Here in Washington individual Lodges and appendant/concordant bodies give scholarships to local students, Washington Masonic Services provides scholarships to students throughout the State, and the Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation does tremendous work providing this form of financial help to students. The diversity of these programs ensures that some of the scholarships are merit based, and some are needs based.
I presume that it is much the same in all Jurisdictions.
But, here in Washington anyway, most of those scholarships are directed to students attending traditional colleges and universities.
Given the current workforce needs in our nation, and the fact that a university experience might not be best for all young people following high school, should more of these scholarships be directed towards people attending trade schools?
Freemasonry is after all based on a craft. A trade.
I will bringing this subject up with our Grand Lodge officers and trustees at our Grand Communication next month. We need to look at adding trade schools to our Educational Assistance program, and not limit it to just tax supported institutions. I am a big advocate of trade schools, and one of my grand sons will be headed to one after high school. There is a huge need for trades persons at all disciplines and we need to encourage these youth to further their educational, and not limit it to traditional college educations.
I agree. I think we need to not only support those going to college and university, but those entering trades as well. And I'd like to see some provision for Freemasons who decide to return to school later in life, including trade school.
My oldest has decided she will go to cosmetology school. The cost is substantially less then a traditional 4 year university, but still significant (13-20k depending on school). Scholarships and grants for such schools are hard to come by.
Looking at Bates in Tacoma, a one year (three semesters) nursing certificate in state costs about 8k. Given the chronic nursing shortages we have, everywhere, I'd much rather see our money go to something worthwhile like that then a 4 year college.
That is actually a great idea. I wonder how well that would go over with HS guidance counselors, who I would think push college as the end all be all of education. If the lodge has the wherewithal to give a full ride to a trade school for, say, a nurses certificate, that would be so much better than giving out money for someone to attend college to get a degree in philosophy and gender studies.
Hey now, if we are going to talk about worthless degrees, you can't not mention that person over at Columbia getting her doctorate in imagination and poetry through a Marxist lens that was in the news recently! 😈🤡😂
Sorry, got carried away with my emoji picker there.
My daughter was attending Olympic community college and was really taking courses geared towards science and biology but was struggling with the coursework. Growing up she suffered from developmental delays and some attention deficit tendencies that made it much harder to concentrate. She went to the guidance counselor for help. The guidance counselor recommended she switch majors to sociology, that non degree degree with little practical use, and a far cry from what my daughter wanted to learn. The counselor was more focused on graduation numbers than learning.
My daughter went on to earn a BS in Human Biology, and is federally certified as an X-Ray, CT Scan, and Nuclear medicine fields.
Guidance Counselors, at least in this case, didn’t help at all. I can only imagine that these young people think just getting that degree means more than actually learning something useful.
I remember my own Guidance Counselor, but not any of the specific advice I received. It was a long time ago, but in general I think yeah, the only thing encouraged was a traditional four year degree, no matter the field.
But in my view, the field is the most important question.
In HS , after whatever assessment test they had us take,, the counselor said I was best qualified to do landscaping. And I have terrible allergies to trees and grasses and absolutely hate yard work. So the counselor knew about as much as I did for what I wanted to do with my life.
To add, it sort of does matter where you're wanting to set this up. Here in Bremerton, the shipyard offers free apprenticeship programs for pretty much all of the major trades, welding, electrical, etc. They will pay you while you learn, and at the end you'll have a steady good paying job with great benefits.
In school I wasn't a bad welder, and after that I did a fair amount of welding on the farm. I didn't pursue it of course, but I have often felt that it would have been a good choice had I not done what I did.
There are many institutions that cover the four-year college and University degrees for those who wish to learn and become Lawyers, Physicians, Veterinarians, Pharmacists, occupations like that. So if our Lodge financial recourses are tight, the high schoolers have other options.
