Extending the Twenty-Four Inch Gauge

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Erik M. Geehern

As I write this it has been approximately twenty-four hours since I sat in the East for the very first time. Yesterday I had the honor of conferring the Entered Apprentice degree on two new Brothers of our Lodge. This was our Lodge's first EA degree since June of 2021, and the first degree ever in our new building.

My usual vocation is in restaurant consulting and sales, and I work six days a week consistently. Saturday is my only day off, which is why I scheduled the degree for that day. It led to better attendance and as many of our Brothers are older, they do not want to be getting home super late on a Monday night, which is our usual meeting day.

As Junior Warden it was also my responsibility to provide the meal for this degree. Since this was a Summoned Communication on a Saturday afternoon, I decided we would have a nice brunch prior to the degree. The menu consisted of a few different egg dishes, scones, a few different baked French toast dishes, sausage gravy and biscuits, potatoes, and yogurt and fruit parfaits. Of course, when I decided on the menu, I was not considering my wife would be away and unable to assist in getting everything together, but luckily my sixteen-year-old son was able to help me the morning of.

With his assistance I was able to pull everything together in time, get to the Lodge and set up before the majority of people came in hungry, and finish my personal preparations to get ready for the Degree itself. The meal was very well received, and I received many compliments from the Brethren in attendance.

A normal stated meeting of our Lodge sees attendance of between eight to twelve Brothers on average. I was thrilled to see that about twenty-five Brothers attended the degree, many from neighboring Lodges. This was the first time in our new Lodge room that all the chairs had bodies in them, even in the North and it was fantastic to see. I think it is such an amazing thing when so many like-minded people come together in a common purpose, in this instance the initiation of two worthy men into our Fraternity.

Overall, the day was fantastic, and ranks as one of the single best events of my Masonic journey. Sure, there were a few hiccups, a missed line here or there, but nothing that could have potentially detracted from the experience of initiation for our two new Brothers, and that is all that really mattered.

One thing that really stood out to me was how many Brothers approached me to say how they didn't know how I had time to get everything done with my busy work schedule. Not trying to be braggadocious, but I hear this so often, whether in regards to educational pieces I put together, creating our quarterly newsletter, or preparing our meeting meals. It really comes down to one simple thing, if something is truly important to you, it is easy to find the time.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said “One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.” I have certainly found that to be true. Prior to becoming a Mason, I was working like a dog. Seventy plus hour weeks, lots of travel, not enough family time, most of us have been in that rut before. Since then, I have really taken the lessons of our working tools to heart, especially that of the twenty-four inch gauge. Now, I am not saying I divide my time the way we are taught, rather it is understanding the concept of finding balance. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

While I was internalizing our lessons, I started to discover a lot about myself. While I have always been a voracious reader, I also watched a lot of television to "wind down" at night. It's amazing how fast a few hours go by when binge watching The Office or Vikings. I started to limit that time and use the reminder for things that I could feel satisfied after completed. Researching some topic of interest, spending more time with my wife and children, studying our ritual, or reaching out to a Brother. I started putting limits on my work as well, closing the laptop and leaving the office, setting away from office messages on my email on days off, responding to texts with I'll call you back tomorrow morning. What began to happen was essentially I found hours more every day I could put to better use.

Sometimes I still wish there were more hours in the day, but by getting rid of some of the superfluous items in our lives and focusing on what is really important, we can all extend our twenty-four inch gauge just a bit. Spend more quality time with the people in our lives that matter and participate in activities that feed our minds and our souls.

~EG

Erik M. Geehern is currently Junior Warden of Goshen Masonic Lodge #365 in Goshen, NY under the Grand Lodge of New York. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in October of 2019 and since then has served as Assistant Secretary, Mentor, and Charitable Committee member and chairman. He writes and curates a newsletter for his Lodge quarterly which disseminates education, history, and esoterics. He is also a member of the Grand College of Rites and the Kansas Lodge of Research. He works in restaurant operations & consulting, and when not engaged in his usual vocation, or laboring in the Craft, he loves spending time with his wife and two children.

The 24-Inch Gauge

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

“The Twenty-four Inch Gauge is an instrument made use of by operative Masons to measure and lay out their work; but we, as free and accepted Masons, are taught to make use of it for the more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. Being divided into 24 equal parts, it is emblematic of the 24 hours of the day, which we are taught to divide into three equal parts, whereby are found eight hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, eight for our usual vocations and eight for refreshment and sleep.”

