second is The Master's Book by Claudy. It's old, but still extremely relevant today in my opinion. It's also really short. Physical copies are still available, but an electronic version is here:
I really enjoy In Search of Light by Bob Davis. Particularly for Candidates and new Masons. My hometown Lodge has taken to giving a copy to every new member of our Lodge:
This is going to perhaps be an odd recommendation, but I have found great value in the series of books by Oswald Wirth. The Apprentice's Book, The Fellowcraft's Book, and The Master's Book. These are written from the perspective of a Mason in the Grand Lodge of France tradition, rather than the English/Scottish tradition that we are all used to. They are hard to find in English, but all three of them can be found online here:
At our recent Annual Communication, we had a speaker, Andrew Hammer. He was selling his book, Observing the Craft. The line was long for it. It was reasonably priced at $20. I got a copy. I thought id have it finish by now, as I am quite the fast reader. But due to life and emergencies, it sits on my nightstand unfinished. I am hoping this long weekend to dive back into it.
One thing worth doing is preserving the old books, written by the greats. We are renovating our Lodge Library. The young and new brothers are dying for the knowledge. We are aiming to create the space for a quiet reading area, full of knowledge.
Andrew's book is one I highly recommend to every mason. It is a very well thought out manifesto of what we should be doing as masons, and fail miserably at.
Yep, it is provocative. Particularly I think his views about our Appendant/Concordant organizations. But, I think that he is right, and I think that large numbers of Masons know that he is right, he has the guts to actually say it, loud and proud.
Imagine what Masonry could do if all the money we paid into Appendant Bodies went into our Temples and Lodges and into books and reading instead of medals and regalia.
I bought a copy of Observing The Craft when it was first published, and have read it a number of times since then. I've got a few of them here at the house. I think that you will really enjoy it!
Many of our Lodges are filled with great old (sometimes new) Masonic Books, collecting dust. I salute your efforts to create a comfortable library space for the Brothers to enjoy the books in your Lodge! That's great!
Excellent article as always Brother and a good question. Something I've observed as a cultural anthropologist, is, I think, the need for Freemasonry to adapt to current cultural trends. Perhaps it is that they way of writing, what is being taught and how, is not reflective of today's knowledge seeker? Masonry has a complex vocabulary, that we shouldn't change, but perhaps in part, it is how we are instructing new members? How they interpret that language and the knowledge it holds, into practical, more easily understood terms that they can apply to their daily lives?
Thank you Brother, this is well worth contemplating.
I do think that the way we consume the written word has changed a great deal in recent decades. So much time that might have before been spent with newspapers, magazines, and books has moved online.
And the essay is the native form of online writing, as time has passed with the internet, less the traditional essay forms, moving towards more experimental forms.
It is also important to readers now to have interaction with those who write I believe. A two way conversation.
There are many who say that short essays are better liked by online readers than longer ones, but I don't know that actual data shows that to be the case. I imagine that as with many things, variety is the spice of life.
In any event, that's why I'm writing here on Substack, and not working on something like a book.
-Although I did write what I think is a really great novel a few years ago, alas, I never sent the manuscript out, it remains in my safe, the kids can read it when I'm dead! 🤠 -
But, continuing with the Tarot comparison, books on Tarot seem to remain extremely popular, and at Tarot conventions attended by authors with books for sale, one can plainly see that they are popular with all age groups. So, I'm not sure that the book is a dead form for this sort of writing, but it does seem to be a largely dead form for Masonic writing.
In any event, I believe that a Masonic Substack (or any similar platform) can have a much broader impact in 2025 than a Masonic Book could ever hope to have.