Not so much the trade schools. So I believe you're right. And as many of these Brothers say, a little goes a long ways in these fields, and the student can hit the jobsite quicker and become a journeyman much sooner than a college graduate. So even if a Lodge has more resources, those resources can assist more students than the college scholarships.
This is coming from someone who has two AS degrees and has mastered two trades. So I have a little of both directions. Interestingly, my weekday occupation isn't associated with any of those degrees or trades!
Well to me I think we need people to learn a trade and not just an expensive paid for party and learning how to protest and cause trouble and claiming an "art Degree" and other things like that.
There are schools to learn the medical fields in our State that are not just one of the Universities and Colleges we have seen the last few decades where they learn nothing to improve the country or themselves so if they are going to school for learning and not just joining in with these rediculous criminal protestors all over the country
The college problems and evidence are not just one or two that you see on the news.
And THIS State has plenty of evidence everywhere from the city to a tiny town where I live and evidence I just had to drive by twice today to get the $110 worth of gasoline for the car and mower and that was at the supposed discount.
I don't have to mention what the 10 phony flags were and people I had to drive by holding signs but they didn't have stars or stripes on them,
20 years ago Chimacum was a gas station and small auto parts store owned by a long time resident and the post office.
NOW in this OLD country intersection is 2 weed stores and weed farms in all directions and these foolish protestors that don't know what they are talking about and they looked to be my age so they have no excuse for that dally foolishness
(yes I know what the rights are and am using that here)
Not to mention these days you can spend your day studying and learning on a computer instead of texting on FB and the long list of websites giving insane comments and opinions.
What do I know?
I am almost finished with my 20th year doing data processing and test programming at CERN and I didn't depend on the government to pay my way or anyone else.
And much more than Roger Daltrey.......I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.
Not future reporters or artists or protestors and criminals in the drug trade and we have millions of those and it isn't because they didn't have any other choice.
(or lawyers)
AND Physicians, Veterinarians, Pharmacists....THOSE are trades.
They don't need an expensive degree at the UW or WSU to do that
And we aren't close to being short on lawyers.
So when it comes to me donating as a Mason it is for children.
I'm an old timer with a 40 year back injury laying in bed right now otherwise I wouldn't have replied LOL
BUT I will still continue to do all the work at my private national park.
..............the wife is calling me.......trying to make sure I don't lose any weight
I forgot to add our son is a high paid heavy equipment operator who has driven almost everything and his son is also doing the same thing and at 21 years of age has also ran almost every heavy equipment from log trucks to Cats and backhoes earth movers and even in Alaska driving and also deep under ground at a gold mine.
And they didn't have to go to a college to do that.
My wife was a world famous builder and owner of a sailboat building company called Skookum Marine and she only went to Chief Sealth HS
Same with her father who was a sports writer at the Seattle PI and started Skookum Marine in the 1960's.......imagine that.
I'm concerned whenever this conversation comes up that we tend to forget that college is doing much of the work of secondary school these days. So while I agree that trades are important and need support alongside colleges and universities, I also think it's important we get some decent critical thinking and liberal arts education back into our high schools so that we're not relying on colleges to remediate every student walking through the door and that folks going in to trades don't completely miss out on such integral education.
My granddaughter is still in early elementary, but just from looking at the work she is doing, there does seem to be something amis in education currently.
I don't know how to explain it, other than, it's just so dull.
At her age, I was a huge reader. She isn't. But when I look at what she is given to read, I can see why that is. It's just dull. It feels as if the folks who publish these books are so worried about offending anyone, from the left or the right, that there just isn't anything left. And that's a shame.
I fear that our priorities have been badly messed up, but in a lot of ways that comes down to the parents. The schools are berated if they do anything perceived to somehow be harmful to little Johnny. Discipline him? That's unfair, he didn't deserve it. Give him a bad grade? It's not his fault and it needs to be changed. Give him a book that somehow challenges a norm? Get that filth out of the school library.
