First may I say I am sorry to hear about your family problem.
I must have missed what you had said in your last post. The post's stopped I thought I had been knocked off the list . I must say I missed your post's.
Most people don't know what we do to help people out because we never tell anyone. We seem to keep our selfs out of the press but people do come to us for help my lodge has helped a school a lady who's car was hit we got her back on the road. People will always take what is free but never want to help give something back.
Thank you for your kind thoughts. I appreciate it. Everything is taken care of now.
We too have people come to my Lodge needing assistance. One of the harder things I had to do as W. Master was trying to seperate those that were legitimate and worthy requests from those that were not. (In my Lodge the WM has the authority to dispense limited charity funds without authorization of the Lodge so that immediate needs can be addressed.)
It is pretty depressing just how narcissistic and selfish people have become. Very few people give back to their communities. It's all about me me me, and what can I take.
MWB Cameron, I dearly hope your family problems are soon solved.
I see the same sort of selfishness at lodge dinners before the meeting. The Junior Warden and Stewards will provide a good meal and lay it out, with a donation jar to offset the cost of the meal. Some Brethren will pile their plates with enough food to feed a small country and put a dollar in the jar (if at all) with great ceremony.
I share your concerns with dinner donations at some of our Lodges. I do tend to cook Lodge dinners on a fairly regular basis, and it is extremely disheartening on those occasions when I open the donation can and find not nearly enough money to cover the expenses. It isn't about the money as the Lodge covers the difference, but it certainly makes me wonder why I cook for men who obviously don't appreciate it.
One of the best things a struggling Lodge can do to turn itself around is improve the quality of its food, but that can only be done if brothers are willing to contribute.
And type in whatever it is you want to type in. As an example, type in "create a presentation discussing the link between freemasonry and the kaballah". Sit back and enjoy.
Been wondering where you had been and why we didn't hear from you lately.
I don't get around like you do so I make my donations using my computer so the version you describe is one I never see BUT I do see the one at the Lodge meals.
I never eat at the Lodge (it is a diet thing with me since I rather not gain more) but I do bring a $10 with me in case the ones who do eat do not pay and I will toss mine into the "jar"
I was hoping to see you at the Loggers Degree again on April 1st.........if not take care MWB
I do hope to be able to attend the Loggers Degree! I've got my green apron, red suspenders, and hickory shirt, so I'm ready to go! I'm not 100% certain I can do it, but I'll do my best to be there.
I should mention for those who are within driving distance:
This upcoming Saturday, April 1
Quilcene-Jefferson Masonic Hall
170 Herbert Street, Quilcene WA
Degree starts at 10:00AM, come a little earlier.
It is a truly superb time, and a meaningful Degree. Dress casual. I'm not sure about the cost, but it is a fundraiser for the Lodge, so bring a few bucks. If memory serves, there is a lunch following, so bring a few more bucks for that.
I'm sorry to hear you have had troubles, but glad you managed to make it back and let us know you're still alive. This was a very good article about something that weighs heavily on me quite frequently. Charity, in its true sense, is one of the main reasons I chose to become a Mason.
For many years, I would do shifts at our local rest area on Interstate 5 (Southwest Washington State) to raise funds. I usually shared the duties with a particular Past Master of my home Lodge who actually kicked back and enjoyed talking with the people, but didn’t have much tolerance for those who decided to run off with “Free Coffee.” But we both knew that somewhat averaged out. What really drove WB Art nuts was the children who were starting to learn the bad habits of the adults around them. “Hey, mister, do you have hot chocolate?” Art would sternly inform the children that this isn’t a McDonalds or a Dairy Queen, but I’d give them a cup of the hot chocolate anyway, as it did keep the youngster occupied. But all too often a child would come up and ask, “are the cookies free?” Then Art would lose his temper and say something like, “ARE THE COOKIES FREE???” then start making noises like the Tasmanian devil on the cartoon (when he was actually saying more angry things), startling the kids. I would have to calm Art down and explain to the children that while they can have a cookie, it’s for a donation to our organization. Then the kids understood and asked their parents to put some money in the pot for them so they can take a few cookies. While I’ve had many Brothers tell me that Art was out of line for unleashing his frustration on innocent children, I must admit I can see where he’s coming from. Let me continue…
One day Art and I were manning a rest area in the winter, and two youngsters came up and asked for coffee. They were in sleepwear and had no shoes on. And yes, they were shivering.