I think there have always been two types of Mason. One type revels in the fellowship, in being part of the fraternity. These are fine men, who want to be a part of a fine fraternity. The drive to self improvement and exploration of the deeper aspects offered by the craft is mostly absent. The other type is interested in the esoteric aspects and the drive to self awareness and deeper meaning. This second group is, and always has been, in the minority. Further exacerbating this is that a not insignificant portion of the esoteric group actually is more interested in the entertainment value of 'knowing things' and the ego inflation that comes with being the guy that knows. I've said it before, the core, the epicenter, of Masonry is the space between the altar and the Master. That is the nexus of Masonry. If men are prepared spiritually, intellectually, to be inspired by the divine, then that space in Lodge becomes the point within the circle of the world. That is where the power to change the world comes from. To stand in that space, and be worthy of inspiration takes study (reading), and action (application of what is learned), and getting your ego out of the way. This is hard work, slow work, and work that takes faith in the process. I would guess that if you were to look on the bookshelves of these men you would find many fine masonic authors represented in the books. As our numbers nationally decline, it is my belief that the rate of esoteric Masons (esoteric numbers divided by all members) will actually rise. At this stage I think the challenge is bringing the esoteric brethren together so that they can support and encourage each other. The Esoteric Conference in Seattle and the recent Table Lodge and conference at Verity Lodge are good examples. That said, this year's Esoteric Conference in Seattle has been reduced to a one day event, down from 3 days.....what does that say?
I'd like to address the first type you write about, the fellowship/social only Mason.
I agree that these are fine men who need to feel welcome and wanted in our Lodges. Their contributions to our Craft need to be honored. But, those Masons seeking something further from Masonry can't allow these Brothers to prevent that. Which, in my experience, they sometimes attempt to do.
We've seen this in esoterically inclined Lodges that in the past were harmed by Grand Lodge Officers who didn't approve of explorations into the deeper realms of our Craft. We sometimes see Brothers within a Lodge object to their fellow Lodge members discussing or exploring these deeper subjects within the Lodge. These kinds of things are extremely harmful, and can't be allowed.
MW you are spot on. Honestly I think Pike intended the AASR to be the refuge of the esoteric Mason, but it has not really worked out that way, well not universally.
That makes sense to me. And I do highly value my SR membership. Maybe not the Valley experience so much, but the extra stuff. I found the Master Craftsman to be quite superb, and the republishing of old texts. The Degree experience (many years after I received my SR Degrees) at Guthrie. Things like that are quite superb.
Thats all good stuff. I have to admit though, I'm getting most of my esoteric education from sources outside the Craft. I just signed up for a lecture series on Madame Blavatsky, Rudolf Steiner, G.I. Gurdjieff, & Jung, and next year I am seriously thinking of attending EnochiaCon in Vancouver.
One of our Brothers who's been very active here with Emeth since the start often points out his view that's what is most important is that we remain 'seekers.' Not that we necessarily find answers, but that we always search for them. That makes good and solid sense to me.
Thanks for letting me know about EnochiaCon. I won't be able to attend, but I imagine it will be quite fascinating!
I can't help but notice that this Conference is priced similarly to the NW Tarot Symposium, and well above what the overwhelming number of Masons would pay for a similar Masonic event.
I have published a paper of about 26 pages for my lodge for a number of years. Over the majority of the time I would get the .pdf's photocopied and place the in a binder (along with highlights from the minutes and financial matters of my lodge and present them to the outgoing WM as a souvenir.
As you know, I live in Mexico and one of the recent recipients showed me that I could get them printed and bound in a hard cover book! I started doing this in 2017. I could get ONE book superbly done with high quality glossy paper in full color for about $50.00 US. I would get the one book for the outgoing WM and take orders for the books from Masons on my rather lengthy contact list after receiving the money and have the books printed (plus a few) and turn over the profits (I had no problem getting about $100.00 US and the multiple copies brought down the price from about $50.00 US to about $40.00 US... only in Mexico you say!
The shipping got pretty expensive for the out-of-country orders so as we often do down here is get a "mule" to get them near of to their destination.
That is a really awesome thing to create for an WM, and the members of the Lodge. Thanks for sharing it with us!
