Or an alternative is to lead by example. Gather those same Masons as a work party and clean-up the park yourselves. There are too many groups who approach government and demand something to change. Masons can distinquish themselves from these groups by just doing what's right.
I don't disagree with this at all. I fear that my essay was unclear. The park isn't physically dirty, indeed a city crew cleans up all the litter and trash every single morning. From that standpoint it is clean.
It is unclean because while every night the police clear everyone from it at closing time, the next morning the people who spend their days there move back into it. Every day of the week it is filled with groups of people openly, and apparently without fear of consequence, using illegal drugs. It has become an open air drug den right in the heart of our small town. Much like what one sees from time to time on the news in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, just on a smaller scale. This seems to be a new reality up and down the West Coast of the US as Cities large and small have pulled back policing.
Reading our local newspaper, it seems that those who cause violence there, in connection with the drug use are easily caught, but violence within the park seems quite common, just the other day the newspaper ran a story about a fellow who had his skull broken in three places in a fight over something or other.
For whatever reason, our City government seems to have chosen it as the place in our City for these folks to be contained by largely removing law enforcement presence from the park. I understand that having the problem contained might have value in some way, but from my perspective the trouble with it is that our City's Library (which is operated by an outside entity, not the City) stands in the middle of the park. So children and families that want to go to the Library for its Child Literacy Programs have to brave their way through and around this drug den in order to get into the Library.
Ah, thank you for the clarification. This is an entirely different problem than I was imagining. This does require a group of concerned citizens, including Masons, to show a united front and engage in dialogue with city officials to offer ideas and support to seek solutions. We improve ourselves in part to become leaders of our communities. This is a situation that requires our participation.
The issues I’ve run across is that a lot of masons take the “no discussion of politics in lodge” a bit too far. We have local representatives that would be more than happy to come and talk about community issues, but nope, we can’t get involved.
It is always appropriate to have elected officials and other community involved folks come speak to a Lodge from an issue instead of a political standpoint. My home Lodge has a great relationship with their local and state elected officials and invite them regularly to special events. My Lodge in Centralia has hosted our Police Chief, and emergency responders the former to fill us in on current issues, the latter to let us know how a major disaster was dealt with. I believe that my Seattle Lodge had the Mayor of that City in not all that long ago.
Masons should be involved in local politics, but I think Masonry should not. There will no doubt be an issue that divides the Lodge. Do you go with the Worshipful Master's position, or the Lodge consensus. If a consensus, how would the Lodge derive that position?
A lot of masons have concluded that all political activity is forbidden. I haven't read the actual rules in the bylaws of WA state grand lodge, but my impression was that partisan politics was forbidden. Not policy discussion.
Exactly my point. Getting funding for a community project, for example, should be perfectly fine. Or navigating grants from Olympia should be of great benefit to the lodge.
Contentious issues are one thing, but there is a large amount of non partisan issues we should be able to discuss.
I would support our GL having a legislative affairs officer to champion masonic issues with the state. I'm surprised we don't.
We actually do, WB Glenn. We have a Government Affairs Committee, who had been doing many projects up at the Capitol Campus, including keeping the Rest Area signs up to indicate volunteers are offering coffee (Fundraisers), keeping the fireworks booths available for our Youth Groups to be able to sell them, and being among the first to donate the Legislative Page Scholarship program. The Committee is still active.
And seeking funding for our historical buildings. As memory serves in recent years we have received funding for Masonic Temples in Centralia (twice), Asotin, Ilwaco, Skykomish, Sultan-Monroe, and Ellensburg. I don't have the figures in front of me, but I believe it is somewhere around a million dollars over the past few years.
Thanks for the clarification Clayton, the fact I didn't know it (and I assume a lot of other brothers as well) would be an indication that perhaps this needs to be published amongst the lodges too. There are a number of lodges within just my jurisdiction that could benefit from grants to solve funding issues to fix building problems.
There is always a (rightful) hesitation to publicly stand as a group, given political prohibitions and the fear the Craft as a whole would be (mis)represented by individual Brothers or groups of Brothers.
However, basic community needs should not be seen as such. We raise money and donate to charities that have huge impact on the community, for example. And we sometimes march in solidarity at events that may be ethnic or otherwise identity-based.
The problem today is everything has become politicized, even the basic notions of tolerance and caring for the needy. That puts us as good Men and Masons in the fight whether we want to be in it or not.
You are certainly correct that seemingly everything has become politicized. It can be a minefield. And that is extremely unfortunate for our country I think.