Art said, “Where’s your coats?”
“In the car, sir.”
“Where’s your shoes? You’re barefoot!”
“In the car.”
“You’re not drinking coffee, so who is?”
“Our parents.”
“Where are they?”
“… in the car.”
But this time, Art didn’t blow his stack. This time, he got out the tin of hot chocolate, and prepared a cup for each of the children, and gave them cookies. He kindly, but firmly, noted that these are for THEM, not for their parents. Please get warm and enjoy. They heartily said thank you and left for the car. When the kids were clear, we waited for the parents to come, and he was loaded for bear. They never came.
Yes, it’s a long story here, and we had plenty of good times as well, but it was really sobering to see how the real world works, and where it’s going. That being said, we, as Masons, can do better. We SHOULD do better. And most of us do, but we all should be encouraging each other to continue to do the right thing even when the temptation is there to throw in the towel and join the masses in their trend in the wrong direction.
I know a person who grew up poor in LA and was groomed to take advantage of every single situation she could, with no shame.
For example, she would go to the airport, grab a wheelchair, and act disabled, so she could skip the boarding lines. When dealing with businesses, she would always ask for "military/senior/aarp" discounts, although she's not that old. In MW's story, she would definitely be the one to snag a free ice cream with no hesitation. If there was a "free lunch" somewhere, she'd be there to eat.
I just can't be like that, I have too much self pride to debase myself.
But, there are plenty of people - as MW Cameron noticed - who have zero guilt when taking advantage of others.
One example I recall is when 7/11 does their free slurpee day. They have these little cups just for this promotion. I've gone in and grabbed my little cup, poured myself a coke slurpee, and left. There was a crowd of people standing around the machines with their little cups, getting refill after refill, while the clerks could only stand there and watch.
Reminds me of one of my uncle’s high school classmates who used his sister’s disabled placard that you hang from the mirror to use the disabled parking spots so he wouldn’t have to walk as far. I didn’t have the guts to challenge him, but my Uncle on a later trip laid into him and told him he’s talking the spot off of someone who really needs it. And then I have another story about one of my neighbors who was disabled (but didn’t look like it because he could walk, but he had severe COPD), who got boxed in by a carload of teenagers who claimed he wasn’t disabled and threatened to call the cops, and my neighbor said “Please, DO call them, as my ice cream is melting!” They finally were able to put 2 and 2 together and left him alone.
And most of us can tell many more stories of the atrocities we see every day. But the problem is, if even the driver of ONE car with a Masonic logo or license plate behaves in this way, it severely ruins the credibility of our Fraternity. Or if a Mason who wears a Masonic jacket or a ring behaves this way. We ALL need to be diligent, prudent, temperate and discreet, as our actions reflect our Fraternity. But at the same time, Iron sharpens Iron, and we need to be comfortable with admonishing our Brothers, as well as being able to receive admonishment when we slip up ourselves, which we sooner or later will inevitably do.
>>>if even the driver of ONE car with a Masonic logo or license plate behaves in this way, >>>it severely ruins the credibility of our Fraternity. Or if a Mason who wears a Masonic >>>jacket or a ring behaves this way.
Thank you for this. You are exactly correct.
How we act when wearing anything Masonic is someone's perception of Freemasonry. Therefore we must hold ourselves to a much higher standard.
First may I say I am sorry to hear about your family problem.
I must have missed what you had said in your last post. The post's stopped I thought I had been knocked off the list . I must say I missed your post's.
Most people don't know what we do to help people out because we never tell anyone. We seem to keep our selfs out of the press but people do come to us for help my lodge has helped a school a lady who's car was hit we got her back on the road. People will always take what is free but never want to help give something back.