His name was… well, let’s call him Buddy. I had completed my petition for the mysteries of Freemasonry and the lodge had instructed me to give it to him. Buddy stopped by my house to pick it up. Under Missouri rules my father, from another jurisdiction, could not sponsor me, so Buddy, whom I had never met, was to be my first-line signer. I handed him the petition, we had a brief conversation, and Buddy left. As he was walking toward his car, I said, “I guess I’ll see you in lodge.”

Buddy turned and shook his head. “No,” he said, “I don’t attend. I’m burned out on Freemasonry.” That was the first and last time I ever saw my first-line signer.

What a thing to say to a candidate replete with the anticipation of his upcoming adventure with the Craft! I wondered how that had happened to Buddy. Too many boring meetings? Or had he taken an office in every body he belonged to leaving himself too time-stressed for his other responsibilities? Or both?

The admonition of the Twenty-Four Inch Gauge is not that we should walk around with a stopwatch ticking off each day in eight hour segments labeled service, work, and refreshment. Its symbolism teaches us to divide our time among those activities. Moderation in all things.

Most of us admire the guy who sets the world on fire with 70 hours a week at work in order to provide for his family and become successful. Likewise, for the Brother who is an active member of many Masonic bodies, holding offices, attending every meeting, and spending his valuable time to help the fraternity prosper; but the message of the Twenty-four Inch Gauge says that will catch up with us. All work and no play makes Hiram a dull boy; and it burns him out.

Occasionally, being a workaholic or a Masonaholic os commendable, but even race drivers have to make a pit stop once in awhile, or they’ll find themselves sitting on the backstretch out of fuel. So it is with us. Slow and steady might win the race, but a lot of us don’t know anything about those two concepts.

The minister at my church is currently on a three-month sabbatical. She’s a hard worker, dedicated, effective, and successful; but in her final message before leaving, she reminded us, “we are human beings, not human doings.” For some in our congregation (not unlike many of our Brothers) who are stuck in the work-a-day world a sabbatical is a foreign concept. One member griped, “She should try running her own business. I don’t even get a vacation.” Yet, even with his blessing we sent her off knowing she will come back refreshed and renewed, both physically and, more important, spiritually.

And so will I. I’m taking some time off.

Unlike Brother Buddy, I am not burned out on Freemasonry. I am, however, overextended in many of my life’s pursuits, and it’s time for a break. I’m not going anywhere. I’m just taking my own personal sabbatical. It’s time to, as advised in the text of the twenty-four inch gauge, divide my time into three equal parts instead of one bloated, stressful, unmanageable lump. I can’t thank Robert Johnson enough for allowing me to do these segments on his show, or Darin Lahners for publishing my articles on the Midnight Freemasons blog – and there will be more – for now I won’t be with you on the podcast or the blog anytime soon, but I will see you in lodge.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°  is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

I Will Walk the Symbolic Path

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

I will walk the Symbolic Path, and let the Fraternity continue. Freemasonry endured centuries before us, and it will continue centuries beyond. There will always be ritualists and non-ritualists, there will always be symbologists and non-symbologists, and there will always be those committed to the administration of the Craft by way of taking on officer roles. Or not. Not every Mason fits into a silo of how others believe Masons should be, and that’s the beauty of the Craft. Every Mason’s path is unique, and I guarantee you have not walked in their shoes except at one place: kneeling at that altar. Respect that difference.

Allegorical instruction illustrated by symbols. We know this phrase, albeit a little differently. The teachings of the ages are indeed mysteries, and they remain mysteries to those not interested in looking. Let those people be. We don’t need to be knocking on people’s heads to force them to see as we do. What we need to be doing is refocusing on what’s important to us, and quit trying to force this eye-opening on others. In the long run, we all have the opportunity to look inwardly, and we have the ability to sit silently. We do not have any right and in fact many admonitions against, pushing our internal views on others.

Likewise, we have the obligation and the Agape view of Love/Charity to reach out the helping and guiding hand toward those around us who desire to improve themselves. It’s our calling to help ourselves and help others around us. We may do that in many ways such as guiding the development of ritualists, actively supporting our Grand Lodge officers’ endeavors, or taking on roles and responsibilities within our own local lodges or bodies. We may opt to focus inwardly, and that is not mutually exclusive to the other ways of participating in the Craft.

