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COOL CORN posted:Brothers, I don't want to air dirty laundry here, but we had a pretty major (and incredibly petty) York Rite event happen today. I've been debating typing out what happened, but I want to use it as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you let your beef with another brother get out of hand. Basically, it ended in a York Rite reunion (scheduled for today) being shut down at 8am TODAY. All candidates for the degrees were sent home, and all of the $1500 worth of food was driven down to a local homeless shelter. Companions and Sir Knights from all over the state, some of whom had to wake up at 3am just to make it in time, had to turn around and drive back home. All because of a petty beef between two grand line officers. My facebook feed has been blowing up about this, but I've been hesitant to call anyone to get the back story. I'm on vacation, dammit. I really feel for the candidates, who had their big day ruined by grown men, who are supposed to be better than this, squabbling like old hens.
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Sep 11, 2016 14:23
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COOL CORN posted:Since you're local, IIRC, you can shoot me an email if you want more info. I think I've heard enough of the details to have a pretty clear picture. I always thought the shrine was where all the misbehavior radiated from, and the York Rite were just sort of mellow, cosplay types, but I may have to rethink my position.
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Sep 16, 2016 02:41
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I'll be there in the DDGM corral. I'm around from Thursday until Saturday, and would definitely be up for a meetup.
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Sep 20, 2016 03:21
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COOL CORN posted:I only saw one young-ish guy in the corral, do you have long hair and a beard? I was the other dais officers from my lodge, so I didn't socialize that much outside of them. I'm more middle aged, than youngish, short hair, glasses, no beard. Unfortunately, various duties kept me from having much of any free time the whole weekend. Were you part of the honor guard ?
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Sep 29, 2016 01:47
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Visiting a Red Lodge is high on my list, after hearing about a character in their 1st degree called "The Terrible Brother."
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Oct 2, 2016 14:43
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I've been through similar situations, and I feel for you... It's a mess. In one of the cases, the GM ordered a number of brothers from both sides to a special meeting. He gave both sides time to speak. and air their grievances, and then banged his gavel, and declared discussion closed. He then gave a ruling that was a slight revision of his earlier ruling, but it was enough to largely clear the air. I don't know if such a thing is possible in your situation, but it might be worth a try.
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Oct 8, 2016 15:49
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Oil of Paris posted:Delivered my catechism tonight for 2nd degree examination in front of the NC Grand Master who was there as a surprise visit. The WM said it was apparently "beautiful" and one of the best he's ever heard and the GM personally complimented both me and my coach on the performance so that was pretty dope. Now I have a Grand Lodge of NC pen??? You did a remarkable job ! I was lucky enough to be there for it. I'm DDGM of the 19th District, Eagle is one of my favorite lodges. I'm looking forward to seeing your 3rd. The letter G has a third allusion, Goon. Cholmondeley fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Jan 15, 2017 |
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Jan 15, 2017 01:04
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Time to dust off the goon goat.
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Jan 16, 2017 00:19
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COOL CORN posted:Yeah, it's pretty bad here in North Carolina, to the point where after I'm master next year (if I'm still in the state), I'm probably going to take a sabbatical from Masonry for a while. Thankfully, NC has a very progressive Grand Lodge, especially for a southern state. We were the first, or at least one of the first GL's in the southeast to recognize PHA Masonry. I'm also fortunate that the lodges I belong to fall (mostly) outside of the awful, ultra right wing bs. In my most conservative lodge, we've started visiting back and forth with PHA lodges. We may lose a couple of bigots, but that will probably be for the best.
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Feb 1, 2017 04:07
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And that's coming from the master himself.
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COOL CORN posted:The Grand Lodge, yes, but the current Grand Master is a very conservative guy. A great leader and a great asset to Masonry, but very conservative. I would argue that he's liberal, but in the way our founding fathers were liberal.
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Feb 2, 2017 00:59
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Oil of Paris posted:NC folks will no doubt be shocked to hear that in blue as gently caress Orange County almost all of the brothers I've met have been fairly liberal or more accurately moderate. Even the conservative guys are polite about their conservatism That's been my experience with a large number of OC brethren as well. Next Thursday is the big day, no ?
