A Voice In Favor of the 1DC

Message-ID: <000601c38adf$1055bba0$9780fea9@pt>
From: "peter todd" <ptrabbit@verizon.net>
Subject: Masonry Question

The subject of the One Day Class has become the talk of all talks. Masons of wisdom are questioning the movements of our Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The Grand Master was duly elected by his peers . Officers of all Massachusetts Lodges , particularly Masters take upon themselves their Obligation , which it states that we are under the rule and government of our Grand Lodge and the Articles of it By-Laws. I have been a past Master five times going on six in four different lodges. I belong to five , not including the Shriners. I am presently Senior Warden for Charles C. Dane Lodge of Georgetown Mass. I am a recent graduate of Masonic Leadership Institute, and believe it or not there were several new one day class Master Masons who also graduated from the Joseph Warren Class.

I will not put down the thought of my other brethren , I will only offer my comments. I became a Mason first in Star King Lodge in Salem Mass . I say I became a Mason , because in my opinion you are a Mason in heart when you first receive light. That night I was truly conducted by the hands of a friend whom after became my brother . Out of the many Masons gathered that night he at that time was the only one I knew. He is now a Past Master of Acacia , such as I have been twice. I took my Second and Third Degree in my home lodge. The Tyrian Lodge , of which I became Master of twice . Lodges at that time commonly had about two hundred and fifty members .Today most lodges on the Cape Ann have an average of one hundred and fifty. On the percentage most of our lodges have a 50% membership of over sixty. Respectively we have men in their later years still in line supporting the lodges.

Getting to the nitty gritty of the Matter.Yes in our Obligations as Masters and Wardens we must oblige the wisdom of Grand Lodge. It is my belief that this one day class will benefit Freemasonry. One strange thing I have noticed is that many lodges have multiplied its membership , but are still fighting the scye of time. Lodges have the choice of offering a candidate the one day or the three step way . There are many men out there ,doctors,lawyers,medical technicians,security guards ,male nurses,mailmen,hotel clerks, policemen and firemen,who would be able to become Freemason's Lets give it a chance .

In closing ,I live ,breath, and support Freemasonry.We must in our wisdom move toward the future

The time has come. In our First Degree Lecture the Junior Warden says, Freemasonry regards no man for his worldly wealth or outer appearance. Brethren nothing could be truer in my case. I am a brother of thirteen sisters and brothers. I am a former ward of Massachusetts State Homes. I lived in ten homes in ten years. I am a former shoe shine boy in Gloucester Mass. I dropped out of school in the eighth grade. I am self street raised , but most of all I was watched over , guided, and street schooled by members of The Tyrian Lodge, which in my youth was located on Main Street in Gloucester.=20 For eight years I help support my family. In talking about support isn't it up to us as Masons,and now Sponsors or Mentors , to see that these future one day class Master Masons get to learn about his lodge by passing on to him that invitation to come and sit down next to him as a brother in his lodge

My Brethren you have accepted me as such I now convey to you my warmest thanks. Before I became a Mason , I was very shy.Freemasonry has given to me a journey of Historic values as well as the ability to speak out for the rights and privileges of others as well as the craft=20

Fraternally & Sincerely

Brother Peter A.Todd

To: "peter todd" <ptrabbit@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: Masonry Question
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sat, 04 Oct 2003 21:21:52 EDT."
             <000601c38adf$1055bba0$9780fea9@pt> 
--------

Dear Brother Todd:

First of all:

} The Grand Master was duly elected by his peers.

While, in many states, this is literally true, of course in Massachusetts it is not. The Grand Master is selected in a secret and exclusive conclave. It's not necessary to the main point of your argument, but it is a distinction that should not be blurred.

}       Getting to the nitty gritty of the Matter.Yes in our Obligations
} as Masters and Wardens we must oblige the wisdom of Grand Lodge.  It is
} my belief that this one day class will benefit Freemasonry.  One strange
} thing I have noticed is that many lodges have multiplied its membership
} , but are still fighting the scye of time.  Lodges have the choice of
} offering a candidate the one day or the three step way .  There are many
} men out there ,doctors,lawyers,medical technicians,security guards ,male
} nurses,mailmen,hotel clerks, policemen and firemen,who would be able to
} become Freemason's Lets give it a chance .

I don't see how just having someone JOIN will help the lodge, IF the person DOES NOT HAVE TIME to attend his own lodge. These doctors lawyers firemen security guards lawyers nuclear submarine repairmen and so on will not suddenly and magically get Extra Time Off From Work just because they are now Masons.

• If he DOES have time to attend lodge, welcome him to join in the traditional way.
• If he truly DOES NOT have time to attend lodge, then he is not a "free-born" master of his own time, which is among the first requirements of a Mason.
• If he DOES NOT CHOOSE to make the time, then how valuable is Masonry to him? George Washington and Harry Truman found time to join the Masons. So did many other "busy" men.
• If our New Member can't attend lodge for his degrees, WHEN will he attend? If he doesn't ever attend, what does he get out of Masonry, besides a lapel pin?

Also, and perhaps even more important: if the new One Day Mason does begin attending his lodge regularly, SO WHAT??!!?? WE have cheated HIM! We promised him the experience and path of Freemasonry, which for more than 300 years has meant the experience of personal initiation. Instead we give him a cheap substitute. And if he doesn't complain, SO WHAT??!!?? That means that we have cheated him and gotten away with it! Is that how a Mason should measure his actions, with "We got away with it!" ??

}       In closing ,I live ,breath, and support Freemasonry.We must in our
} wisdom move toward the future

Marching towards a cliff is movement, but it is not a desirable future.

} The time has come.  In our First Degree Lecture the Junior Warden says,
} Freemasonry regards no man for his worldly wealth or outer appearance.

This has nothing to do with "outer appearance" -- it has everything to do with the inner qualities of desire and will. Many men have _chosen_ and sacrificed other activities to give the needed time to Masonry. The Grand Lodge insults them every time it refers to these new recruits as "busy successful men" who "don't have the time" to come into Masonry in the traditional way. The rest of us, however busy, thought Masonry was something that was _worth_ our time.

It is NOT these "no-time" McMasons who will be the ruination of our Craft. (Although they will understand less than nothing about Masonry and will have no respect for something that they didn't have to exert themselves for. And if they do begin to understand the solemn beauty of our traditions, they will resent the Grand Lodge for putting them through "on the cheap" instead of having the chance to enjoy their own personal participation in the full ceremonies.)

The ruthless hands of ignorance that will lay waste and destroy our own spacious and magnificent Temple will be our own leaders, those who chase and gull these poor fellows.

It's embarrassing (and maybe disgusting?) to see some of our authorities shilling and begging in the street for more More More MORE MEMBERS like some carnival barker or door-to-door holy man. I dislike and distrust the arm-tugging of those proselytizing pestering organizations that seem willing to take anybody, or at least anybody's wallet.

Is that what Masonry is going to become in these parts?

Is it time to try something new? Why not try something really new and different -- so that when a friend of Joe Average Mason asks him "So, what are the Masons?" Joe can answer with something better than, "I don't know. We have meetings, we have blood drives and a CHIP program, and everything else is secret." If our current members could give a better account of themselves, we wouldn't have to be vainly chasing numbers. How about THAT for "something new"?

Thank you for writing. I hope you will consider some of my points.

Up to "One-Day Class" main page
All the way UP to A Page About Freemasonry main page.

A Page About Freemasonry is http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/