Letter of the month: January 2005

Message-ID: <20050106150535.31950.qmail@web80005.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 07:05:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Shanika Rucker <srucker81@yahoo.com>
Subject: Masonry Question
To: masonry-ask@mit.edu

My boyfriend claims to become a freemason he has to do whatever whenever his friends who are freemasons tell him. Is that true?

I understand being there for someone but his friend does not really do much to better himself and when he is in a bind he always calls my boyfriend. Is it my boyfriend's obligation to stop and drop everything to assist his friend over and over again?

I want to understand more about freemasons so I can be more supportive, so your answers will be of great assistance and appreciation.

Thank you
Shanika Rucker

Message-Id: <200501070232.j072Wqum028767@home-on-the-dome.mit.edu>
To: Shanika Rucker <srucker81@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Masonry Question
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Thu, 06 Jan 2005 07:05:35 PST."
             <20050106150535.31950.qmail@web80005.mail.yahoo.com> 
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2005 21:32:51 -0500

Dear Ms Rucker,

It seems to me that there are a few possibilities:

• your boyfriend's friends are lying to him, simply taking advantage of him, or
• they are playing a joke on him, or
• perhaps your boyfriend is misinterpreting what they have told him.

There's no reason his friends should be treating him like this. There's nothing about Masonry that requires him to give to friends (even other Masons) to the point where he is hurting himself. When Masons help their brother Masons it's voluntary; they want to enjoy the practice of brotherly love, not because they're bullied into it. And every Masonic promise to help others is qualified "without injury to myself or family."

You say his friend "does not really do much to better himself". Every Mason is taught that he should always be trying to improve himself, so that he honor and respect his God-given talents, and so that he will be better able to assist his brother Masons. Not to do so is to be "a drone in the hive of Nature" and unworthy of Masonic assistance.

If I had any idea where you were writing from, and what lodge your boyfriend's friends are members of, I might be able to offer more advice. If he truly wants to become a Mason, all he needs to do is speak with a responsible member of a regular lodge in his area. His friends don't sound like responsible men, or perhaps their "lodge" may not be regular, and that is the way they do things. If it is a regular lodge, your boyfriend can simply speak with the Master or Secretary of the lodge and request an application.

I hope you will show your letter and my reply to your boyfriend. He is very fortunate to have your loyal support, and I would be interested to know what he decides to do, and what happens.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Gary L. Dryfoos <dryfoo@mit.edu>| Ocean Lodge AF&AM, Saugus, MA (PM)
| P.O.Box 425400, Camb, MA 02142  | Mt. Scopus Lodge AF&AM, Malden, MA (PM)
|                                 | Richard C. Maclaurin Lodge, MIT, MA
|  "A Page About Freemasonry"     | Internet Lodge #9659, E. Lancs UGLE   
|  http://mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/ | 32~; MPS; B'hood o/t Blue Forget-Me-Not 
|                                 | RWG Rep.GL Russia near GL Massachusetts 
| "...one sacred band, or society of Friends and Brothers, among
|  whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention,
|  or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree."
+===========================================================================