Badmouthing a Brother

I'm in a bit of a quandary. Someone I know and greatly dislike has recently become fairly well known due to a TV show he now has. The secretary of my lodge informed me that he was raised a while ago (I'm guessing 2002) but is currently suspended for not paying dues (at least 2 years, probably closer to 4).

Whether or not I wouldn't have voted white or black if this happened when I was present will have to remain a mystery, but my concern is that I've never before knowingly spoken ill of another Mason (I'm even having trouble writing this post without letting unpleasant speculation creep in) I don't know if the suspension loosens the bounds a bit, exactly what the suspension means, etc.

I obviously can't retract what I've already said, but I guess I could keep my mouth shut in the future if he still deserves Masonic courtesy.

In for an answer as well. I have wondered about this. Good luck bro

A true Mason pays his dues. If he can't, he should ask for remit. Remember that phrase in your obligation, those brothers who are under suspension, you cannot have masonic communication with, so I would say while under suspension, he is not a brother.

Just my opinion.


Mac

From what I have been informed:

Once an EA you are always a mason, even if you never continue. That can never be taken away.

A "Brother" in good standing, Is another thing...




I may have misread your posting, it's not unlikely coming from me.

Ok, you said you dislike this mason and he's suspended for NPD. What's the beef? Many D-bags have TV shows?

help me understand this better..

I believe he only joined to take advantage of the respectability Freemasonry would lend him. He was running for sheriff back when his application was read (I thought we squelched that before he ever got to the voting stage, but somehow he got in when I wasn't looking) and is the kind of person who would do almost anything to further his own agenda (like tramping up his daughter to get ratings) so it seemed evident to me that politics were the only reason he wanted to join. That and I kind of expected a temper tantrum when told he couldn't carry through the EA (I recall a discussion about this, so maybe he did throw the tantrum long before getting to the door of the preparation room).

Besides that, his business practices disgust me and he loudly makes proclamations in front of total strangers that make the parodies of us (shooters, I mean) seem calm and rational. Praising the attempted assassination of an elected official may not be uncommon, but to do it around people you don't know while acting as a quasi-representative of gunowners is not (in my opinion) beneficial.

My intense dislike of this character was not a problem at all, until he got his TV show. I certainly told my friends that there are better gunsmiths in the area, but now I've been spewing dislike in public forums - Never once have I said anything that's untrue, by the way.

brothers and fellows.......

he has not upheld his masonic obligation

Obviously you cannot recant what you have said. To the vulgar (uninitiated) I would say anything else, good or bad. If you can't say anything good, say nothing. Your lack of comment will speak volumes.

M2C
Fr.
Br. Mike

And don't bring yourself down to his level, we're better than that.


in other words: You can't fix stupid. (just let it go)*

my $.02



*edit

this

I find myself in a similar situation but it's the WM who speaks poorley of some of the brothers. Nothing awfull but not necessary I ignore it and walk away choosing not to engage in such conversation. The older brothers told me this was the best way to let him know it was in poor taste without speaking directly of it. He seemed to figure it out after several brothers abruptly walked away from him in mid sentence at refreshment.
I don't think it matters if he's a brother or not such talk is merely rhetoric and best avoided.

Agreed. That's how it was spoken as I took my oaths.

Remit should be the next order of business.

Took me a few posts to realize who this is about............. he is as far from Brotherhood from what I had saw on TV and read online.

that was pretty much my feeling as well when i guessed it. granted i only know his tv side, kinda like that brother that has the repo show wearing his mason hat while screaming profanity and acting like an ass on tv.

I never saw that, but I'm darn glad I hadn't.

i actually emailed him a nice email about it. he told me i was the first to have a negative impression. he had heard from brothers everywhere nothing but positive comments

ended up with several messages back and forth. Nice guy but his tv image with our symbol is not a good thing IMHO.

I think this is correct. He remains a brother until the Lodge makes the decision to expel him, even though he is excepted from rituals.

Let me add this as a cautionary tale:
If he has proven himself unworthy of membership, expel him for cause. Do not simply let it go because he stopped paying dues. I know of a Lodge with a brother whose conduct should have had him removed, but the Lodge decided to let it go since he hadn't paid his dues and he was expelled anyway. Some time later, the Grand Lodge had submitted a proposal to allow members to pay a partial amount of back dues and receive automatic reinstatement due to the economy. This would have meant that if the person in question wrote a small check, the Lodge would have had to take him back.

Do what needs to be done now. Bizarre things can happen later.

yep. a lodge here let in a man that should never have been allowed. he moved out of state and transferred. we now allowed a bad mason to become another jurisdictions problem. Not what should have happened.

A similar thing happened to an EA I was teaching, thankfully he just demitted.

Thanks everyone.

I'm in no position to condemn a man for getting behind on dues, I've done it myself on occasion. Also, I've never heard any indication that he's presented himself as a Mason on the show or in his store - I'm pretty sure that would have been mentioned somewhere if it happened and that would have . I just don't like the guy.
I may continue to disparage the show and the business, no reason to insult the man himself anymore.

I was out in Denver last week to visit my sister and go to the Jets, Bronco game. My brother in-law and I took a ride over to the gun shop. 1st thing I noticed was how well the production company does who tapes the program. The shop is in a congested area and isn't very big, or clean for that matter. Whole different impression on TV. I happened to be wearing a Masonic shirt and ring. I spoke to the owner for over 30 minutes about law enforcement, 1911's and it happens he grew up in the same area I did. He never said he was a Mason (I was waiting for it), and was really personable. From the show I had the impression he was a royal a** wipe and have read that in other forums. I left with a favorable impression.

As far as his conduct, or un-Masonic behavior; you as a MM can talk to the conduct committee of the lodge and have them investigate. Whether he is an active member or suspended for NPD he is still accountable to his oath and obligations and shouldn't have joined the craft for personal or mercenary motives. In most jurisdictions only 2/3rd vote is required to regain membership after an NPD. If you have something go to the committee if you are not sure, remember your oath and obligation.

Good luck Brother, hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving.

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