Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of Masonic etiquette, and how it builds a sense of respect and courtesy within the fraternity? Join us as we decode the official GL 208 Revised 2010 version of the Masonic etiquette booklet, shedding light on the appropriate usage of Masonic tools, and highlighting the exemplary mentoring work of our brother, Wade Botkin. We delve into the core of Masonic principles, emphasizing the need to protect the honor of the fraternity, and reminding ourselves to always think before we speak.
We also underscore the fraternity's commitment to taking care of our elderly members, discussing ideas like a Patriarch's Night or providing transportation to those unable to attend lodge. We talk about the importance of visiting our aged and infirm brothers, remembering them on special occasions, and gifting appropriately. Journey with us as we talk about the importance of revering the Masonic ritual, the precedence of the altar over the east, and delve into the significance of the ballot box and the master's responsibility to uphold the integrity of the fraternity.
Amidst all these enlightening discussions, we also confront some sensitive issues, including racism within the fraternity. We firmly believe that active racists have no place in Masonry and broach the controversial issue of a blackball being thrown due to a brother's race. We leave no stone unturned as we explore the master's power to overturn it if they suspect racism, and stress the importance of taking action against any discrimination based on race or religion. As we conclude our engaging conversation, we remind ourselves of the core tenants of Masonic fraternity: Education, Brotherly Love and Affection, Relief to the Community and Fellow Mason, and Truth. Tune in for an enlightening journey through the world of Masonic etiquette and customs.
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Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of Masonic etiquette, and how it builds a sense of respect and courtesy within the fraternity? Join us as we decode the official GL 208 Revised 2010 version of the Masonic etiquette booklet, shedding light on the appropriate usage of Masonic tools, and highlighting the exemplary mentoring work of our brother, Wade Botkin. We delve into the core of Masonic principles, emphasizing the need to protect the honor of the fraternity, and reminding ourselves to always think before we speak.
We also underscore the fraternity's commitment to taking care of our elderly members, discussing ideas like a Patriarch's Night or providing transportation to those unable to attend lodge. We talk about the importance of visiting our aged and infirm brothers, remembering them on special occasions, and gifting appropriately. Journey with us as we talk about the importance of revering the Masonic ritual, the precedence of the altar over the east, and delve into the significance of the ballot box and the master's responsibility to uphold the integrity of the fraternity.
Amidst all these enlightening discussions, we also confront some sensitive issues, including racism within the fraternity. We firmly believe that active racists have no place in Masonry and broach the controversial issue of a blackball being thrown due to a brother's race. We leave no stone unturned as we explore the master's power to overturn it if they suspect racism, and stress the importance of taking action against any discrimination based on race or religion. As we conclude our engaging conversation, we remind ourselves of the core tenants of Masonic fraternity: Education, Brotherly Love and Affection, Relief to the Community and Fellow Mason, and Truth. Tune in for an enlightening journey through the world of Masonic etiquette and customs.
Connect with us on:
Email us directly!
Hey, chris, yeah Fred.
Speaker 2:What's a Mason?
Speaker 1:That's a really good question, fred.
Speaker 2:You've reached the internet's home for all things masonry. Join Chris and I as we plumb the depths of our ancient craft, from the common gavel to the trowel. Nothing is off the table, so grab your tools and let's get to work. This is On the Level. Yes, we are back. Oh my gosh, I think it's working. I think it's working. I'm excited, man.
Speaker 1:Can't be, can't be, there's no way.
Speaker 2:It's not that the system's complicated, it's that the operator is not.
Speaker 1:Well, you're the master of this technology. So between the two of us you're like literally magic to me. I don't know how this works. The buttons light up. It looks quite complicated.
Speaker 2:There's knobs and twisty things. It's a little complicated. I gotta be honest with you.
Speaker 1:But that's okay.
Speaker 2:It's supposed to be, because there's lots of room for growth, which is what we're all about here at On the Level with Fred and Chris.
Speaker 1:Yes, Woo Alright, so up front it's gonna say it right now we are pressed for time, we'll do an hour long episode Monitoring the clock. We cannot banter on. Okay, we'll have a banterless show. No, not banterless. Come on now.
Speaker 2:And a crowd of cheers Yay, Finally. So this week we're gonna jump into Masonic etiquette and I know what?
Speaker 1:everybody out there is just clapping high-fiving and hooting and hollering right now it's not boring.
Speaker 2:This is good stuff. It really is good stuff. I perused the yellow copy. This is the official GL 208 revised 2010 version of the Masonic etiquette the lodge system for Masonic education booklet. And it's actually, if you, there's a ton of stuff in here we all should know. There's a ton of stuff in here we all don't know because I can tell when you're in the lodge. You can totally tell Folks don't know this stuff.
Speaker 1:There's a, and a lot of the stuff we take as law we assume is in the digest is in this book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, that is correct.
Speaker 1:So that's an interesting. I guess we talk about adopted customs. So these are it must be adopted customs.
Speaker 2:These are our adopted customs. That's right.
Speaker 1:Forever memorialized in the. Very easy read of the Masonic digest.
Speaker 2:Well, I would. Yeah right, oh, yeah right. There's a lot here and it's broken out in the same format. So there's subheads throughout here and a bunch of them like aged and infirmed. So it talks about that Addressing the chair, altar balloting, bible presentation. It just goes on election to office. It's all here how you're supposed to behave, what you are supposed to do, what you are not supposed to do. So I think it's certainly worth teaching. I think that in mentorship it's taught. I know, shout out to Wade Botkin when he does mentorship he pulls this out and he goes through it with the fellas.
Speaker 1:Awesome.
Speaker 2:So I think that's awesome yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, they're doing a great job this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he is. We got to get him on. We got to get him on Wade. Where are you?
Speaker 1:He's doing some of his Southern draw. He's doing a Southern, that's right.
Speaker 2:That's right, ladies. He is a single man, he's a suitor, he's a suitor.
Speaker 1:Well, where do we start with the Masonic etiquette?
Speaker 2:I thought I'd read the first paragraph of the forward. I thought it was pretty good, so let me read that.
Speaker 1:Read the forward, backward and I'll be impressed. I'll read the forward. No, I won't Okay.
Speaker 2:So here's the forward. It's found on page. Well, it's found on the second page without any mark on it. Freemasonry solicits no man to join it. It permits no man to make innovations in its body of principles and landmarks. Its candidates come of their own free will and because they have heard good reports of its reputation and formed a favorable opinion of its work. And by all means, throughout its entire system and through all its bodies and degrees, whatever by tradition, landmarks, usage, custom, law, rule, ed, edict, regulation and constitution, it is in every way secured that a Mason shall stand to it in an attitude of reverence and respect. Now that reverence and respect, etiquette is one of its forms.
