The North Eastern Corner

Absolutely. I am in the East starting in May and a...

2010-03-06T03:09:38.338-05:00

Absolutely. I am in the East starting in May and am racking my brains trying to figure out a way to incorporate it into our Lodge. Perhaps at a Lodge of Instruction...Thanks for posting this!

Bro Chris Hansen, Master-Elect
Goliath Lodge #5595, UGLE

Fantastic!

2010-03-05T21:14:35.600-05:00

Fantastic!

Hey, I sent the letter to your email due to the f...

2010-02-23T19:36:58.375-05:00

Hey,

I sent the letter to your email due to the fact I wanted to save space here. Feel free to post!

Thanks,
S&F
Jason

Thanks Jason, I totally forgot about the wife and ...

2010-02-18T15:33:39.447-05:00

Thanks Jason,
I totally forgot about the wife and family and they are almost as important as the new Brother himself. Without their support and understanding our Fraternity can create some enmity with the family that will now miss their loved one a couple nights a month. I am doing another EA tonight and grabbed one off the oldest Freemason Page on the internet http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masons/
and tweaked it for my lodge. I would love to see what you came up with.

I love this idea, I have been working on the same ...

2010-02-17T17:50:56.595-05:00

I love this idea, I have been working on the same idea for Canyon Lodge and am slowly getting the "welcome packet" down to valuables that I think are essential for a new brother. One thing that I have also chosen to enclose is a formal letter to the wife and family of the new mason, making them a part of this new path that hopefully will include the family.
I have also formed a "packet" for each degree. The Grand Lodge of Utah has small education plans for each degree that answers a few questions and explains customs that are generally overlooked. In these I include a new letter for the brother and his family, and also in the third I have thought of including a petition, history would suggest that the new brother is far more likely to find the next new brother than those who have been in lodge for a while.
It's the little things like this that make a new brother feel a little more comfortable in a completely new and unknown world.

Change in our organization is SLOW at best, so as ...

2010-01-30T18:19:01.825-05:00

Change in our organization is SLOW at best, so as they say easy kid where you going in such a hurry. I am having good success in my affiliate lodge but it has taken almost three years it get real change. Keep the faith

Unfortunately, NEC, I've discovered there are thos...

2010-01-30T05:06:58.605-05:00

Unfortunately, NEC, I've discovered there are those who are handed the keys who have never learned how to drive because they've spent their time looking at the pretty scenery through the side window.

The car is filled with young passengers who know they want to go on a ride but don't know where.

Justa

I, like J above, am a traveling man, have been to ...

2010-01-28T09:48:46.564-05:00

I, like J above, am a traveling man, have been to the East, lived there for almost a quarter century, and recognize that the Light comes from the East. Also, as a 4th degree "initiated" Master in traditional martial arts, we too are taught to understand the relation of thought, word, and deed. We are taught thus so that we might teach to the worthy that Force must only be exerted under the Rule of Right and Justice. It is interesting that the Eastern character for the Sun, the source of Light, is based on the hieroglyph of a point in a circle. There are a few of us, my brothers, through study and perseverance, who learned to begin to understand the universal symbols that bind us. I too, consider myself a Friend of the Lodge.

Congratulations Worshipful! Every success to you a...

2010-01-10T15:40:17.947-05:00

Congratulations Worshipful! Every success to you and your Lodge.

Don

Congrats!

2010-01-08T13:35:54.327-05:00

Congrats!

and unlike poor Tom Accuosti's latest ubuntu attem...

2010-01-08T07:52:40.085-05:00

and unlike poor Tom Accuosti's latest ubuntu attempt, you have one successful installation!

>:-Þ

Pppfffttt!

I was at work until almost 8 last night :-(
Believe me, I'd love to see a successful installation this week. Glad it was for 3M.

What a thrill. What a great night for St. John's L...

2010-01-07T23:50:27.411-05:00

What a thrill. What a great night for St. John's Lodge No. 6, and for a Blogger to finally ascend to the East. Tom, you don't know hat you missed!

I couldn't think of a good rhyme for wit! Thanks T...

2010-01-07T12:01:44.307-05:00

I couldn't think of a good rhyme for wit!
Thanks Tom

Oh, bro, why you hatin' on the Linux? You've been...

2010-01-07T11:55:20.978-05:00

Oh, bro, why you hatin' on the Linux?

