Open-Source Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Technology and techniques are trade secrets, at first slow to spread and evolve. With the advent of printing, knowledge was spread far and wide. Craftsmen in one place were aware of better practices and tools in distant lands and added them to their knowledge and toolbox.
Then came the invention of “intellectual property”. Patents hindered the copying of an idea or invention (in principle to ensure the exclusive benefit of its creator). But ideas also became publicly known. People could build their own ideas based on it. I don't think it is a coincidence that such things coincided with the Industrial Revolution and the rise of Capital. Universal knowledge is still possible, but for the consumer, we entered an Age of the Proprietary. The average person and company are beholden to certain suppliers and licenses.

Perhaps because our secrets are symbolic, Freemasonry seems unaffected by these social and economic changes. Sure, there are printed volumes from Masonic writers far and wide, but few consider them integral to cultivating our Art. Perhaps it's because we each have our own Constitutions and interpretation of Landmarks. Masons can travel and experience variations in Ritual and tradition, but most of us live and work in the confines of local quarries.
Then came the Internet and social media. Without going through Grand Secretaries or district associations, we have prolific Masonic intercourse with Brothers around the world. We share ideas and experiences. And vive la différence! Our differences give us a much deeper understanding of Freemasonry as a whole. It gives us new ideas, new programs, new inspiration of all kinds.

But we can take this further. For a generation now, there’s been a new paradigm -- open-source software. People freely contribute and build upon code, design, and functionality. We don't need a specialized platform to have a Masonic website -- tons of software is out there, mostly free. If I build you a website, for example, you can take it somewhere else and add or remove whatever you like, either yourself or a million other people who know the software. You’re not beholden to me.

Imagine membership software anyone could use and customize to fit their exact needs. Imagine jurisdictions controlling their own data in-house. Some already do this to some extent. But imagine if anyone could contribute functionality that others could use, instead of being beholden to one company to develop and roll out as a feature. There’s little expense in building and maintaining their own system using this model.

But let’s apply this to more than zeroes and ones -- to programs, flyers and graphics, budgets, bylaws, and management processes. In New York, we have the 24-Inch-Guage, which is a start, but how about a repository across jurisdictions? Imagine Masons everywhere freely sharing and contributing ideas and resources.

This isn’t a pie in the sky. Someone, somewhere, will build a digital Library of Alexandria for our Craft and perhaps fraternal organizations in general. We only need to find and support artificers for this grand purpose.

~JP

 

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Dead Lodges Walking

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

One of my favorite sayings is "You can't step on the same piece of water twice." It's akin to "You can never really go home." We long for times when things seemed better. We fight the current to return to Whence We Came instead of dealing with an uncomfortable, unpleasant, or unfamiliar Now. We want to have what we once had, to go back to running a Lodge like we did generations ago.

This is the drag and inertia we see in Lodges, and frankly, it's been killing us. It's the REASON we are where we are. If only we could go back to doing things that made us great! Except it's not the same river. That water has moved on. And we didn't thrive years ago because of anything special we did. Everyone joined everything and they didn't care if it was Freemasonry or any other reason to have another night out.

If we REALLY want to return to what made us great, we have to go much farther back -- to times like TODAY when Lodges that survive do so because they bring meaning and value, not because the masses to fill our rolls want to wear another pin or a fez.

We want to blame television (and more recently, the Internet), apathy, and lack of attendance. We blame parenting for lack of interest in joining. Maybe the fault is us. We think we are more committed and dedicated by being in Lodge just because we are there. Years ago, that was good enough -- or maybe it wasn't but we got away with it. Today, some of the most Masonic of us have learned to pick and choose. We go where the action is -- where we are needed for more than a dues payment or to fill in a chair just to open long enough to pay bills.

We complain about being in a holding pattern -- or a slow spiral downward -- but don't do anything to break out of it. In fact, we will do anything NOT to break out of it. We focus on petitions, money, or a building as if these are the ends and not the means. Masonry isn't rocket science. We don't "make good men better" by running a club that just happens to have some old ritual. We provide instruction and mentorship through fraternal solidarity of purpose.

That's it. Everything we do can be guided by this purpose, from checking in on Brothers to providing relief, to nourishing minds and hearts with programs, to practicing it all by making a difference in the world through community projects.

If a Lodge lacks any of these, we need to address that, not complain about why people don't attend. It's not a secret why some Lodges are thriving and others are not. The ones who do the Work are not talking about mergers or seem desperate for petitions. They are focused on the purpose, not the result.

What would going back to the "Golden Years" of Masonry actually mean? Should we pretend that world still exists and shake our fists at fate for not delivering us into a promised land of busting Degree cycles? That's what we've been doing for almost half a century and it's gotten us nowhere. And Masonic authors from long before this shared the same fears our Craft would not survive another generation. But they've also shared the solution over and over and over -- meaningful programs and instruction.

But knowing the solution and not taking it elevates the issue to "level 2 tech support" where obstructionists need to stand down, step down, or go just away. Our own members are why we can't have nice things.

Freemasonry is starting to finally emerge from this. It's stronger where it counts, having shed skin that doesn't fit anymore. But we still have plenty of Dead-Lodges-Walking and leaders who will keep a Lodge on life support until they -- or the Lodge -- are gone. Forget merging dead lodges into larger dead heaps and waiting for people to age out. Pull charters. Emeritus-away the old guard if they can't let go of the reigns. Stop glorifying hold-outs. Let's climb on the life raft of functional, healthy Lodges. The Fraternity needs some excision or we all risk going down with the ship.

~JP

 

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Digital Immortality

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

 

 

 

We are told that once you post something online, it's there forever. That's not always true, but an average post or comment in a public forum may be visible long after the user is gone. Our grandkids will know if we were kind or hateful, open-minded or bigoted. But why should we be more concerned on the Internet than in everyday, non-virtual life?

Masons in ages past put their marks upon their work, a symbol or initial to tie the object to themselves. It wasn't just quality control, but credit and reputation. Masters -- in stone, art, literature -- are known for their achievements. Even when works were not signed, their legacy was so notable that their name was preserved. Their masterpieces embodied them, and through them were immortalized.

What remains after our earthly existence? Generations will retell stories about us. High school trophy cases are graced with our photos. Our names are on donor plaques and memorial bricks. And if we do something wrong or unjust, our infamy will be whispered among associates and neighbors for decades. Maybe none of these are forever, but we as Masons believe our Charity (Love) is eternal.