As my mother lives in Mexico, I'm pretty familiar with the need to Mule some things in. The funniest was Velveeta Cheese. When they were young, my nieces loved that nasty Cheese, but couldn't get it where they lived in Mexico, so my wife and I would often find huge bricks of it in our suitcases.
MW Brother Bailey, I think in life if we desire something we must merely seek to create the conditions for it to be possible.
If we desire to reach a wider audience I think we need to ask what is it that’s missing from our content. We must ask what is present elsewhere, perhaps that is why those things are thriving where we are not. In today’s over saturated environment of competing priorities it can be challenging to balance already constrained budgets.
Perhaps the problem is in the delivery of importance or approach? Ensuring our Brethren understand the importance of our Masonic education, in order to lead consequently happier lives. If we cannot elicit a reason for the purpose of our ritual, then how can we expect them to value books or subscriptions expounding and promoting their values?
One thing remains true in most markets. The consumer is the end arbiter of interest and they set the value. I think with some minor tweaking of how we promote these offerings, we could substantially affect the end results we experience. Perhaps adding one of those collectors pin with every book for example. Or adding Masonic digital publications as a benefit of membership to our other Masonic bodies or organizations to bring additional value?
I’m looking forward to continuing some of our earlier conversations when I have met proficiency, have a Blessed one Brother!
I do agree that there are newer approaches that should be tried, like the two you mention, the collector's pin idea, and the digital publication idea. As you and I have discussed, our Craft always seems two or three decades behind whatever the current zeitgeist might be. We would do very well to overcome our resistance to all things new.
But, beyond that, I do think that Mackey's broad idea is correct. As a whole (including myself) we seem to be very keen to drop large amounts of money on 'stuff' but very little on knowledge.
I deeply appreciate this article as I am a fellow Brother who also appreciates Tarot (teaching it as well!) and books. As a writer I completely understand the frustration of readership and fortunately for me in the case of the Marvel comic books I write there is a built-in audience. That said, I’m here to help however I can in any way. Books are the keys to knowledge and to be a good writer it’s most important to be an even better reader.
Thank you Brother! I'm glad that you found value in this post.
I am inspired by a lot of our new and young Masons who seem to really be looking for something meaningful in our Craft, and I hope that if we help them get started on a path of exploration and learning, right from their first steps within the Lodge, they will have great Masonic careers, and will make their Lodges better than when they found them.
But we do have too many seasoned Masons telling these new men that they don't need to learn at all beyond the ritual (and often code) or read anything beyond what might be published by their particular Grand Lodge. I see that quite a bit on Social Media, so I presume it to be fairly common in Lodges when new members are asking questions.
I checked out your Substack, it looks like great fun, so am certainly looking forward to diving into it!
Thank you for response and as a newly minted Brother I have always appreciated education and knowledge as being the foundation to gaining wisdom through experience. It’s one of the main reasons I decided to join our fraternity. I believe now more than ever we need this glue to bring a stronger vision to our future generations.
Words are so important in conveying ideas and using language to communicate deeper meaning is a crucial step in this endeavor. My own goal as a writer is to bridge myth and allegory through pop culture entertainment to convey universal truths.
With everything being so deeply divided these days through fear and misinformation stories are more important than ever. I believe as Masons our ability to be conduits connecting together the many is such a beautiful and necessary endeavor for our human species and its evolution. 🙏🏼
There is so much value in our writings to carry both tradition and understanding forward so that the ritual and allegory don’t become calcified by their time.
I’m excited to continue to read and learn and however I can be of service please let me know!
I hope that you are enjoying the start of your journey in Freemasonry. I have found it to be of great benefit in my life, across a wide variety of areas.
In my view, Freemasonry does hold the ability to help overcome division, as you allude, and I think that your goal to work to do that through pop culture entertainment seems a truly noble quest!
MWPGM Bailey, in the past, my father's WV Masonic Grand Lodge Blue Book (history book) was published each year. I have a copy of the 1968 Blue Book, that lists names of members of each Lodge (plus what my father said at many functions)!