You've been prepping for this for the last few years. Nobody is ever ready to take over, but we all manage to do it, somehow. With good, supportive officers behind you, and the wisdom, er, experience of the PMs ahead of you, and with you own drive and determination, you'll be a fine WM, and an asset to the lodge.

Trust me on this one.

Tom, I sent you a message on FB a while ago!

2010-01-03T10:15:16.018-05:00

Tom,
I sent you a message on FB a while ago!

and my reign of terror will begin! LOL - This ...

2010-01-03T09:48:02.765-05:00

and my reign of terror will begin!

LOL -

This Thursday? Dang, 3M, that doesn't give us much notice.

Well said! Sounds very familiar to me. I will ...

2009-12-18T23:22:41.709-05:00

Well said! Sounds very familiar to me.

I will be initiated into the EA degree next month. Yours and the many blogs help a great deal. Keep it up.

http://myfreemasonryjournal.blogspot.com/

WMs are elected to lead. Therefore, you should lea...

2009-11-15T13:15:49.297-05:00

WMs are elected to lead. Therefore, you should lead.

Jay - Read the article, nice piece, I am a firm be...

2009-11-14T11:21:51.899-05:00

Jay - Read the article, nice piece, I am a firm believer in these principles. The number one job of the Master especially in a lodge that is rebuilding is to be the cheerleader, focus on the positive, glass half full. If a Master leads brothers will follow, most like to help, hate to lead. All great leaders lead from the front of the pack, I'm sure you already know the small circle of brothers that get things done, your job is to expand that circle.

You will do great, a year goes by fast, give it your all. Of course you could end up like me heading into my fourth year as Master......

Thank you both Brothers for more light to "reflect...

2009-11-13T08:08:38.311-05:00

Thank you both Brothers for more light to "reflect" on!

Not surprisingly, the Tao Teh Ching has some advic...

2009-11-13T07:09:58.369-05:00

Not surprisingly, the Tao Teh Ching has some advice on this:

III

Give rewards, and someone will fight for them
Prize rarities, and someone will try to steal them
Offer all that anyone could desire, and someone will be confused and angry

When one must lead, one must lead people back to themselves
Fill their needs but drain their compulsions
Harden their bones but soften their opinions
Where they feel the need to chase after fashion or stand for some cause
Be quiet and listen, so they will speak cautiously and hesitant to act *
So long as they are cautious, all things will fall into place

XVII

The greatest leaders are never seen, their presence is never felt
Lesser rulers are loved and praised
Lesser still are hated, and obeyed through fear
And the least are despised and ignored

If you would lead people, trust them to do the right thing
When a leader accomplishes something using the tao
He steps back, moves on to something else
And lets the people praise themselves

XXIV

Raise yourself too high, and you lose your balance
Prominence does not come from putting on airs
Inner light is not made by clothes or jewels
Nor does respect come from boasts
Honor is not a thing you can claim for yourself

To the taoists all this is a waste
Like spending hours cooking food no one wants to eat
Why offer people air instead of substance?
Air is free, and only fools and flatterers will buy it
Do you want to be surrounded by fools?

Where you are is where you are
Live there

LXVIII

Therefore a good leader, like a good soldier
Sees no need to flaunt her might
Never lets his passions sway him out of balance
Allows her opponents to overextend themselves
And in all things places himself below others

If you don't compete, then you're dealing with men correctly
And the tao, in all its antiquity, is on your side

You might like to read this which was about the wa...

2009-11-12T23:16:00.586-05:00

You might like to read this which was about the way I planned my year

http://iowagrandmaster.org/Education%20pdfs/7stepstosuccess.pdf

I am reading The Lost Symbol. Had never heard of T...

2009-10-22T15:25:08.624-04:00

I am reading The Lost Symbol. Had never heard of The Chamber of Reflection. Doubt that any Masonic Lodge has one.
The Lodge's in my part of the world can barely keep open for meetings let alone take time for reflection.

it's a Zen kind of thing. If you don't avoid it, i...

2009-10-14T12:22:20.367-04:00

it's a Zen kind of thing. If you don't avoid it, it will avoid you.

Oddly, that doesn't seem to work when I hope that trouble will avoid me.

Do we need effective PMs? Most of the ones that I ...

2009-10-14T12:21:21.803-04:00

Do we need effective PMs? Most of the ones that I know are already pretty good about sitting on the sidelines and complaining. How much more effective could they be?