On Reflection

Reading my old Masonic stuff

As I wrote about in my most recent post:

My New Home

I’ve been going through my old Masonic writings, creating solid print copies, and converting electronic copies to .pdf, so that they can all move to their permanent home at the Richmond Library & Museum in Oregon.

That work has given me a superb opportunity, that I probably would have never taken otherwise, to read those old essays. Remember what was happening at the time, what my perspective was, and why.

Honestly, it has proven to be a good bit of self reflection.

Robert M. Richmond Memorial Library, Oregon

Full disclosure, I’m not going all the way back. I’ve written, off and on, about Freemasonry since I was an EA. But that really early stuff is god alone knows where. Stuck in an external hard drive somewhere probably, equipment used with a computer some number of computers ago.

I also know that there is some old stuff in the archives of Centralia Lodge, put away by our Secretary back when I was going through the Chairs. Some essays in our Jurisdiction’s old back issues of the Masonic Tribune as well.

But, all of that stuff seems far too hard to get, and most likely of little value.

So, I’m starting from the point at which I began writing about Freemasonry on a very regular basis. When I was Senior Grand Warden, the pandemic struck, and we were not allowed to gather as Masons.

Honestly, I’d forgotten why exactly I began this quest to continually write about our Craft. Until I read about it in one of my own essays that is.

I remember now that we sat down, all the elected Grand Lodge Officers, and talked about the fact that we needed to remain in contact with our Masons, despite the governmental rules that prevented us from meeting. A couple of my fellow officers were really pushing video, and podcasts, and zoom, but I never felt completely comfortable with such things. I have however, always felt comfortable with the written word. So, I wished them luck with their high tech stuff, and declared that while they were exploring those avenues, I’d be off in a hole somewhere, writing.

And that’s how, and why, the predecessor to Emeth was born while I was Senior Grand Warden, and why Emeth eventually came about in this form while I was Deputy Grand Master.

Obviously the pandemic, and its restrictions are well behind us, but I’ve stuck with it. Indeed, Emeth is the primary thing I think about and do, and has been for years now.

I notice that my early writings were generally shorter than what I do now. I’m not sure why.

But, the biggest change, I’m reminded they were a bit timid in those early days. Less forceful in a way.

I know why that is of course. As a junior officer, I saw it as my duty to support the Grand Master. Not to step out in front of him, or say things in a direction of which he would not approve.

But, the timidness didn’t last long. I remember our then Grand Master reading my stuff, declaring it to his liking, and giving me free reign to go hog wild. So I did.

In the time since, support for my writing here on Emeth hasn’t been universal within our Jurisdiction. I’ve received ‘concerns’ from time to time from fellow elected Grand Lodge Officers, and I’ve received ‘griping and bitching’ from a Past Grand Master or two. I’ve not worried much about any of that. Their ‘concerns’ and ‘bitches’ were all related to the fact that I don’t generally moderate comments here on Emeth. No one has expressed ‘concern’ over what I’ve written, but I’ve had plenty of ‘concern’ over the fact that I allow those who comment here to criticize the Grand Lodge. Alas, those expressing ‘concern’ don’t seem to understand that just because you don’t hear complaints doesn’t mean that everyone is happy with everything everyday.

But, I’ve gleefully ignored all that nonsense, it’s come from a tiny minority anyway.

And, since I’ve become a Past Grand Master, no one has complained at all. I imagine that they gave up trying to reform me.

But it is not only myself that I’ve been able to reflect upon, nor my writings, by re-reading what I wrote years ago. I’ve also been able to reflect upon the times. I’ve remembered the riots and how those impacted my own outlook. The loss I felt for Freemasonry when we could not meet in person. It has all been a superb exercise.

As I move forward though these writings, I’m at a point now at which Emeth has been founded and is growing. I’m setting things up for re-opening Freemasonry in Washington without any restrictions (I did this the morning after my Installation as Grand Master,) and I’m just about ready to assume office.

Next week sometime, if my present speed through my essays continues, I’ll be reading my Installation speech.