Speaker 2:In principle, masonic etiquette belongs to the empire of good manners. That code by which gentlemen the world over govern their conduct, by this principle with us in f, by this principle with us, is found to apply in two directions. On the one hand it becomes a manifested respect for the craft as a whole, on the other hand it is a form of courtesy to the individual. So that second paragraph there is kind of the Masonic etiquette mission statement there. That's kind of the definition of Masonic etiquette right there, the second paragraph on the forward. So if you got your yellow book and you're following along and I'm sure you are I would read that a couple of times and kind of go through that and understand what it says. In principle, masonic etiquette belongs to the empire of good manners. We don't like that word. Here in America we ain't got no manners.
Speaker 1:I need no manners. The empire of good manners, that sounds impressive.
Speaker 2:I love that the code by which gentlemen the world over govern their conduct by this principle with us is found to apply in two directions. On the one hand, it becomes a manifest respect for the craft as a whole. On the other hand, it is a form of courtesy to the individual.
Speaker 1:I like that.
Speaker 2:It's a form of courtesy to the individual man is there anything lately going on about courtesy towards your fellow brother that we could probably expound on? Yes, I'm sure there is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we have a lot of brothers in our fraternity, so we're all in different stages of becoming better.
Speaker 2:men, that's right. I like it.
Speaker 1:There's lots of opportunity to improve ourselves and be more courteous To the individuals around us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right and to always, always, always think about. You know, and it's kind of in the, in that forward right there always think about the, the reputation of the craft and the reputation of yourself and your brother. You know, if you're out there just running your mouth, think before you speak, man, because you're, you're bringing disrepute to yourself, possibly, and and and to the, to the craft, which is not a good thing, you know you know, when you do it publicly Against another brother, what is the inner-deprentice?
Speaker 1:Harge tell us. We just talked about that. Yeah, that the most important thing is that we maintain the honor of the fraternity, right? That's how it ends. It's like you know, so that we can always make sure that, whatever we do, don't bring somebody in if they're not going to follow our rules and you need to follow our rules so that the fraternity is a whole, maintains its integrity to the public. That's Prime. So if you go out in the public and don't act masonic, you're hurting the whole fraternity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. Not just yourself and, and speaking of hurting yourself, I was, I was just reminded of, I knew this, this couple. There were friends of ours and the wife Would constantly run her husband down, you know when he wasn't around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've heard it both ways and and really sad, well, and and what popped into my mind while she was going on one day about it Was the first thing I thought it was well, will you married him, you know? And and the point the point is is that what? By talking bad about your husband, you're really reflecting bad on yourself, because you're the one Okay, so he's a slob and he doesn't take pick up after himself but you're the one with really bad judgment.
Speaker 1:You married him. He's a good salesman, you know. That could be the case, I guess.
Speaker 2:I guess, sell themselves real good but I think that this discerning people, masons and or men in general, we'll see One person running down another person who's not actually in the room and we'll see the person for what they are. There a gossip.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a warning sign, it's a warning sign right there and their reputation at that point is shot and would need to be rebuilt. If they were to change their ways and seek the forgiveness of of their brothers and try to Try to repair their reputation. You know, sometimes if you keep it up, your reputation will be so bad You'd have to I don't know leave the dang state. I don't know what the heck you'd have to do.
Speaker 1:It'd be awful, I don't know next date Closest you can go to.
Speaker 2:I think it's North Carolina. Is it maybe Georgia? No, no, not Georgia. Mississippi, I think it's.
Speaker 1:Mississippi.
Speaker 2:That's the key Don't leave, don't let your reputation get so bad that you got to leave your home and area.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's repair the damage or don't do the damage in the first place. Okay, the second, second heading here in this wonderful book is aged and infirmed. Members of a lodge who, because of age or infirmity, find it either difficult or impossible to attend at the assembly, at the assemblies of their brethren, stand in need of special consideration at the hand of their lodge and, because of their condition, no other are. No others are so particularly appreciative of the kindness and courtesies that may be shown them. A lodge will maintain its contacts with them Unbroken. Mm-hmm, is this thing on? A lodge will maintain its contacts with them unbroken. We'll see that they are visited. I think this thing's broken, is it on? Can any of you guys?
Speaker 1:hear me, yeah, no, definitely Is it all.
Speaker 2:We will see that they are visited, will send them messages on special occasions and perhaps encourage its members To remember them now and again with appropriate gifts and other Reminders. Some, for some reason, I had that one highlighted. Some lodges follow an admirable custom of setting aside, once each year, a patriarch's night in honor of its aged members. Others make it a practice at certain intervals to send a vehicle for such as our physically unable to attend lodge but have, our physically able to attend lodge but have no means of transportation.
Speaker 1:I know that we have done that a couple of times this year, but not nearly enough. We don't have a set program we probably need to talk to. Well, we just need to bring it up in lodge, make it happen. A whole committee who does nothing but Volunteered to transport people that need rides to lodge, that can't drive themselves anymore.
Speaker 2:Which will necessitate somebody taking that list yes of active members and start making phone calls now. I have volunteered twice to do so. I have yet to see the list working on that, though We'll get there.
Speaker 1:I do have the list. You have the list send me the list.
Speaker 2:We can do that. I will start making calls. I'll make three or four calls a day. Committee yeah, man Just call and say hi, that's it. That's what it says right here. Unbroken, yeah, unbroken. A lodge will maintain its contact with them Unbroken it's giving some good advice of patriarchs night. I never thought about right, yeah, but and that seems like it's annual an annual patriarch night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a great idea. Right to have honor your elderly members.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot I. I can only imagine we have 328, 300 somewhere around something like that 330 active members. But you know, on a busy night we'll have, you know we'll have a dozen, 30 to 30 People in lodge and I know if you're percent of our members.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 10% of our members on a good night, and I know a lot of lodges are shaking their head. Yes, right now, and we all they're agreeing with us because it just happens out there. But if you have, if you've got a list of Members that are out there that are paying their annual dues but you never hear or see them, it's time to get that list out.
Speaker 1:It's time to get a couple brothers together and it's time to sign megasm own calls baby, but is this also telling us to be careful about initiating olderly or infirm brothers? I Think it starts with a caution to be careful not to initiate people that might be Overly aged or infirmed. Is that is?
Speaker 2:that what I see what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Before they become made, yeah, they come to us at 85 years old and they can't it's like saying, maybe think twice about that, because it's gonna be a big deal for us. We're gonna, we're not gonna let them go, we're gonna be our responsibility. And you know, I think the fraternity is a whole probably wanted to get a couple decades of work out of the person before they became the let's call it the legacy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, right. Yeah, that's a tough call, man. Yeah, I think you that would have to be done on an individual basis. You know in the interview process that we have. You know, the vetting process that we have would yield that information right.