Few will have a street named after them or their own Wikipedia entry. But everything we do has the potential to survive our mortality, even if our name is lost. The fruits of our hands, words, and other choices will live on. We may have affected the future of a company, a Lodge, a community, and society. No matter how small our contribution, the needle will move in part because of each of us. Even our absence of action is part of the equation. An artist's signature isn't always present or discernable, but it still says something about an author -- the image or footprint of a human being as if set in stone for all time.

What about being someone of your word? Integrity is known, not for intentions, platitudes, or even oaths, but as a record of our actions. Will we become a perpetual example to aspire to? Will we hope others can fill our shoes? Or will people hope someone "better" moves into our stations and places once we "check out"? Will our fate be a warning to others of what not to do or what to be like?

We worry about social media as if it's an invasion of privacy. But it is voluntary -- and painfully honest. It is perhaps today's biggest self-exposure and broadcast of one's character. All can know a tree by its fruit, even if the bushel is in the metaverse. But it's not about technology. Some people don't seem to leave a mark at all on our future, which is the reward of apathy and inaction. But most of us will, for better or worse, without even logging in.

We work against the backdrop of eternity. If we accept that everything we do and say may be forever recorded, our everyday work will be mindful, good, true, and square. 

 

~JP

 

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

The Three Degrees of Chi Kung

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

In the West, we tend to boldly demark the concepts of body and mind from one another -- the physical from the psychical (mental and/or spiritual). The traditional Chinese perspective looks at the body (or one's being) being a composite, with the physical body as a component of one's self. It's not merely a shell, and certainly not sinful or oppositional by nature as in Western traditions.

Mind you, there's nothing wrong with a simple Body-Mind duality. The Square is about actions and is used to measure relationships in a three-dimensional existence; the Compasses are a drafting tool for discernment and willful boundaries.

But perhaps a more pertinent model for our various Degrees is the trinity of body, mind, and spirit. According to George Harold Steinmetz, in "The Royal Arch, its Hidden Meaning", as well as other Masonic authors in various works, the Degrees show a progression of growth through those parts of our being. It isn't hard to see how the Entered Apprentice Degree deals with the physical, the Fellowcraft with the mental, and Master Mason Degree with the Spiritual. We go from the quarries of measuring and manipulating the objects of the physical world, to the arts and sciences, to the transformation of our mortal, yet immortal existence.

It is no wonder the Square takes precedence in the configuration we first behold at the Altar, the Compasses at last, and a partial transcendence of the physical into the spiritual when we are Passed. The ritual describes our progression in our Moral Science as being -- by necessity -- by degrees.

So why bring up an Eastern model of human existence? Because there are aspects of the model that grant us other insights. Any framework of understanding can yield results unique to it, and Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of them, particularly in its Taoist roots.

The ancient Taoist physiology focuses on the "Triple Burner" system -- three energy fields in the body called dan tiens. These are NOT point-like chakras and are often poorly equated with them or other Indian concepts. And most martial arts don't even mention there are three of them, as only the lower one is used in martial training.

The lower dan tien, just below the navel, could be described as the home of jing, physical essence. I teach my students that it is the geographic center of the physical body, and if it were stiff, dead weight, that's where you could place a fulcrum to balance it like a see-saw. (Don't try this at home.)

The middle dan tien, around the diaphragm, is the home of chi, literally meaning breath. Of course, the concept of breath is hardly limited to moving oxygen but is an energetic, whole body (or even body-and-beyond) experience. (I've written on this subject before, but won't get into its metaphysical nature or theological implications here, as it would detract from the point of this article.)

The upper dan tien could be thought of as the "third eye", or seat of spirit. This completes a trinity of places to focus the physical (body), the non-physical (spiritual), and the bridge between them (chi).

So, where am I going with this? The ancient Taoist text, "Cultivating Stillness"*, expounds a regimen of chi kung (roughly meaning "breath training") for the purpose of immortality. Let's not argue over how literal or possible its goal is intended to be. The important thing is that this is a journey for the whole person. Every aspect of one's being affects the others. The progression described is an effort to use the jing to "purify" the chi, and then the chi to purify shen.

Like the deep lessons of our degrees, you can't jump ahead. It would devastate the impact of the Third Degree by not having experienced the first two. The power of the Royal Arch Degrees would be wasted if endowed upon the profane -- there's a reason you have to be a Master Mason to receive them (and be a Past Master, but let's not bog ourselves down here explaining that).

Each Degree builds on the former. The First sets the foundation for the Second, which in turn prepares you for the Third. We can't move on until we have purified the baser part of ourselves. We must use simple tools to circumscribe and divest our physical actions and passions to be ready to cultivate intellect. Then we must use our learning to cultivate our faith.

But do we have truly suitable proficiency before moving on? If we appreciate any of this, we must admit a Progressive Moral Science that can only be taught and experienced by Degrees. How could one-day classes even be considered acceptable? (Although some Brothers have succeeded in spite of them.)

We give little or no thought to why we do the Degrees in their order, They are simply dates on a Trestle Board, a train with three stops. Saying the journey is important isn't a cliche. The process is the work, and the work is the whole point.

But it's never too late. Each time we see the Degrees, we have a chance to revisit where we are and know better where we need to be. Just like an advanced practitioner of chi kung or martial arts can always deepen their practice through the simplest exercises, we can allow ourselves to be an Apprentice or Fellowcraft again. 

*First translated into English by Eva Wong, who incidentally is local to my area and a student of Master Moy of the Taoist Tai Chi Society. His art is the first of many styles of Tai Chi that I have studied over the years.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Daylight Lodges

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

In my jurisdiction (Grand Lodge of the State of New York), there are only two Lodges that meet during the day. One of them is in New York City, the home to Brothers who are actors and musicians that are by the nature of their profession unavailable most evenings. The other meets on a Saturday, apparently an accommodation for Brothers who came from a closed Lodge that also met mornings due to its members working second or third shifts.

