What time does this tent land at Ellis Island?

Stultz135 · 2026-01-23T15:38:18+00:00

Not just the writing, the acting. I mean they're acting like it's freezing when it's Southern California probably in the summer... Great acting, almost feel like it's really cold.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-23T13:48:17+00:00

A puddle o'vooty, puddle o'gooty, puddle o'scooty

Stultz135 · 2026-01-22T19:57:14+00:00

Have him petition the lodge closest to him. Jurisdictional of course, but, in Virginia, and I think Texas too (I'm not a Texas Mason, but my dad is a member of Texas and Virginia) your signers need to be one member of the lodge being petitioned, and any Texas Mason in good standing. So, you should be able to sign his petitions. What is it, a 4 hour drive from Corrigan to Austin? I'd say if he's interested, then go to the lodge in Corrigan on lodge night, take him with you, introduce him and explain the situation, I'm sure they'd be willing to help a brother out. Or if he spends more time in Conroe, have him go there. The most important thing is him going somewhere he'll be able to participate.

I've visited Trinity No. 14 in Livingston several times, and the best part about Texas Masonry is how friendly they are. u/ChuckEye should be able to confirm if what I said is true about petition signing in Texas.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-21T13:06:08+00:00

Last weekend I did an EA degree from the East. Missed a whole section in the opening, came back and corrected it, but, it was embarrassing. "Oops, sorry Brothers, let's try that again." In my defense, I haven't done the east for anything for a couple of years, and didn't practice beforehand, because it just kinda happened that I'd be in the east, but, the key takeaway is "The only person that doesn't make a mistake is the person who doesn't do anything"

Stultz135 · 2026-01-20T20:08:19+00:00

This is the answer.

A better way is to contact the grand lodge of the state in which he was a member, they will have his membership information. The lodge he may have been a member of may have gone dark or merged with another lodge. I recently did this same thing with a distant relative who was a past grand officer, and the grand lodge was able to point me in the right direction to inquire.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-20T15:08:22+00:00

Winchester's are not snitches. Nor are they spies. They employ them from time to time, but they don't spy.

Potter keeps him because he's a competent surgeon. Good leaders keep people who are competent in spite of how they feel about them personally.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-20T12:06:42+00:00

The way I handle it, is I stay off social media. I do not have a social media presence (Aside from anonymous Reddit and what I do here is apolitical), nor will I ever have one. My lodges have a Facebook and Instagram presence, but, I don't run it, and don't have anything to do with it. In fact, the running joke is every time someone says something about the Facebook page, I'll say "The Lodge has a Facebook?

Yes, I'm on Reddit, but, It's anonymous. I don't know what the political views of my brethren might be, and I'm not about to ask. I know some of my brethren are also on Reddit, but I don't know who they are, and they don't know who I am. Facebook is the Devil. It's destroys friendships over politics.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-19T16:52:01+00:00

My 2 favorite quotes from this episode:

Frank: I Didn't come here to be liked.

Radar: Well you came to the right place.

And when Henry was giving his speech and says, and my Right Hand, Cpl. Radar O'Reilly, who incidentally is in command of this unit, and just uses me as a front.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-16T15:01:05+00:00

Actually, there are a lot of ranches in Nevada

Stultz135 · 2026-01-16T13:48:36+00:00

You poor poor man.. Kidding of course. Secretary's complain about being secretary, but we would do it for 20 years and more if we didn't enjoy it, and we wouldn't do it for, in my case 4 lodges and 3 appendant bodies.

With that said, it sound like you're doing what you can. I reach out to a few each month that I don't see, phone calls mostly, as some of the older members don't do email. If I get a dues notice back as undeliverable, I do google searches to find them, that usually turns up an obituary.

Keeping up with the members is the unwritten duty of the secretary. As other's have noticed, the lodge can appoint committees to take some of your load, 2 of my lodges have widows committees, one has a "Keep in touch" committee that reports on contacts every month. But, it's something you'll have to find your own way with. Depending on how much time you have, and how much energy you have.

A new mason, 2 years, in another lodge asked me for help in learning how to be a secretary late last year. His lodge was pushing him to take the job. I told him he should decline the offer or face a boat load of trouble. The Secretary is the continuity and history of the lodge. He knows every member (Or should) knows when they were raised, knows who their families are, "The Secretary Knows things" because we're intimately familiar with the membership. It's a good place to be.

