since9
Campaign Veteran
How much is it worth to you?
Got invited to join by a seasoned citizen relative. Went to a lodge and asked why there were no windows...no windows, no joining for me. Even a VFW has a window or two and they really don't need them.
Well...[FONT=arial,helvetica][FONT=arial,helvetica]No one would ever invite you to join.. they may have invited you to the Lodge to meet some guys/see what it's like. The Ritual is supposed to be secret, hence the no windows. All fraternal organizations want to keep their Rituals secret, that's the whole point.....Why is that a big deal to you?
If you didn't care for the guys there, that's fine but please don't dismiss an organization that you know nothing about because you feel the need to see the trees outside.
That's the one! I knew there was one in my ole stomping grounds. Nice place on the inside...needed windows though. Windows brighten a place up...or so they tell me.The Lodge on Orange Grove Road, West Ashley, Charleston has architectural exterior faux-windows and none in the hall.
Is there a secret e-shake?
All fraternal organizations want to keep their Rituals secret, that's the whole point.....Why is that a big deal to you?
I agree this is why FM gets a bad name, especially in the South. Heck, i cant even buy beer on Sundays in Arkansas, where's the separation of church and state there?
There were more than a few bad apples, unfortunately. Enough so that I got a very bad taste in my mouth. I've run up against bad apples during my long career in the military, but still managed to maintain my perspective and accomplish the missions I had been given. It's a lot different when a man who has to sworn to be as a brother to you betrays that oath.No one would ever invite you to join.. they may have invited you to the Lodge to meet some guys/see what it's like. The Ritual is supposed to be secret, hence the no windows. All fraternal organizations want to keep their Rituals secret, that's the whole point.....Why is that a big deal to you?
If you didn't care for the guys there, that's fine but please don't dismiss an organization that you know nothing about because you feel the need to see the trees outside.
SFCRretired.. you say a few bad apples caused you to leave? Doesn't that go against the Ritual itself? If a bad apple in any organization causes you to leave, you surely can't be military, have a job or anything for that matter.
There were more than a few bad apples, unfortunately. Enough so that I got a very bad taste in my mouth. I've run up against bad apples during my long career in the military, but still managed to maintain my perspective and accomplish the missions I had been given. It's a lot different when a man who has to sworn to be as a brother to you betrays that oath.
For what it is worth, I have enjoyed two long, successful careers.
You have just hit the nail squarely on the head. When an individual, or a group of individuals, tries to limit my search for personal growth instead of aiding that search, then it is time for me to move on.As you may have experienced, Freemasonry is a personal growth organization wherein you apply the symbols and allegories contained in the lectures to your own life as you seek to build your Temple of Self, finding your own individual place in the universe.
To be sure, the Fraternity is supposed to be a "Band of Brothers," but it is made up of imperfect men who sometimes stray from their Obligations. So long as you continue on your own path toward greater understanding, what the other men in the Fraternity may or may not do, while bothersome, should not alter your travels.
Too many Lodges believe that they are a "social club" dedicated to community service or to fun and fellowship. IMO, those Lodges have lost sight of the true meaning and intent of speculative Freemasonry.
Uh-oh, The Illuminati are on to us.