Speaker 1:And if you think about it, it's also in our master Mason obligation, correct. It specifically talks about who you should probably not let in and and this is a topic that also arises in that area of the chart of the Obligation. So I guess they've thought this one through and thought, hmm, think twice about this, although it doesn't say you can't.
Speaker 2:No, you can't just cautions you right about the the burden it's gonna place on the large, it allows me right, it allows the lodge to use their judgment and, yeah, to use their judgment correctly, and it won't be a good fit for somebody who's so terribly infirm.
Speaker 1:That they.
Speaker 2:You know that they're walking around right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, their time has passed, which is sad, but it's yeah it's just true. We're men, we have to make hard decisions sometimes. Altar is the next one Our customs and traditions. Hey, we have one of those we have one of those and we're about to have a really really, really nice one.
Speaker 1:Right, honorable Justin. Yes, sir, we have looking forward to that we're looking forward to that.
Speaker 2:What we're gonna have to do some kind of on location Video. When that thing shows up, it's gonna be beautiful. So what, fred's?
Speaker 1:talking about? Is we, our lodge, voted to have our district instructor Build us new worn in master pedestals and altar. Yes, custom designed for us, so we're really looking forward to that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the lights too oh yeah, the lesser light. So it's. It's gonna be beautiful.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to see our rods in our lodge, which are hand crafted, beautiful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're beautiful, yeah, so tell us about the altar. Sorry, alter up to our customs and traditions. Prohibit any brother from passing between the altar and the worst full master while lodges open?
Speaker 1:How many times have you seen people lose their mind when that happens?
Speaker 2:I see when, as soon as they turn to walk towards it, five guys in the in the in the audience are like I've actually seen people look away like someone's gonna incinerate, like I can't look. It's a beam. It's a beam, it's dangerous. Heard about this.
Speaker 1:But no, I don't think you incinerate. You just kind of break the Masonic rules of etiquette in front of everybody.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so don't do it. Don't do it. It's part of our tradition. You don't, you don't break the beam between the two. Absolutely part of our tradition. Don't do it. Remember it. Remember your floorwork, know your floorwork. They're at no time, if you're following your floorwork, will you ever cross between the two. It won't happen. From ancient time, the, the Precinct, the Precinct, the precedent between the altar and it's precedent from ancient times, the precedent between the altar and the east, has been deemed sacred ground not to be trodden underfoot. There should be no obstacles between the east and the three great lights, and since the great lights and the charter of the lodge are the particular responsibility of the worship of the master, no brother should ever obscure his view from them. The fact that during the exemplification of the work, candidates are sometimes placed there does not mitigate against the interpretation, but rather supports it. For if the ground between the altar and east is otherwise held sacred, the fact will make all the more impressive those initiation ceremonies which require that the candidate be placed there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess later in life thinking, hey, I stood there once.
Speaker 2:Right Cool, I remember that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we did. We do break the rules and I know when I was learning the ritual work, it was a big topic of conversation Like why? Why is it so important then? But it's not now and no one ever gave us a good answer. But there it is in the etiquette book.
Speaker 2:There it is in the etiquette book hey it's actually a cool thing. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because we're not in a stated meeting, we're exemplifying a degree, and so when we place our new brothers there later on, they'll look back and think to themselves huh, I was, wow, I must have been really important because they put me in that place. That, apparently, is off limits.
Speaker 2:Right, right, that's true. The ballot box should never rest upon the Bible, did we?
Speaker 1:switch to the ballot box. No, no, it's still. This is still the altar.
Speaker 2:Still talking about the altar, the ballot box should never rest upon the Bible but by its side or on a little stand at the altar. The altar must not be covered or decorated by the national or any other flag. Any embroidery sign or any other indications of any individual or any organization other than the lodge itself or grand lodge is strictly for bid-in. So yeah.
Speaker 1:I see people following that generally. I don't think I've ever seen been in a lodge where there was something that wasn't supposed to be there, that that was there.
Speaker 2:That's one we seem to be good at keeping, yeah, yeah. And then, of course, there is a ritual for draping it in black.
Speaker 1:Yes, and putting it there and removing it. So when someone important to the fraternity passes away, we do drape our altar in a black material for a certain period of time in memoriam of the person. That's right. When members of our lodge pass away, the altar is reserved for grand lodge people. But when a member of the lodge passes away, we drape a small piece of black over our own charter Right.
Speaker 1:Right, and that's how we remember our lodge members or everyone knows that someone's passed away in the lodge when they come in and see that.
Speaker 2:Yes, anti-room etiquette, anti-room Subhead Tyler to it's very star trek, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Isn't it, though, the anti-matter room Be mean to the anti-room?
Speaker 2:It's the anti-matter room. When you go in there you don't come back out. Tyler to enforce.
Speaker 2:As soon as a brother enters a Masonic hall to attend a communication, he comes under the sway of Masonic etiquette. If he is late he should not indulge in loud talking that may be heard in the lodge, and his demeanor toward other brethren he may meet there should be courteous and respectful. There, no more than elsewhere does Masonry give any man license to take personal liberties with another. This is especially true if any candidates are present waiting. Their call to the preparation room to give them the impression that vulgar conduct, levity, practical joking or other forms of disrespect are are countenanced by the craft is a misrepresentation of the lodge and particularly a discurricy to the Worshipful Master who stands to all candidates among his many other functions as a host in the name of the lodge. I find, for some reason I think that as candidates are getting ready they're nervous and a coping mechanism for stress is humor and joking and stuff. So it's really important that you try to keep that to a minimum. This says none at all.
Speaker 2:It should be quiet it should be respectful, but it kind of lends itself to really freaking them out.
Speaker 1:man you got to think, I guess, about the long term in this case. When I was initiated, there was a lot of joking and horse play going on. They were laughing their butts off at jokes I didn't even get. I already felt excluded before I was even initiated. Oh right, yeah, I felt wow, this is not cool. I don't know if they're laughing at me. I don't know if they're laughing at something that's going to happen to me. It was really not a great experience, to be honest, but they were probably having a great time. They were like oh, this is our 18th degree this year.
Speaker 1:We're going to have a good old time, so it's like you got to have a long term thinking. It's not about you. That night is not about you and you shouldn't be trying to make yourself have an enjoyable evening. All of us should be about making them have an evening that impresses on them the awesomeness of the fraternity they join. And they don't know anything. So the jokes we're laughing at, they don't get.
Speaker 2:So I get what they're seeing here.