Thank you for your kind thoughts. I appreciate it. Everything is taken care of now.
We too have people come to my Lodge needing assistance. One of the harder things I had to do as W. Master was trying to seperate those that were legitimate and worthy requests from those that were not. (In my Lodge the WM has the authority to dispense limited charity funds without authorization of the Lodge so that immediate needs can be addressed.)
It is pretty depressing just how narcissistic and selfish people have become. Very few people give back to their communities. It's all about me me me, and what can I take.
Yeah, it was more than a little disturbing to sit there and watch it happen.
MWB Cameron, I dearly hope your family problems are soon solved.
I see the same sort of selfishness at lodge dinners before the meeting. The Junior Warden and Stewards will provide a good meal and lay it out, with a donation jar to offset the cost of the meal. Some Brethren will pile their plates with enough food to feed a small country and put a dollar in the jar (if at all) with great ceremony.
Shameful...
Thank you VW. Everything is taken care of now.
I share your concerns with dinner donations at some of our Lodges. I do tend to cook Lodge dinners on a fairly regular basis, and it is extremely disheartening on those occasions when I open the donation can and find not nearly enough money to cover the expenses. It isn't about the money as the Lodge covers the difference, but it certainly makes me wonder why I cook for men who obviously don't appreciate it.
One of the best things a struggling Lodge can do to turn itself around is improve the quality of its food, but that can only be done if brothers are willing to contribute.
As an aside, for folks that aren't up on the latest technologies, you should point your web browser to:
https://chat.openai.com/chat
And type in whatever it is you want to type in. As an example, type in "create a presentation discussing the link between freemasonry and the kaballah". Sit back and enjoy.
Good to hear from you MW
Been wondering where you had been and why we didn't hear from you lately.
I don't get around like you do so I make my donations using my computer so the version you describe is one I never see BUT I do see the one at the Lodge meals.
I never eat at the Lodge (it is a diet thing with me since I rather not gain more) but I do bring a $10 with me in case the ones who do eat do not pay and I will toss mine into the "jar"
I was hoping to see you at the Loggers Degree again on April 1st.........if not take care MWB
(it looks like it will be a bit cold)
- Bill
I do hope to be able to attend the Loggers Degree! I've got my green apron, red suspenders, and hickory shirt, so I'm ready to go! I'm not 100% certain I can do it, but I'll do my best to be there.
I should mention for those who are within driving distance:
This upcoming Saturday, April 1
Quilcene-Jefferson Masonic Hall
170 Herbert Street, Quilcene WA
Degree starts at 10:00AM, come a little earlier.
It is a truly superb time, and a meaningful Degree. Dress casual. I'm not sure about the cost, but it is a fundraiser for the Lodge, so bring a few bucks. If memory serves, there is a lunch following, so bring a few more bucks for that.
I'm sorry to hear you have had troubles, but glad you managed to make it back and let us know you're still alive. This was a very good article about something that weighs heavily on me quite frequently. Charity, in its true sense, is one of the main reasons I chose to become a Mason.
Thank you Brother. Yes indeed, still alive! I'm doing my best to keep hidden from the Grim Reaper!
I'm pleased to know that you enjoyed the article. It is a sickness in our broader society I think, but Freemasonry certainly has an answer to it.
For many years, I would do shifts at our local rest area on Interstate 5 (Southwest Washington State) to raise funds. I usually shared the duties with a particular Past Master of my home Lodge who actually kicked back and enjoyed talking with the people, but didn’t have much tolerance for those who decided to run off with “Free Coffee.” But we both knew that somewhat averaged out. What really drove WB Art nuts was the children who were starting to learn the bad habits of the adults around them. “Hey, mister, do you have hot chocolate?” Art would sternly inform the children that this isn’t a McDonalds or a Dairy Queen, but I’d give them a cup of the hot chocolate anyway, as it did keep the youngster occupied. But all too often a child would come up and ask, “are the cookies free?” Then Art would lose his temper and say something like, “ARE THE COOKIES FREE???” then start making noises like the Tasmanian devil on the cartoon (when he was actually saying more angry things), startling the kids. I would have to calm Art down and explain to the children that while they can have a cookie, it’s for a donation to our organization. Then the kids understood and asked their parents to put some money in the pot for them so they can take a few cookies. While I’ve had many Brothers tell me that Art was out of line for unleashing his frustration on innocent children, I must admit I can see where he’s coming from. Let me continue…
One day Art and I were manning a rest area in the winter, and two youngsters came up and asked for coffee. They were in sleepwear and had no shoes on. And yes, they were shivering.
