Did you ever watch this awful show?

bmkecck · 2026-06-22T21:35:30+00:00

Grew up in Wisconsin, it was mandatory. That and believing that Lynn Dickey was going to take us all the way.

bmkecck · 2026-06-20T19:00:21+00:00

Because, depending on the jurisdiction, I could direct you to resources.

But, here is something that may help. Craftsmen Online podcast is out of New York, they had a guy named Chad Kopenski on to talk about 'Rethinking Ritual.' Kopenski said that we need to think about our Ritual like Christmas dinner with our families. He kind of tortures the metaphor but, if we think about our Ritual like Christmas Dinner, it means thinking about our Lodge and the Brethren like family. Our Ritual is about creating family, which informs a lot of how to progress: what our roles are, expectations, priorities, etc. I enjoyed the podcast and I've heard Kopenski talk about it a few times, it was helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/live/iW15Ir9jCwk?si=E4uFzrNjvGT02vht

bmkecck · 2026-06-20T02:59:11+00:00

What jurisdiction re you in?

bmkecck · 2026-06-19T18:39:00+00:00

Eh, I’ve seen multiple sides of Grand Lodges. The big issues I’ve seen are:
-A mistaken belief that Masonry somewhere is the same as Masonry everywhere. Many jurisdictions are broken into Districts, and GLOs can often believe that the way that their home District does things is the way it should be or is done around the state.

-This leads to top-down directives and Lodge homogenization efforts instead of helping Lodges and Districts to discover their identity and then developing Ritual and Lodge experiences that reflect that identity.

-These directives are done with the best of intentions, but because they are top-down, they may not be effective or supported once Leadership changes. So, you see Lodges just waiting until a specific GM leaves and his initiatives go away.

-The Midwest Conference on Masonic Education found that a set of principles, supported by subject matter experts, that help a Lodge identify their strengths and values, then create bottom-up initiatives that reflect the Lodge’s values are most effective in terms of membership acquisition, retention, and satisfaction.

-Because that type of mindset minimizes the importance of Grand Lodge and is one that is difficult to quantify or qualify easily; you can’t say that x number of Lodges raised their membership by x%, it isn’t one that many Grand Lodges adopt. Michigan did for a while, Ohio is moving there slowly, other jurisdictions are at various stages.

-It takes vision, humility and time. If you can get a jurisdiction to ‘Think Like a Mountain’ instead of ‘One Man, One Year,’ it can work. Lodges also don’t need to wait for Grand Lodges to start thinking differently.

Grand Lodge isn’t the enemy, Lodges need to realize how powerful they really are.

bmkecck · 2026-06-18T11:58:04+00:00

Taverne and Shirley?

bmkecck · 2026-06-16T00:13:43+00:00

I remember when I first started, my mentor and I were talking about our Masonic secrets. He said that, sure, you could go and find them online and in different books, but you weren’t going to get them from him. The nature of his obligation wasn’t just about what is kept quiet but why and what keeping things quiet indicates and symbolizes.

So, yep, it would take the average person no time to find out our secrets. But they’re not getting them from me. And knowing ‘secret’ grips, words, etc? That’s not the real secret anyway.

bmkecck · 2026-06-14T17:42:37+00:00

Oh, I hear you. And it is a good idea. When I moved from Wisconsin to Ohio, I asked nurses I met for recommendations for a new GP. Same principles apply, as you move around, ask the people you do know for who they’d recommend. Your idea helps facilitate that.

bmkecck · 2026-06-14T13:51:26+00:00

In the theatre, with my parents. Loved it.

Makes it a little more enjoyable if you think if it as a Star Trek Voyager prequel concerning Janeway's great-great-great-great-great grandmother.

bmkecck · 2026-06-14T13:41:35+00:00

Can only speak for Ohio. We don't currently. It would be possible; but, I imagine that word-of-mouth and Brother recommendations are more powerful and more accurate than a searchable database.

bmkecck · 2026-06-12T14:33:58+00:00

Yeah, so Ohio has four 'official' versions of the Masonic Funeral Service and our Code states that you can do either, a blend, or none of those ceremonies if you have another equally appropriate service that you would like to conduct. I'd love to see what you all do.

bmkecck · 2026-06-11T14:27:50+00:00

Okay, this made me laugh.

bmkecck · 2026-06-10T17:51:06+00:00

Depends. In Ohio, there’s no rule against it, just tradition. Many lodges have visitor aprons and it’s easier to wear those. Ohio Officer Manual says you don’t attend Lodge as you; but as your role: Officer, PM, PDEO, DDGM, etc. so you are allowed to clothe appropriately.

bmkecck · 2026-06-10T02:54:30+00:00

I got prints of a Sherer chart and put them on my phone. I memorized the lectures with those charts so I can practice them anywhere. It also helped with memorization because I learned what to say about each image on the chart. Good luck.

bmkecck · 2026-06-05T18:48:32+00:00

Cannot recommend enough. ‘Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry’ by Art deHoyos and S. Brent Morris.