There was a time in many of our Lodges, anyone who was anyone in government or politics was a Mason. When brothers had an issue, they let it be known to the person what should be done. This one-on-one engagement helped facilitated change. Not so much these day. Today, when a politician or regulator comes to visit a Lodge, they generally appeal members for money or community backing. I agree with many in this forum that we are taking the concept of no political discussions in Lodge way too far. Community outreach is important. Our voices need to be heard. With the explosion of violence, crime and political indifference, it's more important than ever for Lodges to be engaged in the betterment of our communities and neighborhoods. Our jurisdiction used to be known as one of the most livable places in the United States. No so much these day. It's time to get back to business and engage our leaders to act responsibly for the good of our state and country.
I will start with "Boston Tea Party" which was a great example in history where Masons took action to drive home a point. That said, I do not see how going to a city hall meeting is considered political. I view it more as taking an positive role in or participating in our communities. I believe there is a clear distinction between politics and community involvement.
We as citizens have the right to participate in our communities and I dare say the obligation to do so. (whether we are Masons is really immaterial). We don't need to annouce that we are Masons as it is not what is important. What is important is that you show up, be a voice and or take an active role in being part of the solution. People in time will notice that the voice(s) is that of a Mason.
Remember the prohibition to discuss politics and religion in Lodge is merely to preserve the peace and harmony of our Lodges and for no other reason that I can see. What we should be doing outside of Lodge as Masons is to be a productive and active citizens. To be the example to the rest of the world.
The era we are facing has all the markings to a generation of self-lovers, who lift up the lower animalistic natures of man, though wicked desires and mind debilitating substances. This nonetheless appears to be promoted by certain government leaders, who works divide while deceptively declaring unity.
The quickest way to destroy the soul (psyche) of society, is to allow drug use and promote lustful indoctrinations as a way of acceptance. If society is held captive to these bad habits and principles, pursing the dictates of self and desire, it will be vanquished and defeated. This passionate personal ego takes the reins from his hands, crowds out the quality of divine ego and changes him into an animal, a creature unable to judge good from evil, or to distinguish light from dark. As Free-Masons, we have an obligation to the self and society to be Free from these dangers and Build towards the realm of Light and become divine, radiant, and merciful beings.
I feel by waiting for others to fix a problem, is counterproductive. We are the ones we have been waiting for. If City Council members and other members of congress are not fit for the job, we should vote them out and make sure our kids receive a good education free from the spirit of errors, and a world where drug feinds and predators roam their neighborhoods. We should not remain silent or shy away from political discussion when facing injustice and abuse but speak the truth to power. As it says in the Book of Mark, “Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
Spot on! More groups need to be involved to get leaders to do their jobs.
Or an alternative is to lead by example. Gather those same Masons as a work party and clean-up the park yourselves. There are too many groups who approach government and demand something to change. Masons can distinquish themselves from these groups by just doing what's right.
I don't disagree with this at all. I fear that my essay was unclear. The park isn't physically dirty, indeed a city crew cleans up all the litter and trash every single morning. From that standpoint it is clean.
It is unclean because while every night the police clear everyone from it at closing time, the next morning the people who spend their days there move back into it. Every day of the week it is filled with groups of people openly, and apparently without fear of consequence, using illegal drugs. It has become an open air drug den right in the heart of our small town. Much like what one sees from time to time on the news in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, just on a smaller scale. This seems to be a new reality up and down the West Coast of the US as Cities large and small have pulled back policing.
Reading our local newspaper, it seems that those who cause violence there, in connection with the drug use are easily caught, but violence within the park seems quite common, just the other day the newspaper ran a story about a fellow who had his skull broken in three places in a fight over something or other.
For whatever reason, our City government seems to have chosen it as the place in our City for these folks to be contained by largely removing law enforcement presence from the park. I understand that having the problem contained might have value in some way, but from my perspective the trouble with it is that our City's Library (which is operated by an outside entity, not the City) stands in the middle of the park. So children and families that want to go to the Library for its Child Literacy Programs have to brave their way through and around this drug den in order to get into the Library.
Ah, thank you for the clarification. This is an entirely different problem than I was imagining. This does require a group of concerned citizens, including Masons, to show a united front and engage in dialogue with city officials to offer ideas and support to seek solutions. We improve ourselves in part to become leaders of our communities. This is a situation that requires our participation.
The issues I’ve run across is that a lot of masons take the “no discussion of politics in lodge” a bit too far. We have local representatives that would be more than happy to come and talk about community issues, but nope, we can’t get involved.
The 2 lodges I am a member only uses that rule inside the Stated but after leaving the room it is a different story.
It is always appropriate to have elected officials and other community involved folks come speak to a Lodge from an issue instead of a political standpoint. My home Lodge has a great relationship with their local and state elected officials and invite them regularly to special events. My Lodge in Centralia has hosted our Police Chief, and emergency responders the former to fill us in on current issues, the latter to let us know how a major disaster was dealt with. I believe that my Seattle Lodge had the Mayor of that City in not all that long ago.