Art said, “Where’s your coats?”
“In the car, sir.”
“Where’s your shoes? You’re barefoot!”
“In the car.”
“You’re not drinking coffee, so who is?”
“Our parents.”
“Where are they?”
“… in the car.”
But this time, Art didn’t blow his stack. This time, he got out the tin of hot chocolate, and prepared a cup for each of the children, and gave them cookies. He kindly, but firmly, noted that these are for THEM, not for their parents. Please get warm and enjoy. They heartily said thank you and left for the car. When the kids were clear, we waited for the parents to come, and he was loaded for bear. They never came.
Yes, it’s a long story here, and we had plenty of good times as well, but it was really sobering to see how the real world works, and where it’s going. That being said, we, as Masons, can do better. We SHOULD do better. And most of us do, but we all should be encouraging each other to continue to do the right thing even when the temptation is there to throw in the towel and join the masses in their trend in the wrong direction.
I know a person who grew up poor in LA and was groomed to take advantage of every single situation she could, with no shame.
For example, she would go to the airport, grab a wheelchair, and act disabled, so she could skip the boarding lines. When dealing with businesses, she would always ask for "military/senior/aarp" discounts, although she's not that old. In MW's story, she would definitely be the one to snag a free ice cream with no hesitation. If there was a "free lunch" somewhere, she'd be there to eat.
I just can't be like that, I have too much self pride to debase myself.
But, there are plenty of people - as MW Cameron noticed - who have zero guilt when taking advantage of others.
One example I recall is when 7/11 does their free slurpee day. They have these little cups just for this promotion. I've gone in and grabbed my little cup, poured myself a coke slurpee, and left. There was a crowd of people standing around the machines with their little cups, getting refill after refill, while the clerks could only stand there and watch.
No shame.
Reminds me of one of my uncle’s high school classmates who used his sister’s disabled placard that you hang from the mirror to use the disabled parking spots so he wouldn’t have to walk as far. I didn’t have the guts to challenge him, but my Uncle on a later trip laid into him and told him he’s talking the spot off of someone who really needs it. And then I have another story about one of my neighbors who was disabled (but didn’t look like it because he could walk, but he had severe COPD), who got boxed in by a carload of teenagers who claimed he wasn’t disabled and threatened to call the cops, and my neighbor said “Please, DO call them, as my ice cream is melting!” They finally were able to put 2 and 2 together and left him alone.
And most of us can tell many more stories of the atrocities we see every day. But the problem is, if even the driver of ONE car with a Masonic logo or license plate behaves in this way, it severely ruins the credibility of our Fraternity. Or if a Mason who wears a Masonic jacket or a ring behaves this way. We ALL need to be diligent, prudent, temperate and discreet, as our actions reflect our Fraternity. But at the same time, Iron sharpens Iron, and we need to be comfortable with admonishing our Brothers, as well as being able to receive admonishment when we slip up ourselves, which we sooner or later will inevitably do.
>>>if even the driver of ONE car with a Masonic logo or license plate behaves in this way, >>>it severely ruins the credibility of our Fraternity. Or if a Mason who wears a Masonic >>>jacket or a ring behaves this way.
Thank you for this. You are exactly correct.
How we act when wearing anything Masonic is someone's perception of Freemasonry. Therefore we must hold ourselves to a much higher standard.
I think you hit it on the head. Pride. I think one would lose a good deal of self respect if regularly and intentionally taking advantage of others.