My choice was and remains to focus on the symbolism and to put effort into the contemplative practices toward finding myself, of taking that leap. I encourage anyone who wants to do so to not let anything stand in their way. Be mindful of your 24-inch gauge, but find ways to make time work in your favor in your prayers. Practice yields results; more practice yields more results.

How do I get started? Ask and it shall be answered.

~RS

Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12 year span. Randy is a 32nd degree KCCH and Knight Templar. His Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two symbolic lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an open ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

To Win Big, Think Small

by Midnight Freemason Regular Contributor

WB Christopher Hathaway 

Photography by  Catherine Lee Balsamello-Rutledge

We have all been in a classroom that had this quote hanging up on the wall: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars.” While it’s catchy and has good intentions, when we try to execute that strategy, we often miss the moon, miss the stars, and come crashing down worse off than we ever were pre-takeoff. So how do we achieve our wildest dreams? Set expectations low and learn how to win.

Small calculated steps turn into winning big. Innovation, financial freedom, weight loss, all starts with intermediate achievable goals. In Freemasonry, we call this chipping away at our rough ashlar. Our rough ashlar represents our imperfect form. There is a reason we say chipping away. You can’t improve yourself overnight. Chipping away at your imperfections takes patience and persistence.

Many people think success is lucky or inherited, that a million-dollar idea comes out of nowhere. In reality, innovation and new ideas do not happen that way. Jeffrey Lowenstein, one of my professors at the University of Illinois, explained that creativity is a cognitive process that hinges on changing one’s perspective. In other words, the idea of the mad scientist coming up with a brilliant idea due to his sheer intellect is not correct. We can all be creative innovators if we start with the right perspective.

Having studied business and economics, I tend to see things through a financial lens. When trying to win with money, the first step people often choose is getting out of debt via the snowball effect made popular by Dave Ramsey. It is the most successful method because it allows people to get small wins, changing their attitudes and perspectives. Is it the best way mathematically? Not in theory. But it is the best way in practice because it yields the results people are seeking.

Think about your lodge. How many times have people said “we need more candidates” or “we need more help with the degree work.” Those are actually big goals that often lead to disappointment. Start with small wins that get people excited and motivated. How is the lodge doing on landscaping? What was the quality of the last meal? Is the lodge clean and professional? All three of those things are small wins that take little effort and manpower. You would be surprised by the kind of momentum you can gain by doing the small things correctly.

Take a look around your lodge and try to achieve small wins this month or year. Use the 15-minute rule to see what you can achieve in your Masonic activity. Take 15 minutes every day and do as much as you can. That could be studying rituals, sending out emails or phone calls, sweeping a dusty corner of the lodge, or writing down ideas for the next stated meeting. Your brethren will take notice and you can explain how easy it is to achieve your goals by breaking them down into small actionable items.

One of my favorite quotes from Hall of Fame Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is: “Having fun is doing hard things well.” Freemasonry is not easy. It is not for the faint of heart. But when we improve ourselves, our lodges, and our communities, we all benefit. When it’s done well, it’s a lot of fun.

The Bible, one of the great lights in Freemasonry, has this to say in Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much”. The words trusted and faithful are interchanged depending on translation but the meanings are the same. Do we have faith and trust in ourselves to do the small things right? Can we really expect a man to give his time, talents, and money to an organization that doesn’t pay attention to the details? Not in today’s world. There are too many options. Freemasonry is just one school of moral thought, just one form of social activity, just one branch of charity. I am confident if we go back to the basics and take care of the fundamentals, the best of what Freemasonry has to offer will satisfy our members for years to come.

Who’s with me? Who wants to win big by thinking small?

 

~CJH

WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is a plural member of Normal Masonic Lodge #673 as well as Bloomington Lodge #43, where he is a Past Master. He belongs to the Valley of Danville, AASR where he is the Most Wise Master of the George E. Burow Chapter of Rose Croix and Membership Chairman.  He is the Oriental Guide in the Divan for the Mohammed Shiners, and the 1st Vice President of the Bloomington Shrine Club. Other appendant bodies include the Gao Grotto and the Illinois Lodge of Research. Outside of the lodge, he enjoys spending time with his wife Taylor and cheering on the Fighting Illini and Chicago Cubs.   

"Without a Plan, There's No Attack. Without Attack, No Victory"

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert E. Jackson 

"Without a plan, there's no attack. Without attack, no victory." 