Masons should be involved in local politics, but I think Masonry should not. There will no doubt be an issue that divides the Lodge. Do you go with the Worshipful Master's position, or the Lodge consensus. If a consensus, how would the Lodge derive that position?
A lot of masons have concluded that all political activity is forbidden. I haven't read the actual rules in the bylaws of WA state grand lodge, but my impression was that partisan politics was forbidden. Not policy discussion.
Exactly my point. Getting funding for a community project, for example, should be perfectly fine. Or navigating grants from Olympia should be of great benefit to the lodge.
Contentious issues are one thing, but there is a large amount of non partisan issues we should be able to discuss.
I would support our GL having a legislative affairs officer to champion masonic issues with the state. I'm surprised we don't.
We actually do, WB Glenn. We have a Government Affairs Committee, who had been doing many projects up at the Capitol Campus, including keeping the Rest Area signs up to indicate volunteers are offering coffee (Fundraisers), keeping the fireworks booths available for our Youth Groups to be able to sell them, and being among the first to donate the Legislative Page Scholarship program. The Committee is still active.
And seeking funding for our historical buildings. As memory serves in recent years we have received funding for Masonic Temples in Centralia (twice), Asotin, Ilwaco, Skykomish, Sultan-Monroe, and Ellensburg. I don't have the figures in front of me, but I believe it is somewhere around a million dollars over the past few years.
Thanks for the clarification Clayton, the fact I didn't know it (and I assume a lot of other brothers as well) would be an indication that perhaps this needs to be published amongst the lodges too. There are a number of lodges within just my jurisdiction that could benefit from grants to solve funding issues to fix building problems.
There is always a (rightful) hesitation to publicly stand as a group, given political prohibitions and the fear the Craft as a whole would be (mis)represented by individual Brothers or groups of Brothers.
However, basic community needs should not be seen as such. We raise money and donate to charities that have huge impact on the community, for example. And we sometimes march in solidarity at events that may be ethnic or otherwise identity-based.
The problem today is everything has become politicized, even the basic notions of tolerance and caring for the needy. That puts us as good Men and Masons in the fight whether we want to be in it or not.
You are certainly correct that seemingly everything has become politicized. It can be a minefield. And that is extremely unfortunate for our country I think.
There was a time in many of our Lodges, anyone who was anyone in government or politics was a Mason. When brothers had an issue, they let it be known to the person what should be done. This one-on-one engagement helped facilitated change. Not so much these day. Today, when a politician or regulator comes to visit a Lodge, they generally appeal members for money or community backing. I agree with many in this forum that we are taking the concept of no political discussions in Lodge way too far. Community outreach is important. Our voices need to be heard. With the explosion of violence, crime and political indifference, it's more important than ever for Lodges to be engaged in the betterment of our communities and neighborhoods. Our jurisdiction used to be known as one of the most livable places in the United States. No so much these day. It's time to get back to business and engage our leaders to act responsibly for the good of our state and country.
I will start with "Boston Tea Party" which was a great example in history where Masons took action to drive home a point. That said, I do not see how going to a city hall meeting is considered political. I view it more as taking an positive role in or participating in our communities. I believe there is a clear distinction between politics and community involvement.
We as citizens have the right to participate in our communities and I dare say the obligation to do so. (whether we are Masons is really immaterial). We don't need to annouce that we are Masons as it is not what is important. What is important is that you show up, be a voice and or take an active role in being part of the solution. People in time will notice that the voice(s) is that of a Mason.
Remember the prohibition to discuss politics and religion in Lodge is merely to preserve the peace and harmony of our Lodges and for no other reason that I can see. What we should be doing outside of Lodge as Masons is to be a productive and active citizens. To be the example to the rest of the world.
The era we are facing has all the markings to a generation of self-lovers, who lift up the lower animalistic natures of man, though wicked desires and mind debilitating substances. This nonetheless appears to be promoted by certain government leaders, who works divide while deceptively declaring unity.
The quickest way to destroy the soul (psyche) of society, is to allow drug use and promote lustful indoctrinations as a way of acceptance. If society is held captive to these bad habits and principles, pursing the dictates of self and desire, it will be vanquished and defeated. This passionate personal ego takes the reins from his hands, crowds out the quality of divine ego and changes him into an animal, a creature unable to judge good from evil, or to distinguish light from dark. As Free-Masons, we have an obligation to the self and society to be Free from these dangers and Build towards the realm of Light and become divine, radiant, and merciful beings.
I feel by waiting for others to fix a problem, is counterproductive. We are the ones we have been waiting for. If City Council members and other members of congress are not fit for the job, we should vote them out and make sure our kids receive a good education free from the spirit of errors, and a world where drug feinds and predators roam their neighborhoods. We should not remain silent or shy away from political discussion when facing injustice and abuse but speak the truth to power. As it says in the Book of Mark, “Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.