The following short piece was originally published in W. Bro. Harry Bruno's Sunday Masonic Newsletter, and then reprinted in the Masonic Messenger, the official magazine of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, June 2006, page 11.I could make half a dozen smart-ass remarks about what this article says about the state of Freemasonry in Georgia, but why? It speaks for itself.
— W.S.
Floating Entered Apprentices by Harry Bruno, PM
Brethren,
I heard a story the other day about this young man who had petitioned a Lodge here in Georgia. He submitted his petition, he was investigated, he was visited and then he was FORGOTTEN. They just let him float around without any word on what was happening. He didn't know if he was "turned down" or just forgotten.
I know this Lodge eats at every meeting and they didn't even invite him to come for the meal at the meetings prior to his Degree. I've just found out they were waiting for another petitioner so they could have a couple of Entered Apprentices go through together, which is a very common practice. But while it's a good idea and [a] nice thing to do, we as Masons cannot let those petitioners just "float" around like a piece of drift wood, not knowing what's going on at the Lodge.
It's our duty to keep in touch; have a cup of coffee or glass of tea with him at a local coffee shop and just talk with him. I'd like to think that this is an unusual occurance, but I feel it happens quite often, so let's ALL look at OUR "almost Masons" and take them under our wing.
— Harry Bruno, PM
Masons | Entered Apprentice | Small Town Freemasonry | Freemasonry | BurningTaper.com | Grand Lodge of Georgia | Burning Taper
Nobody's perfect.
ReplyDeletetrue, but unexcusable.
ReplyDeleteI've heard rationalization after rationalization for one goof up after another?
When will people admit during the 50-60's the west gate was left wide open and unattended, and we reap what we sow. Huge memberships dropped the quality of men joining, and turned the fraternity into a "career" making outlet due to lack of career's outside of the frat.
The term "Masonic Career" needs to be erased from our vocabulary!
The threat of my "Masonic Career" being ruined was thrown at me more than once in an attempt to control me.....
nobody's perfect....what a cop out.. but typical today....
You guys are allowed to do multiple candidates at once? Wow!
ReplyDeleteHere in IA, we have to do every candidate one at a time (except at a one day class). We can do multiple degrees a night, in which case we _are_ allowed to do the 2nd section (After a newly-made brother comes back after making his obligations) with multiple candidates, but we only do that if we've received more than a couple petitions at once.
Tom
Didn't mean it was excusable, just like all humans, nobody's perfect. I don't mean it as a cop out but, I try to live by "ye without sin cast the first stone". I don't always but then again...
ReplyDeleteUgh.
ReplyDeleteI have a story about just this kind of thing; I saw guys at another lodge ignore a candidate who came for a degree. I was embarassed and it wasn't even my lodge.
Tom - In Conn we can have up to 5 candidates come through at one time; although on the EA and in a certain section for the MM they have to be introduced singly. I have obligated 3 at a time more than once.
TC - well, nobody is perfect, and I dont' know if the problem stems back from the 50s and 60s. I will say, though, that I think that the degree work is what separates us from, say, the Rotarians, and we should be ever mindful that anything less than a near-perfect degree is an insult to the candidate.
On that I would agree. There is no excuse for sloppy degree work. EVER.
ReplyDelete