Frankly, I find it hard to understand why we do not have more daytime Lodge meetings. The days when nine-to-five jobs were the ubiquitous standard are long gone. There are many night jobs and other shifts, stay-at-home dads, and on the other end, retirees who don't like (or can't) drive at night. This means ample opportunity for new Charters, and to get more use out of our Temples. I would even suggest that anywhere you can find more than two or three Lodges in an area, you could add another one to accommodate candidates and existing members who just can't be involved in an evening. For what it's worth, here are my suggestions to take advantage of, or at least acknowledge the situation.

If you have an active Lodge but find that many members cannot make meetings due to business and family commitments, add a few daytime meetings to your Trestle Board. Make sure they are well communicated and advertised. Heck, you may even find Brothers from other nearby Lodges start to attend.

Another option is to sponsor the creation of a new Lodge. This can increase the tenancy and use of existing Masonic buildings. You can work together as closely or separately as you like. The only issue with this approach is pushback from those concerned about existing Lodges losing members. But who are they going to lose except those who cannot participate anyway? And do we care about our brothers and the Craft, or just our individual Lodge? We would need to overcome our scarcity mindset. Besides, some members would want to retain their membership in the mother Lodge.

By the way, I'm not talking about weekend Lodges. Even people working evenings or overnight may want their family time on a Saturday or Sunday. I would even go so far as to make a point of never meeting or rarely holding events on Friday through Sunday to avoid conflict with the holy days of various faiths. In the GLNY, we just passed a change in the Constitutions allowing Masonic work on a Sunday, so as to alleviate the need to have it on the Jewish Sabbath. I myself experienced a pleading to have a communications conference on a Sunday instead of a Saturday for exactly this reason.

It must be discerned as to what choices and details ought to be implemented in any particular locale and circumstance. But the days of smaller Lodges with better participation and serving specific niches are upon us. I can easily imagine, for example, a monthly meeting on a weekday morning followed by going out to lunch. (There are already several Masonic lunchtime gatherings in my area, which should be an indicator of the potential I'm talking about here.)

Look around you. Is there a place for Masons to go during the week, earlier in the day? If not, there may be a real need for our Brothers -- and a line of candidates that have been turned away. But you won't know until you seek, ask, and knock on the door of this possible future of our Fraternity.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Cryptic Contemplations

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

I am a new Cryptic Mason. I have been studying profusely the lessons and history of Royal Arch Masonry to at least try to provide adequate instruction for my Chapter as High Priest. But this new journey is yet another layer of allegory and meaning.

I understand (as much as I am able) the interrelationship between the Three Degrees and the Royal Arch Degrees. Historical complexities can reasonably account for the order of the events in the legends. We find the "deleted scenes" that occur before and after the notorious murder scene and then are fast-forwarded to what is almost a sequel in itself, the recovery of what is lost.

So how does Cryptic fit in? Are they just some extra degrees that lingered on after the first three had been finally and firmly established in the middle of the 18th Century? Were they crammed in to fill out some need, or perhaps arbitrarily placed in the York Rite from the Scottish Rite due to the common details of the Legend? (I must here note that many of the creative ritualists were the same people in both traditions.) There seems to be little logic in any of it, being solely a matter of historical compromises and nearly random circumstances.

I'm not concerned with that here. Well, from a scholarly view it is noteworthy, but what we can consider from the experience is more than just what the authors intended or even imagined. We can speculate on them ourselves, as individuals, and what I have derived is a pattern that makes sense to me. So what I propose here is another angle from which to measure this path of Degree work.

Let's put aside the chronology of the story, and distill the elements down to their possible underlying meaning. In other words, let's see the Degrees as our own story and see what fits where.

We begin by losing something precious. We're not even sure exactly what it was that was lost because we didn't quite receive it. Is it a part of ourselves, perhaps a connection to our higher nature? Perhaps such loss is the expulsion from the Garden, the Fall of Adam in each of us.

Sure, we learn from the consequences of our natural inadequacies. Maybe that's part of the purpose of human existence. But regardless, we are in some way lacking and imperfect. There is something missing and we cannot complete our journey. We must use a substitute to get us by. Who knows what the particulars may mean for you, the reader, but we all have at some point been at a loss and prop ourselves up with something by which to compensate or medicate or just plain cope.

However, by some divine forethought and Grace, we find a hidden remnant of what we lost. Perhaps we gave up looking; perhaps we strove diligently in Faith. But such an important thing could not be gone forever, lest there be no true Hope. When we recovered (or rather uncovered) the holy relic and its secret, it was as if our journey was complete. We know Truth in a higher and more complete way.

So why does the Cryptic narrative serve as the final chapter of the story? I see it as the lesson of how we should preserve and cherish what was found, something that could only be heartily done AFTER having suffered its loss.

We cherish it as a secret should be cherished -- entombed in our faithful breast, rather than dissipated in an unintelligible shout among the profane. And we value it enough to preserve it through the passing on of our tradition, from generation to generation. This could be symbolic of passing on our highest values to our children, or those we mentor, or the young in general.

This gives a deeper meaning to what it means to "keep" your word. We've all had times we lost part of ourselves, and may or may not have succeeded in preserving our integrity or honor. But sometimes it takes losing something to realize how precious it is. From that point onward, we try to do better once such things are regained.

So these are my thoughts about Cryptic Masonry. As I progress, I may find it primitive or build further upon it. But for now, I have this lesson to learn: I must not only rediscover those things that are dear and precious in my life but learn to actively guard them against the ruffians of the world and even my own apathy, sleeplessly and unceasing as if defending whatever it may be from the ravages of time itself.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Reclaiming the Rejected Stone

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

In my contemplations, I often think about the Lodge as a representation of my inner being. The physical world is outside, and the only thing that can enter are materials to build my Temple, be it thoughts, commitments, or experiences. The metal tools of the profane can only be applied to such things BEFORE they become part of us. Of course, we don't vet such "visitors" most of the time. We allow socialization, propaganda, and attacks against us of all sorts to seep in. They become a part of us whether we want them to or not. It's too late to work on what might have, should have, or could have been.

After a while, we must establish a refuse pile. Some might say this is our subconscious -- those things we don't want to think about or deal with -- but what if it's more of a storehouse? After all, I have a basement of tools, some of which I may never use, but surprisingly there are times I am glad I didn't throw something away. It could be a scrap of wood, a bent screwdriver that still can pry things, or that odd piece of hardware that just happens to fit a project my wife wants me to do unexpectedly.