- Ack Ack Raymond (Curtis Armstrong)

I've written before about the importance of the 24-inch gauge, and how not every gauge is the same size, or even divided in the same fashion. However, with the recent global turn of events, I was inspired by some Brothers to revisit the subject, under a new light.

From my own work situation, the quarantine hasn't changed much. I typically work from home, traveling to customer sites every once in a while, but for the most part, I'm in my home office most of the day. The company I work for, actually, is 'remote first.' We have one office in San Francisco, CA, but the vast majority of the 900+ employees work from their homes. Before the virus hit, I would have conversations with friends about this work environment. I would explain that the best part about working from home is that you can work from home! No traffic to deal with, your own private bathroom, etc. The bad part is that it is SO EASY to just sit back and start working again--regardless of whether it is 10 PM during the week or in the middle of a beautiful Saturday.

When you work in an office, some location that requires a commute, there is a clear delineation of work-life and home life. That commute time, the transition from work to home and vice versa provides a buffer in which the mind can be adjusted. At one point, when I did have a reasonably hefty commute, that physical break-in location and time was the one thing I enjoyed. The time to listen to my favorite podcast or audiobook, and just let go of the stress of the day. However, when your commute consists of opening your office door and walking downstairs, that break and division no longer exists.

So, how do you apply that 24" gauge, when the markers are so challenging to read? If you look at how parents and teachers are managing home-schooling, you can get some great insight. Maintaining sanity requires a schedule and routine. I believe it was Jason Richards from the Masonic Roundtable who stated this week, that humans are creatures of habit, we need routines to function. Not only function, but the daily habits and routines enable us to maintain some level of sanity. If it weren't for the habitual behavior, every task, every action, would be a new decision.

In my personal life, I see this a lot when going out to eat, well when I used to go out to eat. I follow a plant-based diet, which I'm sure you can imagine, makes going out to eat reasonably tricky. Sometimes, if I am going to a more select location for a formal dinner, I leave it up to the chef to cook me something. In many restaurants, there is only one thing, or maybe two, that I can eat—no decision to be made. However, when I go to a vegetarian restaurant, it becomes more difficult. The decision hasn't been made for me, and I'm forced to make a selection. What if it's the wrong one? What if I don't like it? With a habit and with a solid routine, you have fewer decisions to make, and less fear creeps into your head.

Think of how much time is spent in the morning, trying to decide what to eat, or what to wear. I've heard some people state that they enjoy wearing a daily uniform, either for work or school. With the uniform defined, there is no need to decide what to wear. The brain isn't occupied and consuming energy trying to choose. Can you imagine how much stress and fear would be in our lives if every day we had to decide which toothpaste to use, or which part of our body to wash first? These habits and procedures have been built over years of just habit, and with those habits, we don't need the motivation, willpower, or the decision making energy to function. Unfortunately, some habits are more harmful than others.

There are millions of people in the world that are consumed by video games, drugs, alcohol, work, etc. These become habitual behaviors that can be detrimental to your life and consume every inch of that 24-inch gauge. Often these habits can initiate out of boredom--you start doing them, and then they become you're "go-to" every time you aren't sure what to do. Replacing these behaviors with something healthier can be challenging, but well worth it. Much like the years it took us to learn to brush our teeth or wash our hands after using the bathroom; it takes time to build good habits.

"Don't Break the Chain" is a methodology reportedly popularized by Jerry Seinfeld. When you want to replace a bad habit, with a good one, simply decide when you will perform that action and stick to it. Every day, check off your accomplishment, and the more you succeed, the less you want to break the chain. I would postulate that Brother Benjamin Franklin's routines and his practice of his 13 Virtues follows a very similar methodology. All of these methods encourage good habits by introducing one change, one additional link in the chain. The problem now is that our chain has been shattered. So how do you rebuild?

I can certainly admit that the immediate introduction of working from home, without a defined routine, can lead to hours of scrolling through newsfeeds, binge-watching television, and day drinking. But what drives these behavior patterns, if not boredom? Can you imagine how difficult it will be to get back into your routine when the time comes? Instead of falling into a bad habit, use the pieces of your broken chain to develop new routines and new habits that will help you thrive.

From recovery.org, "Why not take charge of it in such a way as to create the most healthy, balanced, and positive lifestyle possible?" Start with setting a schedule for merely waking up and going to bed. If you're feeling ambitious, add mealtimes, just include time for preparation, consumption, and cleanup! After all, the last thing anybody wants to do at the end of a day is spending an hour washing three meals worth of dishes (unless, of course, you find solace in that activity). Establish that foundational structure, and start adding other habits, tasks, or periods of work.