At the end of his life, at the age of 91, he was WV Grand Lecturer Emeritus (many words in his memory)!
I don't remember ever seeing a Jurisdiction wide directory/oration book like that here. I do though remember that when I was first a Mason, these were published district wide by a lot of districts. I don't recall seeing a new one of those for a long time though.
As an EA, might I offer my ignorant observation, in which I do not have the experience of brothers with many years more, that we are given but two tools, and a reference to a third. The third, I speak of now.
The compasses are to circumscribe our actions with men, and more so brothers in Masonry. We're also given the 24 inch gauge. Personally, I am seeing much use for the common gavel as I learn to apply the other two tools.
I see, and recognize the conflict you're discussing, and I am here for it -- this organization needs it to survive. Other brothers in our lodge, and others, also resonate with this message; I won't speak for them, but I trust they will stand with my new voice as a light in the dark.
I stand beside you brother. LFG.
I think that as generations change, the primary reasons for seeking to become a Mason change, and I think we are seeing that change now. I believe that we've been seeing this for perhaps 20 years now, first in a really small way, now in a large (the largest) wave. Those seeking knowledge in their Lodges, and meaningful experience in their Lodges are now the clear majority. As we move forward, we must ensure that our Brothers who became Masons for other reasons continue to feel welcome and wanted, but we can not allow them to stand in the way of quality Masonic experiences.
I share your concern about the brothers' lack of interest in supporting and reading Masonic literature. Our lodge has a library of over 5,000 books cataloged to the Library of Congress. Many of these books are rare and out of print, yet they sit unread and gathering dust on the shelves.
Many years back, I wrote a paper titled, "The Leisure Mason." I contend that it isn't money that hinders masons from pursuing deeper knowledge, but their use of time. For ancient Greeks, leisure was prized for the pursuit of knowledge and the betterment of the soul. Today, leisure time, if we get it at all, means relaxing, Netflix and chilling, or doom-scrolling social media.
Part of making a good man better is to instruct him on how to handle his leisure time. His boss doesn't support outside activities that improve the man's soul, and his family places "dibs" on whatever leftover time he may have. Getting a mason to utilize leisure for personal development may be our biggest challenge. And, if we dig deep down into why a young man is interested in Masonry, he wants to know how to do this as well.
Your point is very well taken.
We can spend an hour doom scrolling social media, or we can spend that hour improving our minds. One is addictive and one is beneficial. I suppose it is much the same as eating a glazed donut for breakfast or a healthy breakfast. If we are willing to give up what addicts us to keep our body healthy, maybe we can convince ourselves to do the same with our mind.
Read an excellent history of the Craft by John Dickie and some older texts by WL Wilmhurst but would be happy for any recommendations to read over the summer ☀️
A few random suggestions:
One of the most enjoyable books about Freemasonry I've ever read is But I Digress by James Tresner:
https://www.amazon.com/But-Digress-Dr-James-Tresner/dp/0615657001
Prior to becoming Worshipful Master, I made my plans largely based on two books. The first, mentioned elsewhere in this thread is Observing the Craft. I have multiple copies, and re-read it every few years:
https://observingthecraft.com/
The second is The Master's Book by Claudy. It's old, but still extremely relevant today in my opinion. It's also really short. Physical copies are still available, but an electronic version is here:
https://grandlodgeofiowa.org/docs/Handbooks_Courses/TheMastersBook.pdf
I really enjoy In Search of Light by Bob Davis. Particularly for Candidates and new Masons. My hometown Lodge has taken to giving a copy to every new member of our Lodge:
https://robertgdavis.net/product/in-search-of-light/
This is going to perhaps be an odd recommendation, but I have found great value in the series of books by Oswald Wirth. The Apprentice's Book, The Fellowcraft's Book, and The Master's Book. These are written from the perspective of a Mason in the Grand Lodge of France tradition, rather than the English/Scottish tradition that we are all used to. They are hard to find in English, but all three of them can be found online here:
https://www.freemasonryresearchforumqsa.com/wirth-apprentice-book.php
I hope that one or more of these are of interest to you.