And then there's trauma. There's hurt. There are the judgments of when we "weren't good enough", or embarrassed, or just didn't win at a game we invested a lot of emotion and energy into. There are regrets.

What if at least one of those "stones" was crafted by the Great Architect for a purpose we as yet do not know? What if no matter how un-square or unfitting (by our human judgment) a stone is, there's some important place for it anyway? Before raising an arch, you might not comprehend what a Keystone is for. You don't know where it came from or why. Was it a mistake, or part of some Greater plan by someone Greater than ourselves?

What if that time we messed up or were betrayed, or burned with unrequited love, wasn't part of our plan, but part of a plan made for us? What if surviving some terrible thing imbued us with the strength to overcome a hardship later in life? What if our painful times of need made us more charitable to other people's hurt or needs? What if those stones are already holding up arches, making our character better throughout a life that may not be as well-lived without them?

Maybe it's time to go through my rubbish pile, looking for that one stone that is ugly, imperfect, and just plain doesn't make sense. Maybe it's the key to something or someone I need more than I realize. Maybe the pegboard of the soul is G-d's Trestle Board, and it's my job to learn to put everything in its proper place, to figure out what each item is for, or have faith there's a reason for everything. Then when the task comes, I will know where to find the right tools, and the material I planned to reject -- maybe even my very self -- will become a thing of Strength, Wisdom, and Beauty.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Reincarnation and Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Freemasonry does not require particular belief in the afterlife, only the immortality of the soul -- that some part of who we are continues in some way after bodily death. Reincarnation is not a belief common in traditional Western religions, but surveys show that at least a quarter of Christians believe in it. Some say this is a contradiction, while others find confirmation or at least hints of the belief in Judeo-Christian scripture. The idea was also not unknown to Jewish and Christian mystics, likely from contact with India since the time of Alexander the Great. Regardless, the viewpoint of living life after life has profound implications consistent with Masonic values.

One consequence is that of legacy. Where most of us want to leave a better world for our children, those who believe in reincarnation are also making the world better for themselves. Whatever world they make they will have to live in it again. It is not merely a passing on of the torch, but a continuation of work. From contemplating this viewpoint, we can ask ourselves -- even hypothetically if you do not believe in reincarnation -- what do we want to do in this lifetime that we would want to continue in the next, or reap its benefits? What mark could you leave on the world so significant that being randomly cast into another life would guarantee being affected by it?

Another implication is the idea we have many chances, or steps, to perfect the rough ashlar, and our work can only be turned in after we submit a stone that is true and square. This is an excuse to aid in the reformation of others and ourselves, considering few, if any, to be beyond redemption. And what better way to be humbled than to know our spiritual work is greater than our single lifetime. Masonry, like the Operative Craft of the cathedral builders, teaches us we begin what others will finish and finish what others have started, spanning lifetimes and generations. We can't expect to do it all during our short years and should not lament it as a personal shortcoming. How odd would it be in Deity's great design that we should only live and die, when more glorious purposes require time leaning toward eternity, whatever form the rest of our travels take.

Reincarnation is also the reverse of the YOLO ("You Only Live Once") culture of the libertine, or the materialist-atheist. Like a belief in immediate heavenly reward, those embracing reincarnation do not live for the moment, except as a prelude to a future. What we do now has real consequences, to our future in this life and the next (and the next).

Perhaps it is a sensible idea to us or even one in which we already believe. Or perhaps it doth seem strange to us, but the sentiment ought to be familiar to our core beliefs, where we travel "from life to life". Or perhaps we reject the notion of reincarnation, but still can learn its lessons. The Roman poet Seneca says, "Live each day as a separate life." Each day, or life, presents us with a new trestle board, and even if we can only see this day's work, we know we didn't start it, and it will continue long after the working tools of life fall from our hands. And maybe the tools will be waiting for us once again in the morning.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

The Virtue and Vices of Trust

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Allegory of Virtue and Vice - Lorenzo Lotto

We long for the times when a handshake and a person's word meant something. But even in those olden days, we couldn't always wear rose-colored glasses and survive unscathed. Part of the reason we became Masons is to be around people who really trust each other -- and live up to deserving that trust. And yet there is still occasional impropriety, and embezzlement is no stranger to the Craft in spite of our oaths and admonitions.

I know this isn't the most exciting topic, but I'm going to talk about one of the best ways to maintain trust within an organization, and it's not what you think. Instead of thinking of trust as not needing accountability and oversight, why not use such things to solidify trust?

First of all, let's examine if trust is transferable. We treat it that way in Masonry in many ways. We vouch for those entering our ranks such that if a Brother trusts someone to become a Brother, we assume we can trust them as well. (We can argue over how often this is or is not true, but we pride ourselves in being able to ask for and give help based on a lapel pin.) If a member of our jurisdiction is expelled, we expect that no other jurisdiction will ignore that. In fact, my own jurisdiction is still working out recognition with another Grand Lodge over just that.

But there are limits. A Right Worshipful I know gave a petition to someone at a party who had never previously met anyone (except his girlfriend, the Eastern Star Sister he came with). Not the worst offense, but then he proceeded to ask other Brothers to be his character references. When asked what he was thinking, he defended the idea that if one Brother signs, the other Brothers should trust his judgment and be willing to follow suit. So then why bother with three references at all?

First, such trust would be misplaced. He doesn't see it this way, but he was asking them to lie -- accepting yourself to be used as a reference implies you know their character, not merely shaking their hand at a party and trying to remember their name. But he was also expecting them to defer their judgment and trust him.

There's another limit built into our officer's duties. No one person handles the money. The secretary receives it and the treasurer uses it. It passes through two hands. Their records can be checked against each other. And in many jurisdictions, the Master's signature is required, and even only then after a due vote of the Lodge (or within a voted-upon budget). Some bank accounts (and even vouchers/warrants in some jurisdictions) require two signatures.

We could say this is because of legal requirements and tax codes. After all, the Benevolent Laws of New York State were formed specifically to harmonize state law with Masonic Laws that existed even before the state was incorporated. (Eventually, these laws were applied to all fraternal organizations.) Most of it deals with Trustees but it sets an example of financial transparency for membership and even the public. And it is more honest to state that the profane followed the Masonic precedents than the other way around.