Speaker 1:First of all, give them the impression that that's how we behave normally, that we're just going to put whoopee cushions under each other's chairs and laugh at each other. We're not silly, we're serious people here doing serious work, and you want to impress upon somebody, make them a little uncomfortable Be serious about it. I've changed my thinking on that and it can be done like you can communicate with people and kind of set them at ease and not have to resort to jokes and silliness, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I do. That only because when I was an EA, going into the room the Tyler was Dan Tibbets, dan Tibbets, and what he did was he didn't allow any joking or vulgarity and stuff which was guys were there trying to start that. He didn't allow it. But what he did do is he said you know, hey, listen, just go with it, just enjoy yourself. You're only going to do this degree one time for yourself, so just go with it, listen to what is said. Listen to what is said, relax and just go with it and enjoy yourself. And those were good words for me.
Speaker 1:That's this that was really helpful. That's what I tell people. Yeah, every degree. Hey, you are going to be somewhat limited in some of your senses.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But don't feel pressured, because no one, it's not like your show. You don't really have to do much. We're going to tell you what to do, we're going to take you where you need to go, so just sit back and enjoy the experience, like be present with the senses you have as much as you can. That's about the best advice you can give somebody in that situation, that's right.
Speaker 2:The Tyler has it especially in charge to see that the anti room, his own particular quarters, observed the same decorum as all other precents in the temple.
Speaker 2:And while the principal purpose of his sword is to be a symbol of his duty to keep out cowans and eavesdroppers, it is scarcely a lesser meaning of that that he hold authority to maintain order at the doors and to see that the portals are not profane by disrespect. Moreover, the Tyler, if he rightly understands his own art, will see that the anti room is kept clean and in order, the aprons neatly piled, books, newspapers and litter not left scattered about, and a fitting place, in short, through which it may make entrance into a Masonic lodge. No person is to be admitted into a Masonic lodge unless by permission of the Worshuffle Master. When a would-be visitor appears, it is the duty of the Tyler to notify the Worshuffle Master of the presence of the visitor. The Worshuffle Master may appoint a committee to examine the visitor and report to the Worshuffle Master concerning the visitor's qualifications. If his documents are in order and if he is convinced the examination committee that he is a Mason, then in all probability the Worshuffle Master will grant him permission to enter.
Speaker 1:Yeah, in all probability he will.
Speaker 2:He will, but you know that's a pretty loose rule.
Speaker 1:sometimes it is loose rules and I think the Grand Lodge based on my personal experience, the Grand Lodge of Florida tends to err on the side of caution and not trust people's words. From what I've seen, whereas I think as a master of a lodge, you probably think differently. You probably tend to err on the side of the brother because you don't want to offend a visiting brother to your lodge. As the master, you want him to go away and be like ah, that jerk, I knew everything, I passed all the tests, but I didn't have that card, I couldn't verify it, it will not be in. So it is a tough call to make and that's why we have this process where we have the Tyler's Oath, where you know if it's a Mason and they're going to make an oath that they are good standing, we should you not trust them? It's a tough question, but the biggest part of this was about the Tyler and what I find interesting is that he's in charge of the anti-room.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that. Yeah, no, dan took it real seriously. That was his room man, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, you gotta fly the plane. That's what I tell people at work you gotta fly the plane. They're expecting the pilot to fly the plane. So, before the lodge opens, tyler's really flying the plane, right?
Speaker 2:yeah, he's in charge.
Speaker 1:He's the man that you need to check in with. He's the man that can tell you not to come in, or at least slow you down. And he's in charge of the candidates before they become initiated, in the very room that we prepare them in is his responsibility. That's a lot more than most people probably realize that Tyler's responsible for.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:They think he just hangs out there and reads books during the meetings. But no, he has a lot of work to do, a lot of responsibility to protect the lodge.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah.
Speaker 1:And protect the master. He's kind of like a guard for the master, making sure he keeps him out of trouble.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and to you know that I think it says right here the next paragraph, I think, is if a brother is late, he does not enter the lodge until permission is obtained by the master through the Tyler and the junior deacon for him to do so. This happens a lot. I see this a lot. People will just open the door. I've seen that more than once. You know, and I'm thinking where's the Tyler In the middle of a meeting.
Speaker 1:They'll just come in and salute the senior warden and start high-fiving everybody on their way to wherever they're gonna sit. You're like, hey, we're having a meeting over here. It's like, how'd you get in?
Speaker 2:Who let you in. And well, the Tyler did and the Tyler should have, and I remember back when Dan was there. It's like you know you're not coming in because you know he has to.
Speaker 1:He'd wait for an appropriate moment to knock.
Speaker 2:That's why we have the people Hello, so he'd know, and then he'd knock, and then, of course, the junior deacon would do his thing, open the door, and there is a procedure for that and it's quite impressive, actually Done correctly. It's quite impressive and you get the impression that those guys really do care about this. This matters to them, because they go through all of this, all of this stuff. You know that we do, and if we don't care I've said this before if we don't care about it, why should anybody else?
Speaker 1:You know, if we, we must care about it. That's right. This is what Freemasonry is. It's a lot about how we behave and it's counter to common behavior. Today in society, we're very casual with each other, yeah.
Speaker 2:Very casual.
Speaker 1:This is telling us to have a little bit more decorum than we're used to.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Don't force around, don't use foul language, don't make like off color jokes. I bet we're all guilty of that. Oh, absolutely All of us.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, but it could be. You know the one place in your life that you go to where you have to take things very seriously. You know and show respect and decorum, like you just said, and I think that that's. If you don't have that, I don't care who you are, you don't have that anywhere in your life. So if you're a Mason and you're not experiencing it, you know why not, because you know we live in a world that is just a little too casual.
Speaker 2:So, it's nice to know that at the lodge there is decorum, there is a process, there is, you know, manners and etiquette.
Speaker 1:Etiquette- there is etiquette and you have to practice that etiquette and you should do it.
Speaker 2:you should do it, well, you should.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's like it's difficult to force other people to do things, but it's not difficult for you personally to do things, so just just try it, just do it. Yep, and watch what happens. When I went to an installation a couple years ago, when I was my master, I was awarded and the master said I would like each of you to come with me to an installation. And I thought, oh, this is nice. And we went to an installation and I said what should I dress? And he said out of respect for the fraternity, you were the best that you've got. So I did the whole suit, tie, everything, and so did he. And we went to this installation, which wasn't our lodge, and the master getting installed had a blinking neon blue bow tie that he wore to his own installation. And they turned to my master and I said, respecting the. He said don't worry about him, you are representing our lodge. You worry about you. He's right.
Speaker 2:He's right.
Speaker 1:I can't complain or worry about that. That's his lodge.
Speaker 2:That's his lodge man. He's set in the precedent, yeah.
Speaker 1:And we need to set ours.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, so you can police it or expect other people, but you can set the example.
Speaker 1:That's right. That's something in your control. Try it.