I will bringing this subject up with our Grand Lodge officers and trustees at our Grand Communication next month. We need to look at adding trade schools to our Educational Assistance program, and not limit it to just tax supported institutions. I am a big advocate of trade schools, and one of my grand sons will be headed to one after high school. There is a huge need for trades persons at all disciplines and we need to encourage these youth to further their educational, and not limit it to traditional college educations.
I agree. I think we need to not only support those going to college and university, but those entering trades as well. And I'd like to see some provision for Freemasons who decide to return to school later in life, including trade school.
My oldest has decided she will go to cosmetology school. The cost is substantially less then a traditional 4 year university, but still significant (13-20k depending on school). Scholarships and grants for such schools are hard to come by.
Looking at Bates in Tacoma, a one year (three semesters) nursing certificate in state costs about 8k. Given the chronic nursing shortages we have, everywhere, I'd much rather see our money go to something worthwhile like that then a 4 year college.
Nursing seems to be a great career. It served my grandmother well throughout her working life, and it seems to be even better now.
We've got one of those right by my house.
https://www.centraliabeautycollege.com/
Yeah, I mentioned that to Mike.
I attended that school 30 years ago this summer.
And I recently learned that you cut the hair of a famous guy! So the place must be A-OK!
That is actually a great idea. I wonder how well that would go over with HS guidance counselors, who I would think push college as the end all be all of education. If the lodge has the wherewithal to give a full ride to a trade school for, say, a nurses certificate, that would be so much better than giving out money for someone to attend college to get a degree in philosophy and gender studies.
Hey now, if we are going to talk about worthless degrees, you can't not mention that person over at Columbia getting her doctorate in imagination and poetry through a Marxist lens that was in the news recently! 😈🤡😂
Sorry, got carried away with my emoji picker there.
Actually was referring to a resume I had seen.
One has to wonder why anyone would make such a choice.
My daughter was attending Olympic community college and was really taking courses geared towards science and biology but was struggling with the coursework. Growing up she suffered from developmental delays and some attention deficit tendencies that made it much harder to concentrate. She went to the guidance counselor for help. The guidance counselor recommended she switch majors to sociology, that non degree degree with little practical use, and a far cry from what my daughter wanted to learn. The counselor was more focused on graduation numbers than learning.
My daughter went on to earn a BS in Human Biology, and is federally certified as an X-Ray, CT Scan, and Nuclear medicine fields.
Guidance Counselors, at least in this case, didn’t help at all. I can only imagine that these young people think just getting that degree means more than actually learning something useful.
I remember my own Guidance Counselor, but not any of the specific advice I received. It was a long time ago, but in general I think yeah, the only thing encouraged was a traditional four year degree, no matter the field.
But in my view, the field is the most important question.
In HS , after whatever assessment test they had us take,, the counselor said I was best qualified to do landscaping. And I have terrible allergies to trees and grasses and absolutely hate yard work. So the counselor knew about as much as I did for what I wanted to do with my life.
I think that's a great idea, speaking as a former apprentice myself.
Hopefully we can bring it about.
To add, it sort of does matter where you're wanting to set this up. Here in Bremerton, the shipyard offers free apprenticeship programs for pretty much all of the major trades, welding, electrical, etc. They will pay you while you learn, and at the end you'll have a steady good paying job with great benefits.
In school I wasn't a bad welder, and after that I did a fair amount of welding on the farm. I didn't pursue it of course, but I have often felt that it would have been a good choice had I not done what I did.
I think it should only be trade school myself.
I don't know if I'd go only trade school, I think we need a balance.
But, our limited funds would certainly go further in trade schools than they do otherwise.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
There are many institutions that cover the four-year college and University degrees for those who wish to learn and become Lawyers, Physicians, Veterinarians, Pharmacists, occupations like that. So if our Lodge financial recourses are tight, the high schoolers have other options.
Not so much the trade schools. So I believe you're right. And as many of these Brothers say, a little goes a long ways in these fields, and the student can hit the jobsite quicker and become a journeyman much sooner than a college graduate. So even if a Lodge has more resources, those resources can assist more students than the college scholarships.