You need to own the day, not let it own you. But this also means setting boundaries. Stop for dinner, and walk away or entirely shut down your work computer. Don't let a restless night turn into an early morning work session. Without the physical boundaries, it's much more challenging to see the hatch marks in the gauge, but it doesn't make them any less critical.

There are a plethora of resources out there to help with self-organization to the point where the information can be overwhelming. My recommendation, should it matter, is to simply throw some terms into your favorite search engine (terms related to creating and maintaining a routine), and click the first link. Read a paragraph or two, and if you're in, great. If not, go back and hit the second link. Set aside 30 minutes in the morning to do this, perhaps with your coffee, and before you know it, you'll feel more productive, efficient, and happy than you ever did in an office explaining what you do to your seven bosses!

~REJ

Robert Edward Jackson is a Past Master and Secretary of Montgomery Lodge located in Milford, MA. His Masonic lineage includes his Father (Robert Maitland), Grandfather (Maitland Garrecht), and Great Grandfather (Edward Henry Jackson), a founding member of Scarsdale Lodge #1094 in Scarsdale, NY. When not studying ritual, he's busy being a father to his three kids, a husband, Boy Scout Leader, and a network engineer to pay for it all. He can be reached at info@montgomerylodge.org

Stop Wasting Your Time with Freemasonry and Do Something Worthwhile with Your Free Time!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin A. Lahners

If you recall when the working tools of an Entered Apprentice Mason were being explained, you were told that we are to make use of the twenty four inch gauge for the noble and glorious purpose of dividing our time. As it is divided into twenty four equal parts, it is emblematical of the twenty four hours of the day. You were taught to divide the twenty four hours into three equal parts. You were told to devote eight hours for the service of God and a worthy distressed brother, eight for our usual vocation and eight for refreshment and sleep. Nowhere did you hear anything about time being used for the purposes of pursuing the activities of Freemasonry.

Do you consider Freemasonry service to God? According to the Masonic Service Association of North America (https://www.msana.com/religion.asp) : 

“Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It requires of its members a belief in God as part of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and extempore, to reaffirm each individual's dependence on God and to seek divine guidance. Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion may not be discussed at Masonic meetings.”

 However, under this section, it reiterates that each member place his duty to God above all other duties: 

“Freemasonry Supports Religion. Freemasonry is far from indifferent toward religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it expects each member to follow his own faith and to place his Duty to God above all other duties. Its moral teachings are acceptable to all religions.” 

So, it seems that service to God would fall under one’s religious activities, and not within the scope of Freemasonry.

Do you consider service to a worthy distressed brother part of Freemasonry? Yes, of course it’s a large part of Freemasonry. However, in the Entered Apprentice Charge, you were taught about the duties that we owe to God, our neighbors and ourselves. The charge reminds you to act upon the square with your neighbor, rendering him every kind office that justice or mercy may require, relieving his distresses and soothing his afflictions, and by following the Golden Rule, doing to him as you would want him to do to you in a similar case. Therefore, your duty is not only to a worthy distressed brother, but rather to all of humanity. It’s obvious that serving all of humanity will take up a large part of the eight hours given for service to God and worthy distressed brothers. It’s pretty obvious that all of your Brothers that aren’t showing up for Masonic activities are busy performing that task.

Unless your vocation is Freemasonry, then you’re not going to be able to pursue Freemasonry during those eight hours you are at work. That then leaves the eight hours for refreshment and sleep. Are you able to attend lodge while you’re asleep? I mean I know a few grumpy Past Masters that I’ve seen doze off during meetings, but I don’t think that is what the explanation had in mind. What about during refreshment? If a lodge is at refreshment, then they are not performing Masonic labor, so one can only think that if you are refreshing yourself, that you are not performing it either.

You might remember that you were told in your Entered Apprentice degree that it was hoped and expected that you would apply yourself to the study of Masonry. You will recall from your Fellowcraft Charge, that the impressive ceremonies of that degree were calculated to inculcate in the mind of the novitiate the importance of the study of the liberal arts and sciences, especially of the noble science of Geometry, which forms the basis of Freemasonry. It is clear that while you’re wasting your time in lodge; your missing Brethren are hard at work learning this useful knowledge.