But why go to all the trouble? We trust our Secretary. We trust our Treasure. We trust our Trustees, hence the very name. It's why we elected them. I'll tell you why. It's so people who don't know them don't have to go by someone else's trust. It goes too far. Second-hand trust is a precious commodity between individuals but breaks down like a game of telephone the larger the group. It's like telling someone a secret, believing they will not tell another person, but then they tell someone they "trust" not to tell anyone else. It all goes round-robin until everyone knows and the only anger is over blaming the next person who violated secrecy exactly the way they did themselves.

That's why these safeguards are in place. If people are held strictly to certain administrative processes and are regularly audited for errors and other issues, there is no question of trust because there is no question. You cannot trust every other person's personal judgment, but you can trust the proof within a process. And this isn't just about members -- even if we could infallibly trust our officers to not only be honest but error-free in their records, that isn't good enough for the public or the State. We need to be able to prove we are impeccably trustworthy and impeccably competent. The only way to do that is impeccable accountability.

We see what happens when we have trust without accountability. It could be priests or politicians or officers of the law. Some of these we are taught since childhood to explicitly trust on sight. The problem isn't that we can't trust any particular one. It may be reasonable to extend some level of trust to anyone with a collar or office or badge. Even when trust is broken by one or more human beings in those roles, we (or rather most of us) don't easily condemn all of them. But what if there aren't safeguards against misconduct, and instead there are policies, indemnity laws, or even unions that shield them from a level of accountability expected of other important professions like doctors and teachers? In other words, what level of trust can we expect of society for a profession, no matter how noble, when it is even perceived that wrongs go too often unaddressed or are buried? It's hard not to see where this leads, and those in the professions themselves, regardless of any individual virtue and blamelessness, can fall under wholesale persecution.

Heck, it happened to us. In 1826, a printing house in Upstate New York that was going to publish a Masonic exposé was burned down. The author, William Morgan, was harassed with questionable civil suit charges and incarcerated for them. Bail was paid by Masons, who took him away by force and basically made him disappear. There was no body. Even today, some believe he was taken to Canada as some sort of extrajudicial exile. The county sheriff lost his job for his involvement, and even a postmaster was involved, whose descendant, a Mason that I know personally, brags about his ancestor being the boatman that took Morgan across the Niagara River (at least partway).

This was the spark that ignited a powderkeg of anti-Masonic sentiment that had been growing for at least a generation. Masons occupied prominent political and civic posts and it is reasonable to assume from the aforementioned incidents that a "good-ole-boy" network was in force. As in the United Kindom today, there was a public fear that Masons can get away with anything because their members fill the ranks of bobbies and judges. Masonic privilege, however real or imagined, created the sentiment of oligarchy with non-Masons as second-class citizens. In due course, the Anti-Masonic Party was founded and became the largest political third-party in American History. After that subsided and paused during the Civil War, Evangelical elements took over, and Morgan was metaphorically their patron saint and martyr. There's even a monument to him.

But it was much worse.

Masons were killed. Temples were burned. Lodges closed or stopped their work for decades, and on a vast scale. In my area, not far from where the Morgan Affair took place, not a single Lodge survived and it wasn't until 1854 that another Lodge was chartered.

So what does this have to do with trust? Distrust grows in the soil of opacity. The profane world interprets our secrecy as a sociopolitical tactic rather than a moral discipline. And they can only see how we act in the World. Even in living memory, there have been businesses and municipal departments and so forth that de fact required membership in the fraternity. I suggest we ought to consciously avoid exercising this human trait of fraternal nepotism. We ought to have our books externally audited, and use non-Mason building inspectors to make sure we aren't endangering anyone. Doing so is NOT about mistrusting ourselves, but making it crystal clear to anyone within or without that we are above board without question.

In our personal practice, we may do deals with a handshake. But sometimes we may want to consider contracts, not with the expectation we will need them for accountability, but for clarity of each party's responsibilities. Consider the Old Charges which established (among other things) the relationship between masters and apprentices. It could be referred to at any time. It was likely committed to memory. And they were placed on a pedestal in front of the Master's station before we later resorted to a Volume of Sacred Law on an Altar. Would a simple handshake have sufficed? Or does a rule and guide help keep harmony?

Perhaps we should care enough about our promises to write them down and hand them to someone -- and expect them to do the same. This isn't distrust. It's a covenant that removes fear of distrust. That is the whole point. But we are wrongheaded about it. We shy from formal agreements because having them feels like an accusation that without one, our word will not be kept. It's more natural to breed distrust rather than trust, even if subconsciously, from insistence you don't need one.

But nothing is more important in applying this principle than guarding the West Gate. We must wonder how fewer Masonic charges would be thrown around (both frivolous and egregious) far less if we had more properly investigated candidates instead of trusting the judgment of their beloved Past Master relative, or their devoted first-line signer. Many a scandal could have been avoided.

And what of background checks? It is not legal to require it of some candidates and not others, but one of the objections for requiring them at all is because some Brothers feel offended their own grandson has to go through ANY process of examination. They feel it is owed to their progeny. However, there are too many instances, Masonic or otherwise, where genetics do not determine character. Likewise, personal feelings do not correlate with trustworthiness.

You see, when you make a decision that impacts others, you are deciding for them. You are expecting them to accept your own judgment, which is why there ought to be at least three on any investigative committee and you still require a vote of the Lodge. It's why we blackball. It's why we can stop a degree with a single objection. We ought to trust as we may, but trust for ourselves, not for the whole Fraternity.

And when we can say all our members undergo a background check and are held accountable if they grievously err, the World cannot question what it otherwise could not directly know. THAT builds trust, rather than an unverified and unrealistic belief that we are all beyond sin.

A virtue is a mean between extremes. If trust is a virtue, then what are the extremes? Surely we should not be untrusting in general, nor live such that we cannot be trusted. But surely we should not demand people to trust us unreasonably without safeguards, nor eschew requiring accountability in the duties and obligations of others toward you or the Craft. All this comes down to a seemingly contradictory axiom -- blind trust jeopardizes trust. In contrapositive fashion, safeguards and proofs establish it.

The larger lesson? Accountability is the collective practice of responsibility. Let's not use trust as an excuse to forget this in how we deal with our Brethren and how we run our quarries.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”. 

