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Dave Mavity
Super Moderator
Posts: 2371
Registered: Feb 2005 |
 Posted November 7th, 2006 12:36 PM IP   
Not only interesting, but it should be required reading, IMO.
BTW, this paper is meant to be copied and distributed as far and wide as possible. The "Knights of the North" have given full permission for this.
Or, so I've heard 
Dave Mavity
Academia Lodge #847 F&AM, Oakland, CA: Traditional Observance, baby.
Golden City Lodge #1 AF&AM, Golden, CO
Oakland, CA Valley A&ASR
Intra Nobis Regnum Iehova
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Everyything
Unregistered
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Posted November 7th, 2006 06:09 PM IP
Yep, it should be required reading. I made a bunch of copies and handed them out to the Officers and interested members of my Lodge. It was well received. I keep a stack on hand, I had them printed and assembled at Kwik copy for a reasonable price.
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skiendhu
Super Moderator
Posts: 2627
Registered: Dec 2004 |
Posted November 9th, 2006 03:45 PM IP
[quote]Dave Mavity wrote:
Not only interesting, but it should be required reading, IMO.
Not only required reading but required action as well.
It's long past time that we got over this top heavy "Masonic"charity that has developed over the years, with its "look what good guys we are" attitude and got back to basic, personal, local community charitable acts.
That along with the vast majority of the necessary actions as described in the paper.The grandiose schemes of Grand Lodges to be more open and more visible do little or nothing to improve the craft, and may even have a detrimental affect.
Is Masonry travelling down the wrong path, lost its direction? In many aspects I think it has.
S&F
skiendhu
Practical experience is the best teacher
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Peter Taylor
Master Mason
Posts: 1946
Registered: Aug 2005 |
Posted November 10th, 2006 07:23 AM IP
skiendhu, I've posted this before and I thik it is very appropriate here:
Jesus teaches: Matthew 6:1-13
"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."
I think we should ensure that our charity is borne out of love and done only because it is the right thing to do and not to gain honours, recognition and 'pats on the back'.
Regards, Peter
PM Lodge Albert 448, PM Lodge Discovery 1789, Provincial Grand Secretary of Forfarshire, Hon. 54, 164, 299, 327, 486; PZ RA Chapter Albert 503, Installed Mark Master, AASR (30th), PMWS Rose Croix, ROoS, KT, KTP, OSM, RCC, RAM, CC, SRIS, Squaremen
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Dave Mavity
Super Moderator
Posts: 2371
Registered: Feb 2005 |
Posted November 10th, 2006 01:22 PM IP
Precisely, Peter. Great quote.
That's one of the most important points made in this paper: charity without accolades. Also, that as Masons, we are are to be individually charitable, not a "charity."
Dave Mavity
Academia Lodge #847 F&AM, Oakland, CA: Traditional Observance, baby.
Golden City Lodge #1 AF&AM, Golden, CO
Oakland, CA Valley A&ASR
Intra Nobis Regnum Iehova
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Jeb_Carroll
Unregistered
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Posted November 10th, 2006 10:26 PM IP
I liked this paper so much I have printed it off and put it into a nice binding for passing around at lodge. I do not believe that reading it should be mandatory, but I do believe it is neccissary for someone to read, understand it and do it. I'm going to try and kick start my lodge. Anyone else?
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skiendhu
Super Moderator
Posts: 2627
Registered: Dec 2004 |
Posted November 10th, 2006 11:19 PM IP
A good and timely post Peter.
Of course we don't "really" know for sure if the man Jesus actually said all that to Mathew, but if it gets the message across to present day Masons, why not?
S&F
Practical experience is the best teacher
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A.T.Smith
Master Mason
Posts: 1739
Registered: Jul 2006 |
Posted November 11th, 2006 06:35 PM IP
The paper brings to light some important, if not embarrasing truths, which I have experienced first hand since I was initiated last year.
