Episode 137: 18:53 Working Tools Series - Empty Seats

Each empty seat in a lodge room tells a story, if we are willing to see it. 

“Freemasonry has always been about caring for each other, and an absent Brother still can be living our Masonic values at home, at work, and in his community, quietly striving to be a better man.”

This week we reflect on an article by Bob Weatherford, Regional Membership Manager of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. 

Absence rarely comes without cause. 

“We should hesitate to judge a Brother’s choices when we were not aware of the options that were in front of him to make those decisions.” 

“What About Those Empty Seats?” was featured in the March/April 2026 Scottish Rite Journal. 

Transcript

0:01

When you attend a valley or lodge meeting, what's the first thing you notice? Likely it's how many brothers are present. Yet have you ever reflected on the empty chairs? Each one tells a story if we are willing to see it. An empty chair may belong to a brother we know well, one who once sat among us, took his obligations seriously, and now is absent for reasons we may not fully understand. That chair may represent health challenges, mobility or hearing issues, demanding work schedules, family responsibilities, or unseen emotional or spiritual burdens. Absence rarely comes without cause Those empty chairs are not a measure of success or failure. The true measure is our understanding of why those chairs are empty. Freemasonry never has been about counting heads. It always has been about caring for worthy brothers. The brother who does not attend is not absent from his obligations. He remains one of us. These brothers still read Masonic periodicals, pay their dues, and pause at the sight of the square and compasses or the double-headed eagle. They may not be visible on the sidelines of the meeting room, but the connection is real. Our responsibility is not to judge their absence, but to honor their membership with intention and compassion. A phone call that asks, "How are you?" Rather than, "Why haven't you been here?" A note that says, "You are missed," rather than, "You should attend." An invitation that reassures them that they belong, whether they attend once a year or once a week This also encourages us to think differently about Masonic value and engagement beyond the meeting room, including communications and even Masonic education that informs and inspires without necessarily requiring physical presence. always has. Freemasonry, Freemason, Free-- Freemasonry meets a man where he is. It always has. An absent brother still can be living our Masonic values at home, at work, and in his community, quietly striving to be a better man. Our role is not to pull him back with guilt, but to keep the door open with compassion. We should hesitate ever to judge a brother's choices when we were not aware of the options that were in front of him to make those decisions. Whether he returns or not, every brother should know he is never forgotten or less valued. He will always be our brother The author is often asked for his insight or opinion about what to do about an issue being faced by a member. His answer is always the same. If that brother facing the issue were your father, grandfather, or son, what would you want done for him? Everything that you do, do it because he is your brother and not because of mere obligation. If what you do comes truly from the heart, how can it be wrong? This has been another episode of the 1853 Working Tools series on Minnesota Masonic histories and mysteries.