Practical Psychology of the Circumpunct

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Consciousness and being is an unending bombardment and flow of infinite moments, places, planes of existence, and possibilities. We can be prophets and seers, or dissipate into chaos. Sometimes they are nearly the same thing.

Too metaphysical? Let's bring it down a bit.

Consider that in life we are surrounded by stimuli from without, conscious and subconscious thought from within. There is the perception of the senses, intellectual conceptualizations, and emotions somewhere in between. We imagine when awake and dream when asleep. Life is an immeasurable cacophony of things.

Arguably, the only reason we don't get utterly lost in the experience of life is that our brain filters most of it out. This is by biology, habit, and training. And the reason we know this is true is that there are times we cannot filter and are overwhelmed. Some forms of autism and other 'conditions' (for lack of a better word) put the individual in this unfiltered state all the time. Sounds become attacks and thoughts become cracks in the psyche. We make patterns out of static and connections where there are none. Every space is either filled in or collides with everything else.

On one hand, being open to all levels of reality can be an amazing experience, bringing wisdom and understanding beyond the limits of lifespan and physical reach. On the other, it's too much to process without limits, like trying to swallow the ocean all at once, truly beyond human capacities.

So how does one become more open to everyone and everything around them without drowning mentally and spiritually? Two things are vital: centering and shielding. Perhaps this is best represented by the circumpunct -- the point within a circle.

You have to be somewhere, not merely existing (being), but existing at some particular point in space and time (consciousness). You can only be clearly aware of anything in one or more specific places from which to have a viewpoint or experience. If you are not centered, subjective perception of reality becomes a blur.

Physically, this is known as grounding. Grounding is choosing to be aware of where your body is in a specific place or posture at a present moment. And it gives you a base of operations to safely stray from the physical into the emotional plane, or the unconscious, or the intellectual, imaginative, and spiritual. This roughly can be described as contemplation, but it's not always the casual, passive thing people think it is. It can be a vigorous journey, and you prevent yourself drifting into the static, chaos, or void by occasionally tugging on your tether -- going back to your physical grounding.

But that is not enough. You have to set rules, limits. You have to circumscribe a boundary inside of which you know you cannot lose track of reality, or "err" in terms of discernment of what is more and what is less "real". We must not allow every possibility to exist at once. Think of it as a chess game. Mediocre players may go to every single piece and look at every possible combination of moves and responses a certain number of moves ahead. Machines are built for that; humans are not. A skilled human player, through skill and perhaps intuition, knows which paths of possibility are unlikely or impossible to give an advantage. They explore only the ones that make sense tactically or strategically.

Now let's kick this up a notch, applying it to our Moral Science.

Moral grounding is the conscious embrace of our innermost values. In the Third Degree, every aspect of our being is challenged. The assaults around us have the power to take away all, even our very lives. And yet one thing cannot be taken away. Our Integrity remains intact, even into the next life.

The point and the circle are mutually necessary. The point determines where the circle will be. And if the latter is contained safely between the consistent, measured extremes of vice, it is impossible to morally err. A Volume of Sacred Law further demarks the radius of what is reasonable and what is not. When we rationalize instead of reason, or fail to self-examine or discern, we extend ourselves too far. Our measure of this must be honest both in perception and logic. When we let leave of standards for facts and arguments, we can accept implausible conspiracies.

Emotionally, we can give our fears more weight than our senses, mistrusting a loved one out of jealousy, or the whole world out of paranoia. We place our focus (foci?) outside our circle, in the void of unstructured possibilities, and therefore worries or internal realities created by our own brains fill in the undecipherable space. We then mistaken such things for revelations of all sorts, even though they have little more use than the shape of clouds or the voices and footsteps you think you hear in the rain. I would suggest a lack of center and boundary could be used to better understand many a pathology in the DSM.

Be it physical, neurological, moral, emotional, or any other condition or cause, we may be called upon to whisper wise counsel to those who have strayed from the path of virtue. If a soul is lost, it is often because they have no anchor, or adherence to a standard, conviction, or have lost the ability of will. If a soul is suffering or confused, it is often because they cannot filter out that which is unhealthy, or insensible, or simply an attack of the World without having the refuge of a circle. Whichever is the case, the lesson of the circumpunct can give it form to address it.

We may create further analogies of this ancient symbol in other realms of being and planes of existence, but I will leave that to the reader, or perhaps an article for another time. 

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Are You a Traveling Man?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

Seven years ago, I was appointed to the CommunicationsCommittee of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York to be webmaster for NYMasons.Org. It opened a whole new world to me. It wasn’t just traveling with then Deputy Grand Master Jeff Williamson, promoting the use of technology at a time it was desperately needed, but working with Brothers on other committees. My column in the Empire State Mason opened up many conversations I may not have had otherwise. And working with districts, along with being the webmaster for the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch, made me familiar with the state’s Masonic lay of the land.

However, there was something vital to further expand my Masonic circle and experience — the Internet. There are countless social media groups on Freemasonry, many of which are frequented by the leaders of our jurisdiction. We ask and answer questions, compare notes between our experiences, and gain awareness of a global Masonic culture in all its diversity. We may stray into politics, or even worse, argue over which way a ring should be worn. And it may seem superficial being virtual, but there are countless meetings and presentations you could not otherwise “visit” or attend. Since COVID started, the opportunities have become endless.

Such access gave me courage to write for online publications, such as TheMidnight Freemasons, and meet other Masonic authors. I discovered Masonic podcasts, and even was interviewed on one. I started reaching out to Brothers who wrote or are mentioned in articles or books — they are an email or PM away. I discovered that these intellectual and scholastic giants will meet Brotherson the level in a way that doesn’t happen outside the bonds of our Fraternity.

Not everyone is a member of Grand Lodge, but we all have access to channels of information and relationships in ways that were never conceived of by those who wrote our Constitutions. You don’t have to be a writer or scholar. You certainly don’t have to be a webmaster, although I have made connections with other webmasters who serve the Craft on a scale far greater than my own.

Too many Brothers stare at the walls of their own Lodge, never venturing outside their immediate community. There was a time when being a Traveling Man required time and expense. We went from carts to canals to railroads, highways, and air travel. But now you can instantly touch the whole world from whenever you sit. The insularity or expansion of the experience of your faith and practice is entirely a matter of choice.