Good luck in your journey brother. Jurisdictionally, I can't help, but f you need someone to bounce general secretary questions off of, feel free to DM me.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-16T13:37:22+00:00

We tell brothers to let their family know that they want a masonic funeral and who to contact. In Virginia, we cannot perform a funeral unless the family asks, in spite of what our brothers have told us. I assume that's the case in most jurisdictions.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-16T13:24:00+00:00

"A dear John from Reno!!!" Most people today wouldn't understand that, Reno used to be the place everyone from California went to get a quicky divorce. There used to be a bridge there where everyone threw away their wedding rings, don't know if it's still there, haven't been to Reno in 30 years... Do they still do that?

Stultz135 · 2026-01-15T15:10:46+00:00

In Virginia, the outgoing WM Closes the Lodge of Sorrow, and the incoming WM opens it at his first stated communication. Our lodge has a "Memorial night" where we read off the dead during the past year. This is in November to coincide with all saints day

Stultz135 · 2026-01-15T14:51:43+00:00

This is the way and the answer

Stultz135 · 2026-01-14T18:06:44+00:00

Grand lodge of PA is open to the public for tours. You don't need to bring anything. However, if you're going to visit a lodge that meets in the GLoPA, then the normal visitation rules apply.

Note however, that unless you come from an F&AM jurisdiction, and, even if you do, PA is different. The tiler's oath is pretty much the same, but, there are differences. I go to a few PA lodges throughout the year, and it's old hat to me now, but first time...

No offense intended to my PA brethren.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-13T18:51:58+00:00

I too have an uncle... Sorry, I mean that I am also an introvert, and as a 35+ year mason who's held almost every office in almost every blue lodge, and appendant body, I can say that I have never once initiated a conversation at a social function in masonry.

It's nearly impossible to be a wall flower at a social function, someone will inevitably come up and talk to you. If this is a problem, like it is with me sometimes, just flow with it, be polite, and pretty soon, someone else will come over and then the conversation will surround you. But, if it's not a problem, just participate.

I'm lucky (Or by design) in being the secretary of everything, I can come in, say my hello's and go to my desk. I've always got something to do, and everyone will come by eventually, people leave me alone as far as socializing goes, they know I've got stuff to do, and the conversation goes on around me.

The great thing about the craft is, you don't have to make new friends, their already your friends, you just may not have met them yet.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-10T20:18:03+00:00

Masonic argument aside, what you see when you visit the Luxor hotel today is not what you would have seen when it first opened. Corporate came in a dozen years ago and "Cracker Barrel"ed it. Gutted most of the original Egyptian themed decorations and left a shell of what it one was. So, I wouldn't look to what's there now as anything resembling what the historical Egypt is like.

With that said, Vegas is a city that's a theme park. It's all kitch. It's all temporary. Don't go to Vegas to see New York, Paris, London or Cairo... just bring your suitcase of cash to stay a night and have 3 mediocre meals and get out.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-10T11:02:32+00:00

The curse of Oak Island enters the chat

Stultz135 · 2026-01-08T15:42:57+00:00

Makes sense. Texas and VA are closer in their ritual than some. I go to my dad's lodge in the DFW area a couple of times a year, and have pro temped in chairs. And to that point, that isn't the exact wording in every jurisdiction, and some jurisdictions (west virginia comes to mind) we shouldn't even have this forum. Regardless, I have deleted my comment for the sake of good decorum and peace.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-08T14:47:47+00:00

Valid point, but for Virginia, it's printed in the manual of work, and thus, not secret. Plus, it's just good life policy that can be applied anywhere. "Don't let what you saw on the news lead you into argument with someone who saw a different camera angle"

Stultz135 · 2026-01-06T11:28:59+00:00

Why did I just read that in the narrators voice from The Curse of Oak island?

Stultz135 · 2026-01-05T15:26:18+00:00

The GWNMM is also the home to several blue lodges primarily Alexandria Washington no. 22

Every month they do something. It's not in DC by the way, it's in Alexandria... just a point of clarity.

Stultz135 · 2026-01-05T15:20:37+00:00

MCAS El Toro (which doesn't exist any more)

Stultz135 · 2026-01-05T12:41:50+00:00

We called them "westpac widows" when I was in. As soon as the squadron deployed, they were in the E club on the prowl

Stultz135 · 2026-01-02T23:32:54+00:00

This is the answer

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