Shure, Euchre is great fun, but I find sometimes after the lodge has been closed,
it is often quite a task to turn the conversation onto strictly masonic subjects.
I really think Masonic education needs to emphasized, especially to the newer members. I can say with out hesitation, that my personal research into the history, the philosopy, the speculations, all of it, has added immensely to what I get out of it, and it's a shame that all candidates do not experience Freemasonry for all it can be!
Under the Shadow of Thy Wings
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skiendhu
Super Moderator
Posts: 2627
Registered: Dec 2004 |
Posted November 11th, 2006 07:06 PM IP
Aha! brother Smith, you hit a chord there.
The festive board is for social intercourse, the lodge is for teaching and learning.
Probably what is in your mind is that somebody should be educating the brethren, especially the newer brethren. Well brother Smith, you are somebody, and if nobody else seems willing perhaps you should take what you have learned from your researches and present it to your brethren in lodge.
Maybe such an act would initiate a R&E program in your lodge.
Just a thought.
S&F
Practical experience is the best teacher
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Squire Bentley
Unregistered
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Posted November 26th, 2006 10:20 AM IP
My praise of Laudable Pursuit is also included here.
I have found that more Masonic education and more brotherhood comaraderie is accomplished in the casual bonding of Brothers in what I like to call after meeting "Pub time". Here over a pint and some good whiskey much is bandied about that opens eyes and spurs enthusiasm.
In regards to more formal Masonic education I am sorry to say that lectures and dissertations in open Lodge are met with disdain. Not all Brothers desire to be force fed the meaning of their Craft.
I recommend that Lodges form separate research/study groups away from the tyled Communications of formal Lodge. Here on a voluntary basis Brothers who are interested could meet and keep the philosophical flame alive in our great institution. I would also make it mandatory for a candidate to attend such sessions while he is going through the degrees.
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A.T.Smith
Master Mason
Posts: 1739
Registered: Jul 2006 |
Posted November 26th, 2006 10:56 PM IP
Agreed Squire!
Those brown pops, do really seem to get the contemplative cogs turning don't they.
Cheers!
Under the Shadow of Thy Wings
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Squire Bentley
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Posted November 28th, 2006 10:56 AM IP
I wrote a piece for "Masonic Magazine" in which I said that the Masonic Degrees teach the individual Mason to be charitable. But they do not teach the Lodge to be charitable.
Freemasonry is using the Lodge to push community involvement. In so doing they often enter into "Institutionalized charity" that commits the Lodge to an ongoing charitable program. This Lodge charity's main purpose is often more of publicity than actually helping others. In so doing we have degraded ourselves to becoming a carnival barker.
The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts does not even call it charity anymore. They call it "Masonic Awareness" and they tout MAC Masons in their magazine.
Masonic charity is performed by one individual Mason who from his heart sees a need and offers to help. The Lodge is an inanimate object. Giving it feelings and emotions is a corruption of Freemasonry.
In analogy I remember a great religious leader saying something like ............ do not beat your breast in the public marketplace and wail and moan your prayers for all to hear but go home and in the privacy of your closet offer your adorations to God.
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Peter Taylor
Master Mason
Posts: 1946
Registered: Aug 2005 |
Posted November 28th, 2006 12:13 PM IP
Quote:
Squire Bentley wrote:
In analogy I remember a great religious leader saying something like ............ do not beat your breast in the public marketplace and wail and moan your prayers for all to hear but go home and in the privacy of your closet offer your adorations to God.
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Agreed! As per the quote above from Matthew 6:1-13
Regards, Peter
PM Lodge Albert 448, PM Lodge Discovery 1789, Provincial Grand Secretary of Forfarshire, Hon. 54, 164, 299, 327, 486; PZ RA Chapter Albert 503, Installed Mark Master, AASR (30th), PMWS Rose Croix, ROoS, KT, KTP, OSM, RCC, RAM, CC, SRIS, Squaremen
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Freemason Discussion Group :: Freemasonry :: Masonic World View :: Laudable Pursuit |
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