Stop wasting your time with Freemasonry and do something worthwhile with your free time! I’m serious. Yes, you read that correctly. You didn’t pay attention during your degrees! All of the brothers that aren’t showing up for stated meetings, degree work, and Lodge social events; they obviously are not showing up for the reasons given above. They’re managing their time according to the 24 inch gauge! They’re pursuing the study of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, especially Geometry! Why aren’t you? Why are you continuing to attend paralyzing business meetings? Why do you subject yourself to the same mundane experience meeting after meeting? 

There is a line within the Fellowcraft obligation regarding answering and obeying all due signs and summons if within the length of your cable tow. What is the length of your cable tow? Is it long enough to allow you to continue to prop up lodges and appendant bodies that aren’t giving you any meaningful experience?

I hope by this point in the article, my attempt at satire isn’t lost on you. Maybe it is, and you’ve only read the title and not the article and you’re flaming me on social media. Let’s do some basic math. In most cases, out of the dues paying membership of your lodge, you have 90% - 95% that are not participating actively. Out of that percentage, there is maybe 5%-10% that might participate. Maybe they’ve not attended in a long time, and they’re embarrassed about forgetting the passwords. Maybe they’ve been ill, and no one from the lodge has checked in on them. Or maybe they just got tired of attending a two hour long business meeting without getting anything that improves them as men out of it?

If you’re not getting new members, or you’re failing to get members to show up, then our lodges leadership needs to take a good look in the mirror. There’s obviously something wrong with what some of us are currently doing. We're not going to figure it out by talking to the guys that still show up for lodge meetings, degree work, social events and the like. We need to engage those that are not showing up. We need to reach out to those members. Ask them what’s keeping them from attending, and work to correct that. Ask them to help turn things around. Engage them! Give them a role, and support them in it. Or stop wasting your time with Freemasonry and do something worthwhile with your free time. The choice is yours.

~DAL

WB Darin A. Lahners is the Worshipful Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He’s a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of the new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign – Urbana (IL). He is also a member of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com.

Be More Than a Mason

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Guide Sobecki

For those are alarmed or offended by this title…Give me a chance to continue, Brother. One of the greatest achievements and honors one can hold is to be a true Freemason. But as we are told during out first degree, moderation and balance should be the first working tool we take to any project. This story is about what happens when a loyal and selfless workman must be touched on the shoulder and told he must retire and refresh himself.

Men are welcome into Masonry with a wide map of direction they can take. Each lodge ideally offers various projects and service opportunities, schools on ritual and floorwork, leadership development, and community outreach events. Moving further, each of the many appendant bodies offers more of all that in specific flavors and genres to suit each tastes, and often have sub-bodies for even more engagement and activities. Once you reach out to the wider community, you join a deep network of thousands of Brothers like yourself who would love for you to visit their lodge or help out at a regional event. Whether you want to present a lecture on the finest esoterism, ride your Harley Davidson, or even do both on the same weekend, Masonry will let you dive deep and immerse yourself among motivated peers.

For a good two years, I was an officer in nine different Masonic organizations ranging from theater usher to elected officer. I served on a few committees, drove hours a day to perform ritual for my own lodges or any nearby that needed a hand, acted in Scottish Rite theater productions, and spent weekends working degree days for York Rite. I was usually out at a meeting or degree three to four nights a week year-round, unless I got a call at work that some one needed a Deacon or a Steward. For just those occasions, I even kept a full suit and tie in my trunk ready for Masonic emergencies. Just in case. Doing casual math one day, I realized I was spending a minimum of one hundred and sixty nights a year serving as a Mason. And as a few reading this will instantly chime in…I could have been doing more than that. Some regulars were out even more than I was, driving farther, and performing bigger roles.

At first, I felt I’d cracked the code. ‘You get out of it what you put into it’, so the old Masters told me. I learned more about the ritual and history, I gained leadership experience and honed my management skills, I met hundreds of people all over my state. I became trusted by many, and they knew I’d always answer the call. This was being a good and upright Mason.

But as the years went by, the drives seemed to get longer. The meetings ran longer and later. Most nights I was getting in at midnight for six hours of sleep, then heading off to work which I jokingly called my eight-hour break from ‘my other job.’ Social events outside the Craft became more and more awkward as I lost touch with mainstream hobbies such as sports, movies, events around town, or even just hanging around with friends who weren’t in an officer line. My life after work was spent being a Mason in all its forms, and the only people I ever saw were Brothers and their families. We never talked about our jobs and other outlets, Masonry had become a monastery for people like me. But the work had to be done, we needed the slates filled, and this was what it meant to be a Mason. It meant being a bit miserable, but we all seemed to take a little solace in that.