At our recent Annual Communication, we had a speaker, Andrew Hammer. He was selling his book, Observing the Craft. The line was long for it. It was reasonably priced at $20. I got a copy. I thought id have it finish by now, as I am quite the fast reader. But due to life and emergencies, it sits on my nightstand unfinished. I am hoping this long weekend to dive back into it.
One thing worth doing is preserving the old books, written by the greats. We are renovating our Lodge Library. The young and new brothers are dying for the knowledge. We are aiming to create the space for a quiet reading area, full of knowledge.
Andrew's book is one I highly recommend to every mason. It is a very well thought out manifesto of what we should be doing as masons, and fail miserably at.
Agreed. 100%.
Brother Hammer’s book was on my shelf, unread (purchased at another Masonic event), so I read it this past weekend.
It’s quite provocative (and thought provoking) as one might expect after hearing him speak.
Yep, it is provocative. Particularly I think his views about our Appendant/Concordant organizations. But, I think that he is right, and I think that large numbers of Masons know that he is right, he has the guts to actually say it, loud and proud.
Imagine what Masonry could do if all the money we paid into Appendant Bodies went into our Temples and Lodges and into books and reading instead of medals and regalia.
And in addition to money, all of the time and energy.
I bought a copy of Observing The Craft when it was first published, and have read it a number of times since then. I've got a few of them here at the house. I think that you will really enjoy it!
Many of our Lodges are filled with great old (sometimes new) Masonic Books, collecting dust. I salute your efforts to create a comfortable library space for the Brothers to enjoy the books in your Lodge! That's great!
Andrew Hammer's book is a good example of a modern Mason's take on our ancient craft
Excellent article as always Brother and a good question. Something I've observed as a cultural anthropologist, is, I think, the need for Freemasonry to adapt to current cultural trends. Perhaps it is that they way of writing, what is being taught and how, is not reflective of today's knowledge seeker? Masonry has a complex vocabulary, that we shouldn't change, but perhaps in part, it is how we are instructing new members? How they interpret that language and the knowledge it holds, into practical, more easily understood terms that they can apply to their daily lives?
Thank you Brother, this is well worth contemplating.
I do think that the way we consume the written word has changed a great deal in recent decades. So much time that might have before been spent with newspapers, magazines, and books has moved online.
And the essay is the native form of online writing, as time has passed with the internet, less the traditional essay forms, moving towards more experimental forms.
It is also important to readers now to have interaction with those who write I believe. A two way conversation.
There are many who say that short essays are better liked by online readers than longer ones, but I don't know that actual data shows that to be the case. I imagine that as with many things, variety is the spice of life.
In any event, that's why I'm writing here on Substack, and not working on something like a book.
-Although I did write what I think is a really great novel a few years ago, alas, I never sent the manuscript out, it remains in my safe, the kids can read it when I'm dead! 🤠 -
But, continuing with the Tarot comparison, books on Tarot seem to remain extremely popular, and at Tarot conventions attended by authors with books for sale, one can plainly see that they are popular with all age groups. So, I'm not sure that the book is a dead form for this sort of writing, but it does seem to be a largely dead form for Masonic writing.
In any event, I believe that a Masonic Substack (or any similar platform) can have a much broader impact in 2025 than a Masonic Book could ever hope to have.
