As the Senior Deacon, I was confident for a chance to seat in the South chair this year but I have to pack my bag, resigned from Federal service and leave CA for a chance to join the Joint Strike Fighter/JSF program here in CT. Being new in the area, I signed up to join a yahoogroup of a local lodge and send them a copy of the piece--Not 4 Everybody.

A PM responded negatively and concluded that if the Craft is getting exclusive as I described, that he might demit and join a country club if he wanted to be exclusive. So I wrote a follow up piece I titled Exclusive or Not Exclusive, the PM went ballistic because I did not ask for permission to quote him and I posted my article in my website. Then the moderator, also a PM joined in and emailed that I need to know them more before being "preachy!"

It is interesting to note that the word exclusive, enclosed in a quotation marks was only used once in the original article—Not 4 Everybody. The responders took the word in a negative context and used it repeatedly that I decided to employ the word as the title of the follow up commentary---Exclusive or Not Exclusive. Below is an excerpt of the piece which resulted in the usage of words such as, “intellectually dishonest, bigot, anti-Catholic, preachy" and other unkindly terms to this writer and to deliberately "trifle an individual or feelings" without imparting any lesson in Freemasonry.

"The Fraternity accepts only men, of certain age bracket, "not a madman or a fool" in addition to other requirements. There are Lodges for language specific speaking Lodges i.e German, Spanish, French and no need to mention race and color specific Lodges. Even within the Lodges in this side of the world, only Master Mason can attend regular meeting to vote and have a voice in the affairs of the Lodge. The point is being "exclusive" also meant a presence of set standard(s). A man who desires to receive Degrees in Freemasonry must have his name be read to the membership, investigated by three Master Masons and if recommended, be elected by the Lodge. A single nay overrules the majority. That process was concocted for a reason. To select, choose, restricts, limit, and that e-word---exclusive."

View the complete text at : http://www.geocities.com/rmolano5/exclusiveornot.html

I met Brethren during my cross-country drive from CA but it seems I need to try harder to meet real Brothers in this side of the town.


S&F,

Rudy Olano
Lincoln Lodge No. 34 (Phil)
Hanford Lodge No. 279 (CA)
2Feb06

Brother Rudi

I agree with the sentiments you have of the higher work of lodges. Perhaps the word "exclusive" has been captured or contaminated by other uses and users. Thus "exclusive" may give undertones of arbitrary acceptance or rejection by human societies.

An alternate expression might be that the lodge sets high standards of morality and commitment to the Deity (or search for the Deity).

Thus the acceptance or rejection is primarily in the hands of the candidate.

Hopefully any candidate who meets the standards will be accepted into lodge. Thus it is not a matter of being exclusive but of actively welcoming all who meet the standards

Cheers

Russell Holland

I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments. I have seen first hand what happens when "just anybody" (more accurately, people who are perhaps NOT READY to join) are brought in. They lose interest and leave. In the end, there are no more bodies present at a meeting than there were beforehand. It was said (and agreed) at our last lodge meeting that while Masonry makes good men better, it can also make mediocre men worse.

Most jurisdictions have rather liberal rules concerning rejected candidates. They can, after a period of time, petition again. A truly "exclusive" organization will often engage in outright discrimination against certain types of people they do not wish to admit...and this is often based on socio-economic standing, race, appearance, &c &c. Yet even these organizations are entitled, as private organizations, to have whatever "standards" they choose, as long as they aren't breaking any laws in the process The Craft, on the other hand, does not discriminate against any person but SHOULD BE discriminating as to a man's character.

In the end, it should be up to the candidate to decide whether or not he is up to the standards. It should definitely be up to each lodge to maintain the highest standards, as is required of all of us by our obligations.

A well-written article, Brother!


_________________
"Ad Astra Per Aspera"

Forest Hills Community Lodge No. 946
Queens, NYC, New York

Scottish Rite Valley of Long Island