Speaker 2:Before entering, he should see that his apron and other regalia are already properly in place. He should enter through the outer door only and in a manner to attract as little attention and to avoid as much confusion as possible. Hello, is this thing on? That's the main thing. You're late, ok, but we're letting you in anyways. Just come in and sit down. Keep it orderly. Don't high five. There's no reason to make a funny comment as to why you're late.
Speaker 1:It doesn't help, just sit down and be quiet, and every lodge is different. I know. I know Some are a little more serious than others.
Speaker 2:The worst will master might make a comment at you for being late. Glad you could make it, brother. That would be appropriate.
Speaker 1:To shame him publicly a little bit.
Speaker 2:To publicly shame. Now, if you have a lodge where the worst will. Master insists that you salute West of the altar every time you come and go, whoever you are, then you're going to get something for being late. You're going to have to step up West of the altar and salute.
Speaker 1:You know, what's funny about that is I said at the beginning of the year I don't want anyone doing that. I want them to come to the altar and salute me. I'll stop and we'll do it. But the thing is, people don't care, they're just their habit. We're group of habit.
Speaker 2:And that's what they're used to.
Speaker 1:So it's hard to change these things from year to year, because when you've been a mason for 15 years and one guy's like do it different, it's difficult to change that behavior. And as the master you can't get that angry. We've seen brothers get angry because they give a directive and it's not followed. But sometimes it's not that it's not followed out of disdain or disrespect, it's just out of habit for something different, and so you have to take that into account. When you ask a group of people to change their behavior in minutes that they've accumulated over decades. It may not happen quickly, you might have to repeat it many times and it might take more than a year to get them to change the behavior.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think in our lodge the key would probably be to get the senior warden when they come in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't do it, man, Just point to the altar.
Speaker 2:That's all you got to do. No, no point to the altar and make them go up there and after a while people will get it and I think they are less likely to leave in the first place or be late because of this, which I think would hold them a little more accountable to doing it.
Speaker 1:It's so easy to just stroll out in the middle of a meeting.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, it's way, like the junior deacon getting up in the middle of the meeting and walking out during balloting it's like hold on, Wait, wait, wait, hold on, Wow, wow.
Speaker 1:What Wait? What just happened? It can explode.
Speaker 2:If necessary, the inner door should be kept locked except when Locked.
Speaker 1:That's what it says.
Speaker 2:If necessary. The inner door should be kept locked, except when the preparation room is in use, to prevent brethren entering and retiring through it, and this applies to past masters and grand lodge officers as well as any other brother. It is for the use of candidates only, and to permit it to be used otherwise is a disturbance and dislocation of the entire system of the ritual. That's true. It is the tithers duty to see that this rule is rigidly enforced. So, in other words, no one can use that door to go in and out of, and I've seen it.
Speaker 1:Oh, I have too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is absolutely crucial. We all need to know that.
Speaker 1:This is something we need to cover as Masonic education in our lodge. I wasn't even aware that that was something that was frowned upon. I myself have walked through that door so many times.
Speaker 2:Right, you're not supposed to use that door and it's a tithers responsibility to make sure it's rigidly enforced.
Speaker 1:We've got to cover that with our tithers. Yeah, we need to let them know this stuff.
Speaker 2:Nobody goes in and out of that room. Nobody. It's not a hallway, it is, and it even says grand lodge officers, past masters, don't use the inner door. It's to be kept locked. If it continues to happen, then you lock it, then you lock it so nobody can go through it. All right, wow, next.
Speaker 1:We're learning here.
Speaker 2:We're learning some stuff here. Aprons it is an emblem of innocence. It should be clean and white in color. It is also the badge of a Mason and should be worn with pride and honor to the fraternity.
Speaker 1:There you go. That's how we get our new aprons ordered. We just come in and read it in lines. Guys, we're supposed to have clean aprons. Everybody stand up. That stain is no good.
Speaker 2:They're disgusting. Yeah, we definitely need to talk about that. Somebody said. Somebody said I can get 100 of them.
Speaker 1:Brother Sean Cooney was talking.
Speaker 2:Of cotton made ones, but the price was something like $1,000. I was like what?
Speaker 1:Because of the volume.
Speaker 2:I guess I don't know, but we definitely need to do something. What was it? I think it was Englewood Lodge had paper ones. I thought they were disposable, so after the meeting I crumpled it up and threw it out and I got stares.
Speaker 1:You reuse the paper.
Speaker 2:I apparently get to reuse the paper ones, oh wow.
Speaker 1:Wow, I didn't realize that.
Speaker 2:It was odd.
Speaker 1:Grand Lodge uses paper ones.
Speaker 2:Do they? I had no idea it was a thing. Until I went down there I was like, wow, this is different.
Speaker 1:I guess that saves money.
Speaker 2:I thought it was a sanitary thing that you use it one time and you throw it out.
Speaker 1:A disrespectful thing. Like you throw an aprons away man?
Speaker 2:What are you doing, man? Get that out of the trash.
Speaker 1:It's like a Kleenex man, I threw it out. It's gross. You did that at your lowest $0.15.
Speaker 2:It is an endless Past. Masters should wear their past masters apron, which can be any design except gold. Accents should never be used, except for Grand Lodge aprons. The apron is to be worn under the coat, unless you are wearing a double-breasted coat or an overcoat.
Speaker 1:Wow, did you know we have that rule If you wear a double-breasted coat or an overcoat.
Speaker 2:Double-breasted.
Speaker 1:Or an overcoat like a trench coat oh, a trench coat. Then you wear it over the trench coat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, don't wear a trench coat into Lodge. Ok, Just don't do it.
Speaker 1:I've never seen that Well, we're in the South. That's why who's wearing trench coats now? Ain't nobody wearing In the South.
Speaker 2:You know what it's called in the South right? Well, what it's called a duster.
Speaker 1:A duster, a duster. Never heard that before. That's right. That's why it's trench. What is it?
Speaker 2:dusting. It's a trench coat. It's called a duster in the South.
Speaker 1:Do you know why?
Speaker 2:Probably to keep dust off of you because it's long. I have no idea Duster, but they're cool.
Speaker 1:They're all leather and black, especially with a nice fedora, a fedora, a cigar.
Speaker 2:And a cigar Sounds good. What time is it Now? It's 2 o'clock. The dreaded ballot. This is the part that everyone gets wrong. We did. We were in education, masonic education, last night with Wright Worshipful.
Speaker 1:Wright, honorable Justin.
Speaker 2:Sorry, wright. Honorable Justin Broom, thank you, brother, for all your hard work. Yes, and we went over this, we went over balloting and you realize, and all of us were standing there and the past masters had to get into the positions, and we went through the ritual and Justin was guiding us along the way and showing us what's right and wrong. And, for goodness sakes, man, we do a lot of stuff wrong.
Speaker 1:Wow, I was shocked. Shocking. I don't even, I've never. It's October and I'm not balloted properly yet.