I am still profoundly grateful to the Brothers who believed in me and asked me to serve Grand Lodge. But even if I were to find other Masonic work, or switch vocations tomorrow, the meaningful relationships will live on. And I’m only getting started. Who’s with me? Are you ready to be a Traveling Man in this new age?

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

The Right to Work Lodge

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

I visited Past Master Morgan in the nursing home a few times before he passed on. I wasn't yet a member of his Lodge but had heard he could use a visit. (I say "yet" because I was being groomed to help fill in their line, bring familiar with my Masonic work.) It's always a pleasure and treasure to talk to our older Brethren, and I received both in full measure. In fact, he said something that became a cornerstone of my leadership practice:

Give everyone something to do.

This wasn't shoving the newly raised into the empty Junior Deacon's chair. This was about giving people, from the start, a reason to be involved in some way, with or without a station or place. Remember, he was coming from a time when people waited for years just to BE in line. So how do we apply it now?

It hit me from another angle. The same few people doing all the work is a pervasive issue in all organizations. With it comes incessant complaining. Why is that? Well, you'll kick yourself if haven't figured it out because it's actually insanely simple — leaders wait for people to volunteer and members who would be willing are never asked. Over time, the expectation of Brothers to help are less and less and so it falls on the Officers, which in turn leads Brothers to believe it is exclusively the officers’ job to “run the lodge”. Eventually, no one is asked to help and the few who insist or are elected or appointed become resentful of lack of help. It’s a self-fulfilling and self-defeating prophecy.

I endeavored to solve this. When my time came in the East, I ignored distinctions between Officers and “Sideliners”. I heeded Past Master Morgan's sage advice. No one was on more than one committee so I could have more people doing more things, however small. And I ignored geography where I could, asking out-of-town Brothers or those who otherwise could not attend Lodge to do other tasks, such as setting up the newsletters or call Widows during the holidays. We ended up with Brothers who were not officers doing more work than some who were. Some people who didn't attend Lodge started to, or at least fulfilled duties at other times. And this wasn't by accident. I did the magical thing — ASKING THEM.

And yes, people who cannot or do not attend Lodge are still part of the Lodge. They can still be part of the Work. In fact, one Masonic author despised the term “attending” Lodge for this reason — it strengthens the idea of spectator-ism rather than living our allegories of laboring together.

The principle behind all of this is a recognition that above all else, our Lodge IS our Brothers. They are both our primary purpose and our best resource. Countless words have been written about bringing Brothers back to Lodge, waning participation, and not forgetting those we haven’t seen. These are all deeply related in both cause and solution.

Based on this I created the “Right to Work Lodge" model. It sees the ideal Lodge as one whose Brothers strive to find and give meaningful tasks and responsibilities to all of its members, regardless of stations, places, or even the ability to attend communications.

This is done by:

• Reducing the distinction between officers and "sideliners", shifting the purpose of a communication from attending to participating;

• Establishing regular contact with members who cannot attend due to infirmity, distance, and any other reason, providing them with a list of duties they may assume that can be done remotely;

• Provide opportunities for spouses, widows, and children to participate in, rather than just attend, the programs and initiatives of the Lodge, thereby strengthening the bonds between Brothers in their everyday lives;

• Have an advisory committee of ALL living Past Masters of the Lodge and consult as many as possible, even if infirmed or at a distance, on at least some decisions to be made, and voice their opinions in open Lodge;

• Having a stated "Roll Call" where ALL members' names are called, with Brothers sharing tidings of those who are not present, such as their location, health, or a short message they may wish to be shared;
• Encouraging or inviting guests to participate in ritual where appropriate;

• Making sure newly affiliated Brothers, especially those from merged or dissolved lodges, are given equal opportunity in ritual and other work.

How is it implemented? Apart from events derived from the principles above, the key is communication. In addition to personal calls by the Master and Wardens, establish a phone tree whereby the officers and other willing Brothers will keep in touch with Brothers we don’t see at Lodge. Setting up a schedule based on birthdays is a good option.

The largest problem many Lodges and bodies have is that we have insufficiently accurate records on Brothers and widows. We need to hunt down lost Brothers and Widows, even if it means gleaning obituaries or sending out postcards to last known addresses. Local addresses can even be visited in person. (And it is inexpensive for a month's subscription to WhitePages Premium to find possible numbers and addresses.) We also ought to verify or acquire as many used email addresses as possible, something that will most regularly and affordably solidify communication for most of the Brethren.

To aid in making everyone feel involved, I also established two informal classifications of members: "True Men of Tyre", those out-of-town Brothers who can still benefit the Lodge or at the least keep in touch so we can share their messages and tidings; "The Men of Joppa", those in-town Brothers who find it difficult or impossible to attend Lodge but may still wish to be invited and welcomed into other events and projects.

There are more ideas and many ways to implement them, and what is best for your Lodge will be dictated by its own situation. But one thing is universal. The symbolic backdrop of our allegorical existence is that of WORK. Do we think most operative masons were there to listen to minutes and vote on paying bills? Can we honestly believe most of them were sideliners, or not given any tasks? I would suggest a Lodge – operative or speculative – should be judged not by its good intentions or hanging on by a thread through trying times, but by how actively and consistently it involves its Brethren in meaningful Work. The "Right to Work Lodge" attitude and strategies, by this or any other name, does just that.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

Journey of a Stone

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Ken JP Stuczynski

Over the years I've explained the journey of consciousness and sentience using the water cycle. We were created (evaporated) from the ocean of Universal Consciousness, live an individuated existence (as vapor and rain), and eventually, through Enlightenment, stream back to the Source. This is described variously in all the mystical traditions of humanity, theistically and non-theistically, from St. John of the Cross's Union with God to D. T. Suzuki's works regarding Satori. But all fingers point to the same moon. What finger does Freemasonry provide?

How do we, as a Living Stone, start our journey? We first became an individuated object when we were cut in the Quarry, where all stone is one united (universal) mass. In Masonry, our journey begins with a recognition of this separation in the form of duty to God. We cannot know Deity until we suffer the realizations of our separateness, after all.

The Lewis is one of the symbols associated with our Frist Degree, clearly visible on the tracing boards of old, but absent from our ritual, at least those versions I am familiar with. Operatively, the lewis is a tool by which a stone is grasped and lifted. At this point, it is clearly no longer within the bosom of Mother Earth, but ready to be worked upon.

