MW you mentioned the comments issue. Never understood why higher ups shake and stutter on hearing criticism. You will always have haters because they just have that type of heart. That will always be between them and their God. Criticism should be read and meditated on by leaders. The words might hurt because these words might be true. Possible growth might come from these comments. Keep up the good work Emeth!!
I think that based on our professional lives, we may take different views of criticism.
My profession has always been politics, and in that realm, about 50% of the people agree with you, and about 50% disagree with you. But I learned, early on, that by hearing those people out who disagree with you, you aren't able to change their mind, but you are able to make them understand that while there is disagreement, it is not for a negative reason.
It is when debate is stifled that people get angry.
Plus, as you point out, hearing those who disagree is one of the ways we learn and grow!
The pandemic response is another of my great disappointments in freemasonry and indeed every other civic fraternity. The government does not have the authority to abridge the right of the people to peaceably assemble. No disaster or emergency overrides the basic freedoms enshrined in the bill of rights.
It was a chance to show our commitment we so often recite in our presentation of the flag in lodge. Free men. Free to come together. For those with co-morbidities at real risk of life, certainly we understand them not wishing to join us and choosing to isolate. But for those of us healthy and in no danger, it was disingenuous to force us to isolate as well or to bend over and take unconstitutional edicts from an authoritarian governor.
At some point, long before you and I were ever born, our Fraternity, worldwide, decided that it needed 'things.' It decided that it needed buildings, and bank accounts, and investments, and institutional charities.
It decided that it was no longer appropriate to meet in the backroom of 'Bill's Hardware Store' or above 'Jake's Tavern.' It was no longer appropriate to just chalk our symbols and stations on the floor, we needed to own the physical 'stuff.'
That is the point, I think, at which it went from being completely apart from the world, to completely entwined with the wider world.
As Jack discussed, the response to the pandemic was completely uncalled for. The bullshit we endured was wrong on so many levels. The hypocrisy even more so. I have always looked at this fraternity as a patriotic freedom loving assemblage of men. To have grand lodge act the way it did made me nearly quit as it smacked me in the face that no, the grand lodge was only concerned with not getting sued, screw our freedoms. The tyrannical edicts and rules were not only overbearing but also stupid and pointless. If grand lodge had simply said comply with the states rules, that would have been enough. Then the onus was on Inslee, not the craft. Otherwise, let the lodges handle the risks themselves.
The grand lodge earned that criticism and as far as I am concerned justly so. They lost sight of the fact we are a volunteer charitable society, not a group of men to lord over.
Am I being too harsh and critical? Perhaps, but it simply reflects on how much I felt betrayed by the organization that I cherish so dearly.
The correct response would have been to sue the governor all the way to the US Supreme Court on a clear violation of the first amendment right to peaceable assembly.
I assumed the East just as all the governmental restrictions were being lifted, as such, I never had to sit in the hot seat and make those decisions. Given that by the grace of God, and timing, I was not put in that position, I don't feel it right for me to second guess any decisions that were made at the time by the men who were in ultimate authority over the Craft at that time.
That said, I will say, based on having the closest seat possible to those decisions as they were being made, that there was tremendous controversy within the Craft at the time, based largely on the zip code in which Lodges were located.
Rural and suburban Lodges felt that the restrictions went way too far and were clamoring for them to be done away with. Urban Lodges wanted even more restrictions put into place.
I think that I can illustrate this with a couple of examples.
As mentioned above, the governmental mandates were going away just as I was assuming the East. So it was easy for me. I just sent a letter to the Lodges, the day after my Installation, telling them that the Grand Lodge had no restrictions moving forward, and to not expect any more letters with instructions from the Grand Lodge.
But, as the months went on after that, prominent Masons from urban areas did complain that I was refusing to send letters with further instructions. A number of urban Lodges dreamed up any excuse they could think of to not hold meetings, and I felt at times as if I almost had to force them to re-open to their members. Lastly, I remember a Lodge, towards the very end of my term, long after any and all masking mandates had ended, sending me a letter of complaint because I dared to walk into their building without wearing a mask.
But of course attitudes were much different in rural and suburban Lodges.
Addressing the main point of MW Cameron’s post, I personally would love to read a journal of his years in the grand lodge, starting with his thoughts and ideas prior to running for election. Then reflect on the hopes and desires, obstacles and issues that needed to be resolved, etc in his journey to the grand east. Kind of difficult to write in hindsight though. Perhaps prefacing each article with a short annotation about the circumstances and context for some of the papers might shed more light for the reader.
I do remember the reasons I ran for the post, and interesting things along the campaign trail. I also remember what I hoped to accomplish. Looking back, I think that there was success, but also much that remains to do. I suppose it will always be that way, with only one short year terms of Office.
All in all, I hope that my time in the East was a benefit to the Craft.