Speaker 2:Wow, only October. Huh, I've got the words wrong Every single time we ballot it.
Speaker 1:That's shocking.
Speaker 2:And that's why we have the education part of the Master Mason Association meeting.
Speaker 1:Afterwards we have oh, the School of Instruction, school of Instruction, district, school of.
Speaker 2:Instruction District. School of Instruction with.
Speaker 1:Worshipful Wright.
Speaker 2:Honorable Justin, I don't know why I can't get right.
Speaker 1:Honorable Sorry brother Wright, honorable Justin, I know not all Master Mason Associations do that. I've been now traveled a little bit and I see that they don't. I think they I don't know when they do their School of Instruction, but think about it. If you're not, it's really a good time. You have all of the major players from all the lodges in your district there, hopefully, hopefully.
Speaker 1:And those are the guys that need the instruction, because they can bring it back to the lodge and use it as instruction in their lodge and everybody needs Masonic education topics to do. Absolutely so there you go, every month they go, they get the education, and that's one, if not two, masonic educations you can do for your own craft about what you learned there.
Speaker 2:That's right, and you can bring back what you learned to your lodge.
Speaker 1:Imagine if your lodge was doing Florida work.
Speaker 2:And not lodge work, but Florida work In Florida, sorry, in Florida, right In Florida. Work in Georgia. If you're in Texas, do Texas work, yeah.
Speaker 1:Imagine doing your jurisdiction's work instead of your lodge's customary work Right.
Speaker 2:It matters. It matters and getting it right is awesome. That's what Masonry is about, man. We want to do it right.
Speaker 1:It's a way to show how much you care about the fraternity Right that you took the time to study something, to do it right when you were asked to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think there's just something good about a group of guys that have decided that we're going to take this and we're going to figure it out, we're going to do it right, we're going to honor it. I mean, it's just there's something good and right about that. Man, that's just that's what makes Masonry what it is. Our ritual work that we do is what binds us together. It's for us only. It's not for the rest of the world. It's ours, it's ours and it's what binds us together and it's what makes this fraternity so special.
Speaker 1:Yep, so many people are amazed when you tell them you're going to get the same experience that George Washington got. They get all wide eyed Like what, what? So then do it. You're telling them that, so get them the same experience George Washington got, because I bet they took the time to learn it back then I bet they did it real right yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, and the boys across the pond? Those guys do it right. I mean, and I've been, I've talked to guys from England and they say that the degree work that they do is different than ours. But one of the things that's really a stark contrast is the seriousness by which they take it over there.
Speaker 1:We've Americanized it, huh we have absolutely Americanized it.
Speaker 2:We've carved off the corners where their corners are straight and sharp and painful. But if you've ever seen the documentary on the History Channel about masonry and you watch them do the things that they do. Show that they do, man, they really do. It does look like the Queen's about to walk in, you know. I mean those guys are like they are dressed right.
Speaker 1:They stand correctly, the posture is paid attention to and, of course, they speak like they're from England.
Speaker 2:So it's really cool, so cool accent, the cool accent to do all that stuff with it's yaw heel, they have the cuffs, which we don't have.
Speaker 1:Which adds a little layer of coolness and more professionalism and the jewels are a little bit more ornate.
Speaker 2:Right, and they're all the same. They're all dressed correct, all their suits White gloves Everything's the same. The same gloves, all of it.
Speaker 1:It's really impressive White gloves this year. Let me tell you, you look sharp in white gloves. Yeah, it matters, yep.
Speaker 2:That's right. You're set apart from everybody else in the room. So when those officers are wearing the white gloves, you know it sets you apart, it gives you this prestige man, so I think it's awesome.
Speaker 1:I love it. Take it as an extension of my apron, you know if it's a symbol of purity and factitude of conduct, and everything I touch will be pure.
Speaker 2:And you have those really cool leather ones, man, which is sweet.
Speaker 1:They used to be. I've been nervous in the East all year and I look down and there's just pen all over my gloves.
Speaker 2:I guess I'm fidgeting, with the pen in my hands, writing all over my gloves, my white gloves.
Speaker 1:Don't look at the palms. You're going to be like what? All right balloting.
Speaker 2:Everybody's yelling at the radio right now Balloting, balloting, Move on, move on. Good day, what a day in the fast. Come on Good連. In five minutes. Fait toutes穿 deおい. Oh, hello, Hi for the Lodge. Wow, the ballot is both sacred and inviolable when it is taken. Yeah, that's what it says. That's a typo. When it is taken, the act is faithful for the candidate and monumentous for the Lodge. It is.
Speaker 2:It is adequate for the Lodge room to be in complete silence. Anybody listening? Complete silence during balloting. The officers should remain at their stations and place in silence and dignity. The Grand Lodge Constitutions make discussion of the ballot on conviction, on convict, on conviction thereof, a Masonic offense. Wow, no kidding. Except the Holy Bible, the ballot is the most sacred thing in the Lodge. Every Mason owes it to his Lodge, the duty of protecting it against poor material and poor against poor material. And every Mason owes it to every petitioner a fair ballot, the only protection a petitioner has against unfair discrimination and unreasonable prejudice. The upright man and Mason, true to the tradition of the craft, will never allow personal spite or prejudice to influence his behavior at the ballot box. Ay, yai, yai.
Speaker 1:Wow, there's a lot there. So this is one of the most solemn things that you're going to do as a Mason Right, and it's because you're affecting the outcome of another man's life when you ballot. Yeah, that's right, you know, that's a pretty serious issue and it says right there that the only protection that person has is that you're is an individual going to do the right thing?
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:That's right. Wow, that's a lot of faith being put into every single individual.
Speaker 2:Well, and it's a sacred honor, right, it's it, it's it. Puts it on us.
Speaker 1:It puts it on us.
Speaker 2:You know to we have you have to be a Mason. To use the ballot box to grind your own acts on somebody is so utterly unmasonic, it's just, it's un. It's just not right, whether you're a Mason or not, it's just absolutely. It's absolutely wrong. Man, on every level.
Speaker 1:You got to learn right from wrong. When you become a Mason and, and you know, you may know something about a person that's being ballad and on in the lodge, but don't you think you owe it to the lodge to share that information with them, right, instead of just try to take it out? Uh, personally.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've seen it, I do.
Speaker 1:I think you you know there's usually an opportunity for discussion before it comes to a ballot, and I think that that's a good time If you have something on your mind that's worrying you about the Masonic reason that you might drop a black ball to to say it, so that other members can hear it and they deserve to know who who they're ballading on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, if you've got that really important information.