I think there have always been two types of Mason. One type revels in the fellowship, in being part of the fraternity. These are fine men, who want to be a part of a fine fraternity. The drive to self improvement and exploration of the deeper aspects offered by the craft is mostly absent. The other type is interested in the esoteric aspects and the drive to self awareness and deeper meaning. This second group is, and always has been, in the minority. Further exacerbating this is that a not insignificant portion of the esoteric group actually is more interested in the entertainment value of 'knowing things' and the ego inflation that comes with being the guy that knows. I've said it before, the core, the epicenter, of Masonry is the space between the altar and the Master. That is the nexus of Masonry. If men are prepared spiritually, intellectually, to be inspired by the divine, then that space in Lodge becomes the point within the circle of the world. That is where the power to change the world comes from. To stand in that space, and be worthy of inspiration takes study (reading), and action (application of what is learned), and getting your ego out of the way. This is hard work, slow work, and work that takes faith in the process. I would guess that if you were to look on the bookshelves of these men you would find many fine masonic authors represented in the books. As our numbers nationally decline, it is my belief that the rate of esoteric Masons (esoteric numbers divided by all members) will actually rise. At this stage I think the challenge is bringing the esoteric brethren together so that they can support and encourage each other. The Esoteric Conference in Seattle and the recent Table Lodge and conference at Verity Lodge are good examples. That said, this year's Esoteric Conference in Seattle has been reduced to a one day event, down from 3 days.....what does that say?
I agree with the division you mention.
I'd like to address the first type you write about, the fellowship/social only Mason.
I agree that these are fine men who need to feel welcome and wanted in our Lodges. Their contributions to our Craft need to be honored. But, those Masons seeking something further from Masonry can't allow these Brothers to prevent that. Which, in my experience, they sometimes attempt to do.
We've seen this in esoterically inclined Lodges that in the past were harmed by Grand Lodge Officers who didn't approve of explorations into the deeper realms of our Craft. We sometimes see Brothers within a Lodge object to their fellow Lodge members discussing or exploring these deeper subjects within the Lodge. These kinds of things are extremely harmful, and can't be allowed.
MW you are spot on. Honestly I think Pike intended the AASR to be the refuge of the esoteric Mason, but it has not really worked out that way, well not universally.
That makes sense to me. And I do highly value my SR membership. Maybe not the Valley experience so much, but the extra stuff. I found the Master Craftsman to be quite superb, and the republishing of old texts. The Degree experience (many years after I received my SR Degrees) at Guthrie. Things like that are quite superb.
Thats all good stuff. I have to admit though, I'm getting most of my esoteric education from sources outside the Craft. I just signed up for a lecture series on Madame Blavatsky, Rudolf Steiner, G.I. Gurdjieff, & Jung, and next year I am seriously thinking of attending EnochiaCon in Vancouver.
I understand that.
One of our Brothers who's been very active here with Emeth since the start often points out his view that's what is most important is that we remain 'seekers.' Not that we necessarily find answers, but that we always search for them. That makes good and solid sense to me.
Thanks for letting me know about EnochiaCon. I won't be able to attend, but I imagine it will be quite fascinating!
https://www.arcaneresearchsociety.com/
I can't help but notice that this Conference is priced similarly to the NW Tarot Symposium, and well above what the overwhelming number of Masons would pay for a similar Masonic event.
I have published a paper of about 26 pages for my lodge for a number of years. Over the majority of the time I would get the .pdf's photocopied and place the in a binder (along with highlights from the minutes and financial matters of my lodge and present them to the outgoing WM as a souvenir.
As you know, I live in Mexico and one of the recent recipients showed me that I could get them printed and bound in a hard cover book! I started doing this in 2017. I could get ONE book superbly done with high quality glossy paper in full color for about $50.00 US. I would get the one book for the outgoing WM and take orders for the books from Masons on my rather lengthy contact list after receiving the money and have the books printed (plus a few) and turn over the profits (I had no problem getting about $100.00 US and the multiple copies brought down the price from about $50.00 US to about $40.00 US... only in Mexico you say!
The shipping got pretty expensive for the out-of-country orders so as we often do down here is get a "mule" to get them near of to their destination.
I have books for myself... but none not sold!
That is a really awesome thing to create for an WM, and the members of the Lodge. Thanks for sharing it with us!