I eventually faced a sobering truth. Masons like me were helping the fraternity as a second calling…But from the outside looking in, I was realizing how Brothers like us may be exhausting more than just ourselves. Our families and friends only saw us exhausted, dazed, and worrying about the next degree or official visit. Potential members knocking on our doors to join a benevolent secret society found workaholics stretched too thin, who could list their various past titles and committees…And not much else. As time wore on, I started looking around the room during the talks of dwindling membership and vanishing petitioner. I saw these same jaded faces night after night, and they saw mine just as often…Because this had become all we ever did.

I never had the time to look back and remember what drew me to become a Mason, amidst all this being a Mason. Long gone are the professors, business moguls, and politicians who retreated from their busy lives to center themselves in a lodge of other good men. We are not out in the world shining our light, making people wonder about the lapel pin we wear and knowing that’s where men like us gather. We’re in our lodges under the grey fluorescent lights, mouthing along to rituals we’ve seen hundreds of times and dreading the politics behind every vote and motion. Many active members can only list achievements, passions, and life experiences that are all purely Masonic. Unless, they’re also an Elk or Kiwani on the side…

If you talk about this lifestyle to a person off the street, they would hear a lot of unusually grand adjectives said with an uncannily straight face by a tired man worn out by something he volunteered for. Would I have joined if I only met people this isolated and immersed? Worst of all, was this all really making me a better human being...Or was I just becoming a better member of a fraternal organization?

My exit from full-time Masonry was not easy, and I still cringe looking back at the damaged bridges it left behind. But that first week where I realized I had every night off to myself, there was a faint ember of a warmth I hadn’t felt in two years. Whether I took a walk down the street or flew to another continent, I could really get out there and see the world again wherever it took me. I could slowly meet myself again, remember what I really found fun or interesting, with less time holding a gavel and more time learning and experiencing things I’d never seen before. That same curiosity that drew me into Masonry was now free at last.

Right now, I’m almost just as busy as I was as a professional Mason…But sincerely, I’ve never been happier. I’m studying martial arts and doing fitness classes, finishing a degree part-time, wandering random seminars and weekend courses, and when I’m lucky I get to camp or go backpacking. For a few nights a month, I am a truly born-again Mason who sees every ritual like I when I was initiated. Because now, these are tools and teachings I am carrying with me and rediscovering in the world around me. An accepting mind listens to those I do not initially agree with or understand. Love for the liberal arts and sciences draws me to be a student of experts and mentors of all kinds. Devout justice guides my degree in management. Trained discipline gets me into the gym every day. The ancient magic of geometry guides my footwork as I spar and flow. Care for mankind keeps my eyes on those around me as well as my own goals, never hesitating to offer a hand to those in need.

In the hours I don an apron and jewel, I care more about the Craft not as an obligation, but as an outlet to further better myself and enhance my personal journey. I have more knowledge to apply to our mission, and I have more to offer my Brothers if they take an interest I have experience in. And when I retire from our gatherings to wander these other paths and pursuits, on various occasions someone has asked me about a small piece of jewelry they noticed or about a picture they saw on my Facebook. I’ve talked about the Craft on the sidelines of fighting tournaments and gathered around campfires, with admirable people I never would have encountered if I hadn’t applied the forgotten working tool and added balance to my life.

To the Brothers reading this, I commend you and thank you for your contributions to the Craft in every form. But do not leave behind what makes you an individual, and never stop looking for ways to improve yourself in the greater world as well as in Masonry. It does not make you a worse Mason to branch out and diversify. It will leave you a much more satisfied and talented man with stories to tell and wisdom to pass on, who may just inspire others to join the fraternity because of the qualities you carried with you from your Masonic journey into the world we serve each day. 

~GS

Brother Guide Sobecki of Geneva Lodge No.139 is the Junior Warden of Gourgas Chapter of Rose Croix, Valley of Chicago Scottish Rite as well as Preceptor of Illinois York Rite College No. 15. He works as a public relations specialist and ghostwriter for the national association of neurosurgeons. He holds the rank of Companion at Arms in the art of medieval longsword fighting. He can be reached at guidesobecki@gmail.com.