Speaker 1:I wish you would share it and, uh, let let the rest of us here. But sometimes and I think we've all seen this somebody got personally offended by somebody and then they get an opportunity to drop a black cube to hurt them.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And they do it because they want to hurt them. Yeah, that's not a Masonic reason.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:You need to when you're standing there alone before that box. You really got to check yourself for a minute. Um, first of all, it's your obligation to protect the lodge.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So black balls aren't bad. They're there for a reason. They should be used as a tool to protect the lodge.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And it's not a tool for you to exact personal vengeance that you need to. If you're doing that, you really need to go home and look in the mirror and ask yourself if you really feel like you should be in Masonry.
Speaker 2:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:And there's other clubs you can join that don't have such high moral standards. Yeah, and such trust in you as a person in faith and rely on you the way that we do in Masonry rely on each other and trust each other. If you're not going to be someone we can rely on and trust on, I don't want you next to me because I am going to rely on you and trust you, Right.
Speaker 2:And I have to doubt whether you have my, my, my best interest at heart, you know, and the thing it it does really drive home the fact that each individual is, you know, it's a sacred trust, because once you throw that, you throw a black ball on somebody and your motivations aren't pure. There's nothing that can be done. It's, it's done, it's over. That vote stands. And now you have cemented you know into, you know into Masonic history, something that was based solely on your own ego or personality and it wasn't fair or right and and it just it, it just reflects very badly, you know, on the craft and I know that, as far as it's probably a bit of a controversial topic, well, not a bit.
Speaker 2:The most controversial topic is racism. Okay, and and when? When balloting for a brother to come in who is from a race you may or may not, you know, approve of, like you have a right, well, and and you throw you, blackball them, you know, for that specific reason, you know it's. To me it's pretty obvious what happens. You know, if you get a you know a person from an ethnic group I don't even know what that means but a person from another non Caucasian not sure, like a predominantly white lodge, that is, has a brother who happens to be African American petitioning them and a blackball shows up.
Speaker 2:But his qualifications are a hundred percent good, he's, well recommended, he's, you know he's, he meets all the qualifications and and there's that ball. If you do that, you know that that brother came to the lodge to be part of the brotherhood, part of the fraternity. He was told some things about it and you, just, you just made every one of us a liar. Yeah, you know, you just totally made every single one of us a liar because of your own ignorance.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that goes against every tenant and principal of our fraternity.
Speaker 2:Absolutely does, and I don't even know how it how.
Speaker 1:Okay, so here's the thing we talked about this once.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we did, you guys were loud and clear.
Speaker 1:You don't care about this.
Speaker 2:It's true, majority, we did it.
Speaker 1:Listeners did not want to hear about this issue.
Speaker 2:We did a whole issue on racism and masonry and no one listened. It was our least watched show Least listened to show. No one cares.
Speaker 1:So we get it. It's not a popular thing to talk about, but those are the things we like to talk about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but and I think Chris and I have both made it very clear where we stand on it, if you are, uh stand with masonry we stand with masonry. If you're in masonry and you are an active racist, you don't belong there, man, and we will find you out. But be sure of this, your sins will find you out. It will become obvious to all those around. Eventually, and hopefully there's enough brothers within the lodge who will take action.
Speaker 1:Hopefully you know they. It's gotten to the point where the Grand Lodge has taken steps to provide powers and systems to protect those members who might be innocent and being persecuted by Masons not acting masonic. And so if the master believes that the balacast had anything to do with the race color of the skin, Right or religion of the brother coming in, which are all things that should be perfectly fine.
Speaker 1:He has the power to overthrow that black cube and accept that petition, and I think a lot of masters aren't aware that they have that Power yeah, that's awesome. And, and even the masters that are aware of it, probably the vast majority would be afraid to use that power. And I get that too, because it's your lodge members, right? You don't want to like right? Assume that you know better than them.
Speaker 2:Now I heard I once heard that what the the right thing to do is, if you see it coming as a worst-of-a-master, then you tell your junior and senior wardens that if you see a black ball in there, you're gonna call it good. You're gonna call it clear, call it clear I'll take responsibility, for I'm the worst-of-a-master you call it clear, even if you see a black one in there, and then I will. I will accept the ballot. I don't know.
Speaker 1:I don't know Personally. For me I'm the master this year for a little longer and I can't imagine I would ever ask my wardens to do that, to Involve them in something that's my responsibility. I don't think I would be a fan of taking that method right. I would definitely, you know, say I'm watching this to them and then let them know, because they're gonna be master someday, so you can use it as a learning thing. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I guess I guess close.
Speaker 1:I watch what's gonna happen here and then if it comes cube, and you call, was it? And they say dark, dark when you look at it, you need to stand there as the master and give light to the craft and tell them what's going on and why I, I agree, take full responsibility. Don't put it on your wardens.
Speaker 2:I, but I think the the concern is with the brother. You know that he could net. He'll never know that this happened.
Speaker 2:Yeah and the guy that threw the black ball, it's, it's like it's just all up in it's in his face. It's like, dude, we, we know what you did and we totally took away your power, 100%, because the brother that you, that you tried to black ball, won't ever even know that you did what you did. He was accepted as far as he's concerned. He was accepted, and the majority of brothers who do accept him on a whole, on a heart level, it'll just go forward and move forward. I don't know, I'm not saying I'm a hundred percent fan of that idea, but but I've heard it being done and yeah, I've heard it too, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know, as long as Freemasonry is getting done, I guess he can't be too mad. And if it helps to get done, do what you got to do. But you wouldn't have to if you, if all the brothers, understood that you shouldn't, you shouldn't do that it's not Masonic and you should feel bad about yourself coming along, sit with your brothers and yeah, yeah that blatantly on Masonic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm just gonna say it you, you are the absolute definition of a hypocrite. I mean you're sitting, all of us right if you're sitting in Lodge Talking about your obligation and and all the things about brotherly love and and relief and truth and everything, but yet you harbor this thing in your heart which is completely inappropriate, because you know everybody was created by God equal. There's, there is no, there is no distinction. The only race that revelation Talks about is to run the race.
Speaker 1:Run the race with diligence run the race like the running man. Yeah, run the race.
Speaker 2:There is no race that that that, other than Running the race, run it with diligence, integrity and honesty. Run the race. That's the only race that matters. Any other race that you think matters, you're wrong. You're just wrong about it, man, because I've known people from all walks of life and and in all situations and I can just tell you from a lot of experience, seeing the good and the really really bad of Humanity there is no difference with regard to skin color. It just isn't a factor.
Speaker 1:Well, here's the thing in my mind. If you're willing to break Masonic law, in that case right. Why wouldn't you be willing to break it in other cases? In my mind, yeah right if you're willing to not be a Mason in that area because of your own personal Thoughts right.