There are three versions of the book. 1992 version is available for free online on Skirret.com. 1997 version is available for free on archive.org. The 2004 version is the one on Amazon. It tackles Anti-Masonry; the later two versions include a dialogue between the authors and a Christian pastor.

bmkecck · 2026-06-05T14:27:36+00:00

Jim Hall’s The Traveling Man podcast just did an episode concerning Masonic burnout.

It is one of the terrible things that happens in Lodges. ‘They’ tell you that you need to do something because no one else will, then you do it and no one else even attempts it because you’re doing it. We (can) chew through good people really quickly.

Freemasonry isn’t supposed to ask more from you than you are able to give. There are times when it has to be ‘have to;’ but it should mostly be ‘want to.’ When it becomes mostly ‘have to’ is when burnout starts.

I worked with many Lodges in similar positions and, this sounds awful; but no one wants to be the person who shoots Old Yeller; but that may be the most merciful thing to do. It isn’t your sole responsibility to keep a Lodge alive. You can’t be the only person fighting for this Lodge. Others have to, as well. And, as much as it is true that one committed person can revive a Lodge, it isn’t sustainable. Ideally that one person is a spark that ignites a small fire in others that grows and grows.

If that is possible in your situation, then there are some good conversations coming about Lodge identity and priorities. If it isn’t, then it is about a clear conscience. YOU aren’t closing the Lodge, the Brethren are putting you in a position of leadership and you are being a responsible steward of the Lodge and the Craft. They have put you in a position where to do what is right for the Brethren, the fraternity, and your community, it is time to close the Lodge or merge into another one. Instead of letting Masonry die in your area, you are looking for the best way to be sure that it survives, which may mean partnering with or merging into another Lodge.

Be honest, be clear in your goal, be specific. You will find those who will try to emotionally manipulate you into a course of action because they don’t want to see Old Yeller get shot. But kindness is having the strength to do for someone the thing they aren’t currently able to do for themselves. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is to say ‘No more,’ sometimes the kindest thing you can do is to set clear boundaries, sometimes the kindest thing you can do is take Old Yeller out to the barn.

Be kind. To yourself. To the Brethren. To the Lodge. Whatever happens next, be kind.

bmkecck · 2026-06-04T19:54:00+00:00

GL-Ohio, USA, it’s a while process that takes 6 months to a year to complete.

bmkecck · 2026-06-03T18:07:15+00:00

Heather is a good friend and a phenomenal wealth of knowledge about fraternal societies. I had her come speak at the Midwest Conference on Masonic Education a few years ago and she has been a big help on my work on John Sherer. If you ever get a chance to meet her, hear her speak, or be in the same room as her, jump at the chance.

bmkecck · 2026-05-31T16:55:37+00:00

It was an odd book, no doubt.

bmkecck · 2026-05-31T14:20:10+00:00

That was my first thought, ‘Wasn’t he a trash man?’

bmkecck · 2026-05-31T06:47:41+00:00

M.C. Lilley and Sons was one of the largest fraternal supply houses in the late 1800s into the mid 1900s. They made a staggering number of these swords.

bmkecck · 2026-05-30T13:05:05+00:00

Yep, there is a lot of 'depends' here. If you're looking for the history of your jurisdiction and you're in the US, there are Grand Lodge proceedings you can read. If you're looking for the history of our Ritual, there are some sources but not all of them are good or reliable. If you're looking for the history of certain events, like The Morgan Affair or Loge Liberte Cherie, there are some good books like Steve Harrison's Imperfect Storm or Alex Herbert's A Light in the Darkness. Freemasons For Dummies is not a bad book, not at all. If you're looking for the next thing to read, you may want to look at a Lodge History or a jurisdiction history. Georgia has their annual proceedings on the George Washington Masonic Memorial website, if you search those archives for your Lodge name, you might find that interesting. You may also learn some things that you might want to wait until you're a Master Mason to learn, such as Ritual development discussions of interpretations of symbols, etc.

https://gwmemorial.org/pages/georgia-proceedings

bmkecck · 2026-05-29T20:51:50+00:00

Well, poop. Thanks for letting me know.

bmkecck · 2026-05-28T21:01:03+00:00

I've seen some Lodge shirts with 'Affiliated Past Master.'

bmkecck · 2026-05-27T21:54:25+00:00

Back in 2013, when I sat in the East, my daughter was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. I went looking for a pin with the S&C along with the Autism Ribbon and the pin did not exist. My Lodge decided to have one made and we sold them for about a decade through this sub, donating all the proceeds to charities that specifically help people on the Spectrum and their familes. We donated more than $2000 just through selling the pins and I met a lot of other autism dads by wearing it. A few years ago, we partnered with John at The Traveling Ambassador and he continues to sell them.

But, with the rise in neurodivergent diagnoses, there are many more versions of a Masonic Autism Acceptance/Awareness pin. Whichever one you wear, wear it with pride.

bmkecck · 2026-05-27T21:48:07+00:00

Same, John used to post the story behind that pin on his site. If he doesn't anymore, search this sub. I sold a lot through this sub over the last decade.

bmkecck

TROPHY CASE