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Feb 4, 2017 02:26
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Oil of Paris posted:Indeed! Sorry to say, I have to work tonight, and I'll miss your degree. Best of luck, and I'll certainly see you soon up there.
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Feb 10, 2017 00:10
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Robotnik Nudes posted:What's the deal with more esoteric/hermetic paths of masonry? are any of you guys into that or have any opinions or experiences, thoughts you wouldn't mind sharing? Is that something people really get into, and what sort of experience is that? I got a timeshare in Atlantis.
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Feb 14, 2017 02:11
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Happy 300th birthday, UGLE !
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Jun 25, 2017 05:34
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I have two from this guy. These are the nicest masonic rings I have found. http://www.bodenseeschmiede.com/epages/62310632.sf/en_US/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62310632/Products/%22FMRS%20100%22 http://www.bodenseeschmiede.com/epages/62310632.sf/en_US/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62310632/Products/886
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Sep 2, 2017 22:39
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Take a look at Mariners Lodge #67 in NYC. They look like a seriously fun bunch of brothers.
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Nov 7, 2017 03:17
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Animal-Mother posted:When was the peak of masonry's popularity and what caused its decline? I recently attended a masonic leadership conference where this came up. 1964 was the peak year for membership. The speaker made the connection to the decline afterwards with the 60's counterculture movement and the societal shift away from churches and traditional activities outside the home.
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Nov 12, 2017 00:30
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This graph compiled from Masonic Service Association figures, illustrates what I'm talking about. There were peaks and valleys (high hills and low dells) prior to the early 60's. A great dip is seen following the market crash in '29 and subsequent depression in the early 30's, then an increase during WWII and after, followed by a steady, steep decline, continuing to the present. The lodge as insurance plan model began to die out with the industrial revolution and eventual rise of unions, and better wages, insurance, etc. I'm sure that Social Security, Medicare, etc was a contributing factor, but probably not a major one. http://bessel.org/massta21.gif 
Cholmondeley fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Nov 13, 2017 |
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Nov 12, 2017 14:29
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I'm embarrassed to be an NC Mason, by the responses in that thread. I'm not looking forward to my official visits this year, as DDGM. The ignorance, coupled with sheer stupidity, is acutely painful. I'm secretly hopeful that some of these folks will make good on their threats to leave masonry forever. Masonry needs masons, not frightened little men with guns. For clarity, I've copied the directive below. "To the Masters, Wardens, Secretaries, DDGMs, and Members of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina: The Grand Lodge task force on gun raffles met recently and is preparing its report, which I expect to receive in the next few weeks. When I receive its report, I will consider its recommendations and act accordingly. In the meantime, as Grand Master it is my duty to act for the good of Masonry and do my best to ensure that our gentle craft is held in the highest public esteem. I am concerned that when we seek public support for our charities by raffling military-style weapons such as the AR-15, in the aftermath of shootings inextricably linked in the public mind with these weapons, we invite a public judgment of guilt by association. Images of the gun are invariably juxtaposed with scenes of carnage and grief. Masons and Masonic lodges are focused on brotherly love, relief, and truth. That should be our constant role and image in the community. Several lodge-sponsored gun raffles are currently underway. I trust that our brethren in charge of these raffles will understand that Masonry benefits when we take a reasonable and common-sense approach to how we present ourselves to the public. Masons should exemplify the gold standard of citizenship and strive to always do the right thing at the right time. As a precedent, consider the action of the Mecklenburg County sheriff who, in the wake of the Florida school shootings, canceled a gun raffle benefitting his re-election bid and gave refunds to ticket buyers. That sheriff is a Mason. Therefore, it is my directive that Masons and Masonic lodges currently engaged in raffles of military-style weapons will remove images of AR-15s and similar military-style weapons from any and all raffle promotional materials yet to be circulated or distributed in public. It is my further directive to eliminate AR-15s and similar military-style weapons from all future raffles. This applies to any raffle that has not received approval from the Commission on Subordinate Lodge Special Activities as of this date. I am directing the Commission to enforce this directive and consult with me should there be any question about my intent or how best to enforce this directive. Given under my hand and seal this the 20th day of February, CE 2018; AL 6018. (sig) Grand Master" Cholmondeley fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Feb 24, 2018 |
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Feb 24, 2018 16:42
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Nessus posted:Any NJ masons know if this stuff is rife in that neck of the woods? I'm not an NJ mason, But I just visited a lodge up there, and found it wonderfully free of politics, except for Grand Lodge politics. One of my left leaning friends in NC is hopeful that this "assault weapon" raffle ban will cause a schism, and the extreme right guys will quit in disgust, resulting in a rebirth of proper masonry. I'm not so hopeful.