This is coming from someone who has two AS degrees and has mastered two trades. So I have a little of both directions. Interestingly, my weekday occupation isn't associated with any of those degrees or trades!
Well to me I think we need people to learn a trade and not just an expensive paid for party and learning how to protest and cause trouble and claiming an "art Degree" and other things like that.
There are schools to learn the medical fields in our State that are not just one of the Universities and Colleges we have seen the last few decades where they learn nothing to improve the country or themselves so if they are going to school for learning and not just joining in with these rediculous criminal protestors all over the country
The college problems and evidence are not just one or two that you see on the news.
And THIS State has plenty of evidence everywhere from the city to a tiny town where I live and evidence I just had to drive by twice today to get the $110 worth of gasoline for the car and mower and that was at the supposed discount.
I don't have to mention what the 10 phony flags were and people I had to drive by holding signs but they didn't have stars or stripes on them,
20 years ago Chimacum was a gas station and small auto parts store owned by a long time resident and the post office.
NOW in this OLD country intersection is 2 weed stores and weed farms in all directions and these foolish protestors that don't know what they are talking about and they looked to be my age so they have no excuse for that dally foolishness
(yes I know what the rights are and am using that here)
Not to mention these days you can spend your day studying and learning on a computer instead of texting on FB and the long list of websites giving insane comments and opinions.
What do I know?
I am almost finished with my 20th year doing data processing and test programming at CERN and I didn't depend on the government to pay my way or anyone else.
And much more than Roger Daltrey.......I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.
https://www.inspiraadvantage.com/blog/complete-guide-to-medical-schools-in-washington-state that is the only version I would want to help a person get an education.
Not future reporters or artists or protestors and criminals in the drug trade and we have millions of those and it isn't because they didn't have any other choice.
(or lawyers)
AND Physicians, Veterinarians, Pharmacists....THOSE are trades.
They don't need an expensive degree at the UW or WSU to do that
And we aren't close to being short on lawyers.
So when it comes to me donating as a Mason it is for children.
I'm an old timer with a 40 year back injury laying in bed right now otherwise I wouldn't have replied LOL
BUT I will still continue to do all the work at my private national park.
..............the wife is calling me.......trying to make sure I don't lose any weight
>;-P
I forgot to add our son is a high paid heavy equipment operator who has driven almost everything and his son is also doing the same thing and at 21 years of age has also ran almost every heavy equipment from log trucks to Cats and backhoes earth movers and even in Alaska driving and also deep under ground at a gold mine.
And they didn't have to go to a college to do that.
My wife was a world famous builder and owner of a sailboat building company called Skookum Marine and she only went to Chief Sealth HS
Same with her father who was a sports writer at the Seattle PI and started Skookum Marine in the 1960's.......imagine that.
I'm concerned whenever this conversation comes up that we tend to forget that college is doing much of the work of secondary school these days. So while I agree that trades are important and need support alongside colleges and universities, I also think it's important we get some decent critical thinking and liberal arts education back into our high schools so that we're not relying on colleges to remediate every student walking through the door and that folks going in to trades don't completely miss out on such integral education.
Your point is well taken. Thank you.
My granddaughter is still in early elementary, but just from looking at the work she is doing, there does seem to be something amis in education currently.
I don't know how to explain it, other than, it's just so dull.
At her age, I was a huge reader. She isn't. But when I look at what she is given to read, I can see why that is. It's just dull. It feels as if the folks who publish these books are so worried about offending anyone, from the left or the right, that there just isn't anything left. And that's a shame.
I fear that our priorities have been badly messed up, but in a lot of ways that comes down to the parents. The schools are berated if they do anything perceived to somehow be harmful to little Johnny. Discipline him? That's unfair, he didn't deserve it. Give him a bad grade? It's not his fault and it needs to be changed. Give him a book that somehow challenges a norm? Get that filth out of the school library.