"lodge politics suck"


Yes they do. Ask me how I know

My blue lodge is having somewhat of a 'mutiny' of sorts right now.

The current WM is a past master that's filling in... The SW we had last year decided he couldn't commit the time to being WM this year, so he stepped out of the officer's line-up - hence the vacancy.

The new SW is a good guy, but one of the 'old crowd' of members that's been there over a decade, and finally decided to go through the line.

All the other officers in lodge are newer / younger guys in their early 30's. ONE is the brother who was raised right beside me - a great Brother, and a close friend. The others are newer guys. Quite zealous in their pursuit of further light and delving deep into some of the studies, but a couple of them, I think should've been investigated a tad bit further... Masonry believes that Ignorance, Fanaticism, and Tyranny are things that we should root out and fight.

The problem is, a couple of the new guys are exhibiting signs that they fall into the fanaticism category. Turns out they both read the "Dan Brown" conspiracy crap, and seem to have taken some facets of FICTION novel writings as "TRUTH".

They're seeking a divine transformation of some sort. The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown)... The 46 and 2, etc... They seem to believe with 100% Certainty that the Masonic Knights Templar in York Rite is one in the same with the original historical Order of the Knights Templar (Crusades), etc...

My friend that was raised with me - is a VERY respectable Brother. Always meeting on the level, and squaring his actions. He further pursued the York Rite and went as high as he could. Now there are scheduling conflicts - the York Rite meets on the same day as Blue Lodge... The OLDER past masters (usually the ones sitting in the Religious Section - North) and others in the lodge have outright stated they will not allow these newer, younger officers in the line-up to be officers next year if they pursue the York Rite further. The conflicting schedules of higher degrees of York Rite and Blue Lodge are problematic...

Well, these zealous and somewhat fanatical younger officers (still only Stewards) seem to be a bit delusional talking about 'starting our own Rite' and 'writing up our OWN rituals'!

I'm all for people zealously learning Masonry and our philosophies, history, and principles, but we need some sort of way of vetting candidates to somehow identify conspiracy theorists and fanatics, etc...

Some of the things they're saying have me rolling my eyes.

Let's hear it!

don't let it. most of these people like this simply never learned or cared to learn what masonry offers. in many cases they should have never been allowed in the door. after seeing a few myself that the "good ol boy" mentality let in i now take my duty to investigate VERY seriously, even to the point of questioning the committee on a new candidate when their report is given. i will lo longer drop a favorable vote unless i am personally sure they are a proper candidate.

Had a guy petitioning try to upsell me when he was getting to know us at our dinners on Work night last year. I missed the vote for him, but, he has already stopped attending or working on his EA work shortly after finding out that it was not a place to improve his sales.......I would have blackballed had I been at that vote. Just instinct, I guess.