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Mar 20, 2018 23:15
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Keetron posted:I'll just leave this here: Is the Grand Lodge of France recognized by the UGLE, or is it only the Grand Orient ?
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Mar 28, 2018 00:48
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Keetron posted:A regular body or not, a mason died due to a selfless act. Let's remember that about him. Absolutely, that's my feeling as well. I only asked because I saw a couple of masons squabbling over it on another page.
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Mar 28, 2018 23:26
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The Grand Lodge of NC is voting this year to give lodges the option of opening on lower degrees. Right now we only open on the 3rd for stated communications. Last year the vote failed, but they are going to keep bringing it back up until it passes, I think. A lot of the old guard don't like it because "that's how we've always done it", but prior to the Baltimore Convention of 1843, we all held our business meetings on the 1st.
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May 28, 2018 01:32
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I've had conversations with several seasoned masons around here that would love to go back to colonial style masonry; do away with lodge buildings and meet in taverns, do away with masonic prohibition, and bring back festive boards. I'm not a drinker personally, but I would welcome the change. At least, until things devolved into political arguments, and the shooting started.
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May 28, 2018 22:17
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Each state in the U.S. has their own Grand Lodge, who set the rules. Some states allow alcohol at dinner, and some states, especially in the Bible Belt, do not. I don't know what the national breakdown is, but I would be interested to see it.
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May 30, 2018 00:40
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shame on an IGA posted:Not a mason but thinking about an interview I heard with the GWM of North Carolina on the radio a few years ago, did I understand correctly that there's a multi-year lag between grand lodge elections and those individuals taking office because if so that is genius and I wish it applied to politics IRL. I cannot concieve of a better incentive to vote for the man and not the issue. In North Carolina, and I'm sure many other jurisdictions, the incoming Grand Master appoints a Grand Junior Steward, who then advances through the officers line, at one chair per year. It takes eight years to move up to Grand Master. (Barring complications.)
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Aug 5, 2018 13:47
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A couple of years ago, when I was master of my lodge, a visiting mason from TN presented me with a pin from the GL of TN, which said " Be The Example." The next day, I mailed it back to the GL of TN, explaining that I would be happy to sport one of their pins once they recognized PHA. Much of the south still has a long way to go.
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Apr 3, 2019 01:58
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COOL CORN posted:Any thoughts on the IOOF? I know it's tangential to this discussion, but I'm joining this weekend and am excited to receive more light regardless of where it comes from. I have a couple of friends who are members of both fraternities. From what they say, it's sounds like a watered down version of freemasonry , and was probably a lot more fun 100 years ago. The guys I'm referring to are the sort who belong to every appendant body possible, and spend 4 to 5 nights per week away from home. If I recall, they are based in Winston Salem, NC. I agree with you, as far as sources of light. I'm sure there are rewards waiting for you, if you dig into it.
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Sep 24, 2019 00:41
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COOL CORN posted:After a few years away, I think I'm ready to dip my toe back into Masonry. It's really a shame the bad taste that NC Masonry left in my mouth, but I got my dues up to current and can finally start visiting lodges up here in the north. NC Masonry has managed to sink a few notches lower since you left. I haven't been able to stomach one of my lodges at all in this climate, and will demit from them at years end. Sad.
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Sep 27, 2019 01:50
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I'm moving from NC to VA next month, and I'm hoping to find a lodge that's not too right wing, but if not, I'm giving serious consideration to going PHA. I'm fed up.
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Feb 2, 2020 15:33
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