In some jurisdictions, there is a "Lewis Jewel" that serves the purpose of recognizing a Brother whose son or father was a Mason (sometimes with allowance extended to grandparents, fathers-in-law, etc.). These jewels may even have multiple bars of names, signifying a line of many generations of Masons. The longest I have seen is six, tracing from well over a hundred years ago to a young gentleman at a neighboring Lodge. Such is the nature of humankind, ever lifting up new generations, yet each stone unique and in need of its own perfections.

The various tools we encounter on our path are all applied either to the drafting of the Stone's purpose or its shaping. The entire work of Masonry is to learn how to shape, and work to fit, each of our stones. What are we fitting it for? The Temple the Lodge is at least twofold in its representation. The first is an edifice brought together by many men, allegorically — the Lodge as a collective body. The second is the building of our personal existence, not just as the refining of an eternal soul, but a record of words and deeds that we shall leave behind.

The former is social; the latter is personal. And work on ourselves as both an Ashlar for its own perfection is intimately connected with how our stone fits into a bulwark of a band of Men and human society overall. We live an often conflicting dichotomy as individuals and as a member of something greater. This is because, as we are separate beings and yet cannot exist outside of Deity, the stone that once had no independent shape is now moved to and around the worksite, searching for its place within the plans of the Grand Architect.

How it fits (or doesn't fit) is a discussion that could never be exhausted, though we shall endeavor that another time. But the point here is that the ultimate goal is to be united in one mass, one existence. This is how we are, even in temporal form, a citizen of two worlds — one of solitary birth and death, and one of Oneness with what during our life can be no more than the "Divine Other".

The cement of Brotherly Love, unlike the mortar of the World that wears and decays, sets our interdependent fates into an intricate framework of time and space. The final result is beyond our human comprehension. However, each of us partakes fully upon the reality of the whole on a higher plane.

The journey ends where it began, to our Eternal Home from whence our eternal soul originally came, adding our journey's experiences to the limitless, yet united, divine existence.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

In Which All Men Agree

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski

I had a lot of questions before I was willing to petition a Lodge. For me, it was never about wearing a grandfather’s ring or a specific charity project. I wanted to know how my association with the Craft would affect my moral reputation, and more importantly, how it would impact my conscience. The selling point for me was that I could be around people who were diverse in belief but shared my values.

Think about that.

As an interfaith minister and citizen of the world, I appreciate (rather than just tolerate) other beliefs. As someone educated in the Humanities, I accept that there is more than one way of looking at things, be it economics or politics or human nature. But I expect certain truths to be universally understood, even if the application of them may take forms that may pit us against one another. Masonry teaches us to Love one another in spite of our spirited debates and disparate votes.

The more I become aware of Masonic experiences across my jurisdiction and the world, the more I see a diversity of expressions of Masonic principles. However, I am also seeing a diversity of values, some of which are incompatible with what I would suggest are taught in our lessons. Contemplating the inconsistent amity regarding Prince Hall Masons, for example, exposes two centuries of fundamental duplicity. By continued support or silent complicity of segregated recognition, we clearly do not practice what we preach. But it’s more than institutionally systemic. It’s personal.

In the last year, it has become painfully obvious that political divisions have crept into the Craft. Or that’s what we think is happening. I suggest it’s much, much worse: basic values, rather than just specific beliefs, have become politicized. It is not that we are bringing politics into the Craft, but that people are bringing politics into the very discussion of our VALUES. Partisan lines have been drawn, even if only in stereotype, as to which human beings are worthy of our help and which deserve our fear. Justice has become a charged buzzword, Liberty a hollow platitude, Equality a battleground. These words have taken on political meanings that have nothing to do with the Morality on which all reasonable, good and decent people can agree.

There was even one Brother on Facebook who expressed how angered he became upon seeing a “Be Kind” bumper sticker. How bad have things gotten to where we use terms like “virtue signaling” to dismiss or even ridicule today’s version of “Love thy neighbor”? People don’t like being told that what they are doing (or not doing) is inconsiderate or selfish. We may be reminded of our obligations by some stranger and it infuriates us. (Mind you, such things may be worth civilly debating if there is an ethical rebuttal to be had. But such conversations are almost immediately framed by the actions or opinions of politicians, who, frankly, were not invited to the conversation.)

We may be wrestling over things like “political correctness” and “identity politics”, but the underlying values they deal with (however poorly or disingenuously) should not be held in question. Many of us use a dislike of certain people demanding civic duty and respect as an excuse to not be a good person. Instead, we defiantly base our patriotism on personal sovereignty without obligations. We put party identities over the country we claim to love. With so much ritual touching upon the subject of good citizenship, we must wonder if Brothers with this attitude have taken the same Degrees as the rest of us.

But don’t get me wrong. Masons aren’t perfect. So what makes us Masons? It’s not that we aren’t ever prejudiced or selfish, but that we try not to be. It’s not that we don’t sometimes ignore the needs of our fellow Man, or lack tolerance toward them, but that we aspire to do so as we are able. Seeking to be better ought to be considered an unwritten, yet non-negotiable Landmark of Masonry.

If we can at least agree on that, how many of us live up to it? Brother Franklin had his detailed plan to focus on a different virtue each week, yet after years of rotations had not become a Perfect Ashlar. But he made an honest, conscious effort to live a truly virtuous life nonetheless. How many Workmen actually do this most important of Masonic Work in some way, big or small? And if we are failing to do even this, do we accept whispered wise counsel and be awakened from our moral slumber? I would never ask more of a fellow Brother.

But there are those who are petulantly stubborn in their righteousness or simply do not care. Those latter stones may not ever be of suitable material, and yet some Lodge did a disservice to us all by admitting them to our quarries. At least from my experience, we are getting better at guarding the West Gate. Gone are the days when petitions were handed out like brochures to a carnival.

But we still find ourselves with a necessary purging of our Lodges. By that, I don’t mean merely to forbid prejudices, incivilities, or other Unmasonic conduct when and where we find it. I mean the Lodge within ourselves. What Masonic values have we rebelled against in the name of politics? Can we find a way to live up to our obligations without becoming untrue to our particular beliefs, political or otherwise? And if one has to go – a political belief or a principled value – we must decide which to divest ourselves of. Such choices will prove our true worth as good Men and Masons.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.