As my mother lives in Mexico, I'm pretty familiar with the need to Mule some things in. The funniest was Velveeta Cheese. When they were young, my nieces loved that nasty Cheese, but couldn't get it where they lived in Mexico, so my wife and I would often find huge bricks of it in our suitcases.
Thanks for this I digress has been ordered and I think it will be the soundtrack for the summer ☀️
I hope you like it! I found it to be great reading!
MW Brother Bailey, I think in life if we desire something we must merely seek to create the conditions for it to be possible.
If we desire to reach a wider audience I think we need to ask what is it that’s missing from our content. We must ask what is present elsewhere, perhaps that is why those things are thriving where we are not. In today’s over saturated environment of competing priorities it can be challenging to balance already constrained budgets.
Perhaps the problem is in the delivery of importance or approach? Ensuring our Brethren understand the importance of our Masonic education, in order to lead consequently happier lives. If we cannot elicit a reason for the purpose of our ritual, then how can we expect them to value books or subscriptions expounding and promoting their values?
One thing remains true in most markets. The consumer is the end arbiter of interest and they set the value. I think with some minor tweaking of how we promote these offerings, we could substantially affect the end results we experience. Perhaps adding one of those collectors pin with every book for example. Or adding Masonic digital publications as a benefit of membership to our other Masonic bodies or organizations to bring additional value?
I’m looking forward to continuing some of our earlier conversations when I have met proficiency, have a Blessed one Brother!
I do agree that there are newer approaches that should be tried, like the two you mention, the collector's pin idea, and the digital publication idea. As you and I have discussed, our Craft always seems two or three decades behind whatever the current zeitgeist might be. We would do very well to overcome our resistance to all things new.
But, beyond that, I do think that Mackey's broad idea is correct. As a whole (including myself) we seem to be very keen to drop large amounts of money on 'stuff' but very little on knowledge.
I deeply appreciate this article as I am a fellow Brother who also appreciates Tarot (teaching it as well!) and books. As a writer I completely understand the frustration of readership and fortunately for me in the case of the Marvel comic books I write there is a built-in audience. That said, I’m here to help however I can in any way. Books are the keys to knowledge and to be a good writer it’s most important to be an even better reader.
Thank you Brother! I'm glad that you found value in this post.
I am inspired by a lot of our new and young Masons who seem to really be looking for something meaningful in our Craft, and I hope that if we help them get started on a path of exploration and learning, right from their first steps within the Lodge, they will have great Masonic careers, and will make their Lodges better than when they found them.
But we do have too many seasoned Masons telling these new men that they don't need to learn at all beyond the ritual (and often code) or read anything beyond what might be published by their particular Grand Lodge. I see that quite a bit on Social Media, so I presume it to be fairly common in Lodges when new members are asking questions.
I checked out your Substack, it looks like great fun, so am certainly looking forward to diving into it!
Thank you for response and as a newly minted Brother I have always appreciated education and knowledge as being the foundation to gaining wisdom through experience. It’s one of the main reasons I decided to join our fraternity. I believe now more than ever we need this glue to bring a stronger vision to our future generations.
Words are so important in conveying ideas and using language to communicate deeper meaning is a crucial step in this endeavor. My own goal as a writer is to bridge myth and allegory through pop culture entertainment to convey universal truths.
With everything being so deeply divided these days through fear and misinformation stories are more important than ever. I believe as Masons our ability to be conduits connecting together the many is such a beautiful and necessary endeavor for our human species and its evolution. 🙏🏼
There is so much value in our writings to carry both tradition and understanding forward so that the ritual and allegory don’t become calcified by their time.
I’m excited to continue to read and learn and however I can be of service please let me know!
I hope that you are enjoying the start of your journey in Freemasonry. I have found it to be of great benefit in my life, across a wide variety of areas.
In my view, Freemasonry does hold the ability to help overcome division, as you allude, and I think that your goal to work to do that through pop culture entertainment seems a truly noble quest!