MW you mentioned the comments issue. Never understood why higher ups shake and stutter on hearing criticism. You will always have haters because they just have that type of heart. That will always be between them and their God. Criticism should be read and meditated on by leaders. The words might hurt because these words might be true. Possible growth might come from these comments. Keep up the good work Emeth!!
I think that based on our professional lives, we may take different views of criticism.
My profession has always been politics, and in that realm, about 50% of the people agree with you, and about 50% disagree with you. But I learned, early on, that by hearing those people out who disagree with you, you aren't able to change their mind, but you are able to make them understand that while there is disagreement, it is not for a negative reason.
It is when debate is stifled that people get angry.
Plus, as you point out, hearing those who disagree is one of the ways we learn and grow!
The pandemic response is another of my great disappointments in freemasonry and indeed every other civic fraternity. The government does not have the authority to abridge the right of the people to peaceably assemble. No disaster or emergency overrides the basic freedoms enshrined in the bill of rights.
It was a chance to show our commitment we so often recite in our presentation of the flag in lodge. Free men. Free to come together. For those with co-morbidities at real risk of life, certainly we understand them not wishing to join us and choosing to isolate. But for those of us healthy and in no danger, it was disingenuous to force us to isolate as well or to bend over and take unconstitutional edicts from an authoritarian governor.
At some point, long before you and I were ever born, our Fraternity, worldwide, decided that it needed 'things.' It decided that it needed buildings, and bank accounts, and investments, and institutional charities.
It decided that it was no longer appropriate to meet in the backroom of 'Bill's Hardware Store' or above 'Jake's Tavern.' It was no longer appropriate to just chalk our symbols and stations on the floor, we needed to own the physical 'stuff.'
That is the point, I think, at which it went from being completely apart from the world, to completely entwined with the wider world.
As Jack discussed, the response to the pandemic was completely uncalled for. The bullshit we endured was wrong on so many levels. The hypocrisy even more so. I have always looked at this fraternity as a patriotic freedom loving assemblage of men. To have grand lodge act the way it did made me nearly quit as it smacked me in the face that no, the grand lodge was only concerned with not getting sued, screw our freedoms. The tyrannical edicts and rules were not only overbearing but also stupid and pointless. If grand lodge had simply said comply with the states rules, that would have been enough. Then the onus was on Inslee, not the craft. Otherwise, let the lodges handle the risks themselves.
The grand lodge earned that criticism and as far as I am concerned justly so. They lost sight of the fact we are a volunteer charitable society, not a group of men to lord over.
Am I being too harsh and critical? Perhaps, but it simply reflects on how much I felt betrayed by the organization that I cherish so dearly.
The correct response would have been to sue the governor all the way to the US Supreme Court on a clear violation of the first amendment right to peaceable assembly.
I assumed the East just as all the governmental restrictions were being lifted, as such, I never had to sit in the hot seat and make those decisions. Given that by the grace of God, and timing, I was not put in that position, I don't feel it right for me to second guess any decisions that were made at the time by the men who were in ultimate authority over the Craft at that time.
That said, I will say, based on having the closest seat possible to those decisions as they were being made, that there was tremendous controversy within the Craft at the time, based largely on the zip code in which Lodges were located.
Rural and suburban Lodges felt that the restrictions went way too far and were clamoring for them to be done away with. Urban Lodges wanted even more restrictions put into place.
I think that I can illustrate this with a couple of examples.
As mentioned above, the governmental mandates were going away just as I was assuming the East. So it was easy for me. I just sent a letter to the Lodges, the day after my Installation, telling them that the Grand Lodge had no restrictions moving forward, and to not expect any more letters with instructions from the Grand Lodge.
But, as the months went on after that, prominent Masons from urban areas did complain that I was refusing to send letters with further instructions. A number of urban Lodges dreamed up any excuse they could think of to not hold meetings, and I felt at times as if I almost had to force them to re-open to their members. Lastly, I remember a Lodge, towards the very end of my term, long after any and all masking mandates had ended, sending me a letter of complaint because I dared to walk into their building without wearing a mask.
But of course attitudes were much different in rural and suburban Lodges.
Addressing the main point of MW Cameron’s post, I personally would love to read a journal of his years in the grand lodge, starting with his thoughts and ideas prior to running for election. Then reflect on the hopes and desires, obstacles and issues that needed to be resolved, etc in his journey to the grand east. Kind of difficult to write in hindsight though. Perhaps prefacing each article with a short annotation about the circumstances and context for some of the papers might shed more light for the reader.
Interesting idea. Thank you!
I do remember the reasons I ran for the post, and interesting things along the campaign trail. I also remember what I hoped to accomplish. Looking back, I think that there was success, but also much that remains to do. I suppose it will always be that way, with only one short year terms of Office.
All in all, I hope that my time in the East was a benefit to the Craft.