Speaker 1:Then if the opportunity came up for you to grab some cash, would you do it Right. I mean, if you really needed it with that guy, I could. I trust him with my wallet. I Could trust a Mason with my wallet because I know he took an obligation. He's not gonna break it right. But that guy isn't a Mason, is he?
Speaker 2:he's not really his obligation. Mason and name only.
Speaker 1:So can I trust him with the other aspects of Masonry? For I mean, I don't know who it is, because we're we're pretty Secretive and private and in our balloting we're not supposed to talk about this stuff.
Speaker 1:But we have small lodges, it's pretty easy to tell a lot of times you can tell who it is, and I mean, and you shouldn't think that way. I know like you should respect everybody's doing the right thing and all this, but in reality, people don't do the right thing all the time. And If you're willing to let that slide, also like, what else are you gonna let slide? Are you gonna watch somebody take some cash and not say anything? Right, are you gonna like let them rape someone and not say anything? Like, how far are you gonna let them go and not being Masonic if you know?
Speaker 1:right before you intervene and do something about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we talked about this last night on the drive home from the master Mason Association, which I didn't see a lot of guys there, by the way. Where are you guys?
Speaker 1:get out to the master Mason Association meeting the holiday season. They're starting to like.
Speaker 2:You know you're getting a break from Chris. Chris is giving you a break right now. I Want it what we talked about going home. Now you've you made me lose my heart at home.
Speaker 1:We were having a conversation on the way home about Well, we had a bunch of talks on that. We talked about aliens, we talked about politics politics.
Speaker 2:This is a great conversation. We write works for heart and I had a little conversation going about Creationism yes, and being that I'm a Christian. Most people assume Christians are young earth Creationists, which I am not. I do not hold to the doctrine of a young earth.
Speaker 1:I think that's a small minority of people.
Speaker 2:You'd be surprised. You'd be surprised really, but it is. It is an in-house debate.
Speaker 1:Just saying I never met one that told me they were thinking of that way.
Speaker 2:The. Whenever anybody says you, you can't be a if you don't do this and but it's outside of the accepted, you know the accepted mission of whatever organization, then then you know you're dealing with somebody who's who's zealous for the wrong things, for the wrong thing, yeah, but anyways, we had a great conversation.
Speaker 2:I always enjoy Just doing all of this, this kind of Conversating with right worst because he knows what he's talking about, he knows what he believes, he knows why he believes it. Yeah, and it's, it's always a challenge, and I, iron sharpens, iron man, and he's never gonna offend you.
Speaker 1:No, he's just gonna tell you his thoughts on something.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and we can go back and forth and it's a real lesson.
Speaker 2:About things and that's how you grow and that's how you learn, man, you know, and that's that's what we're about. We're about education, we're about, we're about brotherly love and affection, we're about relief to the community and the fellow Mason and we're about truth. Those are, those are our tenants, those are, you know, that's what we're about here, as Mason. So we promised an hour long because we are under a bit of a time constraint this morning, but we wanted to knock one out on a Friday morning so that we're back on schedule to get get our drops on Wednesday morning. So we won't leave you in the lurch for another week. I hope this was educational for you guys. I know it might be a little dry and you might think it's a little dry. I know Chris does, because he's been playing video games the entire time. What?
Speaker 1:we've been doing this. I'm a multitasker. I've actually read the Masonic etiquette book so many times right and Reading it again. I just picked up like three things right did absolutely the first three times I read through it. Yeah because I'm in a different station, in different place every time, you know right so well, like when you're the junior deacon, you're paying attention to certain parts of this absolutely.
Speaker 1:But as you become like awarded, now you're looking at different parts of the book, and then now, as a master, I'm like looking at even different parts of the books right you should keep going back to these resources as he grow.
Speaker 2:I? I brother came up to me just the other day and said thank you for reminding me about all the Material that Grand Lodge puts out. I have all of those books at home, yep, and I don't open them. So I began to open them and read them and I was like good on you, brother, just it's, it's easy Reading, it's not hard. You guys can we're reading directly from it, guys, it's not hard, it's very simple, but it's profound, you know, and you could better yourself as a Mason and your lodge, and that's what, that's what this show is all about.
Speaker 1:Be an example for everybody else. When they see you behaving that way, they're gonna be like yeah, one guy dresses a little nicer. Watch how fast everybody else starts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, that's right, and if you take it seriously, then others will begin to take it seriously as well, and, and and you won't regret it, you won't regret it. You will, you will, you will be a Leader within, within your lodge next week. We'll continue. The next topic is Bible presentation, so that'll be fun We'll start off with that one next week.
Speaker 1:That's an important moment in a mason's life. Just became a master Mason and now he's got his own Masonic Bible, something you get to take home that you, you know, you're gonna have as a memento. I, I love that thing.
Speaker 2:I absolutely love it. I show it to people, I have it out of my book, I have it out on my shelf.
Speaker 1:Yes, Like hey, look here and look at all those names. Yeah, they were all there for me.
Speaker 2:I it's, it's, I've gone through it, it's, it is the. It's the authorized King James version. So it's that beautiful Shakespearean Victorian language. So the Psalms are so rich to read through out of the kid, out of the King Jimmy, which I just, I just love that version. I originally learned all of my memory verses in King James, so whenever I think about you know, whenever verses come out of my head, they're always in King James English, which I think is very cool.
Speaker 1:I also got those awesome illustrations through illustrations yes, yeah, it's, it's. Illustrations right, so it kind of highlights.
Speaker 2:Well, it highlights the way Masonry uses the scriptures to teach its lessons. They're not always completely Theological, but that's not the point. That's not the point, you know, but that's a different conversation for one religion.
Speaker 1:You know, we are not a religion. We are trying to get you to read it and look at it and think about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. I recommend everybody read it. It's there, read it, open it, read it, read it a lot.
Speaker 1:Sorry, we got ahead of our next episode.
Speaker 2:No, we did, we did.
Speaker 1:Well well we'll be it.
Speaker 2:We're going to a lodge next month. We are in. I can't remember. I want to say Hillsboro, but it's not Hillsboro.
Speaker 1:We will be there, and maybe some people.
Speaker 2:Well, maybe Chris can figure that out before the music runs out. I don't know, but we'll see. But as far as this show goes, it's over and if you're still here then, like I say all the time You're, you're one of our heroes, man. Thank you See, bring so much. Seabring, seabring lodge. We'll be there doing a symposium and a little bit of a talk and doing goofy stuff like we normally do. If you can make it out there, please do. What an honor it is for Chris and I to be asked to go and speak where we have no idea why anybody would want us to show up at their Lodge and speak. But we will do it.
Speaker 1:Thursday October 12th.
Speaker 2:Thursday, october 12th. So, anyways, you're our hero. Thanks for being here, guys, and just Just just take what you've learned if you've learned anything back to your lodge and make it a better place, and we will see you all next time.