Haiti

For those readers that are interested, our sister obedience, the Grande Loge Haitienne de St.-Jean will be receiving assistance from the brothers and sisters of the George Washington Union. During this time of great tragedy for the people of Haiti, our thoughts and our prayers go out to our fellow Masons and their families. I have been informed that the Vice-President of CLIPSAS will be coordinating relief efforts on the part of CLIPSAS and its member obedience's with the International Red Cross. I will post more as it becomes available.

The Grande Loge Haitienne website in the U.S. can be reached here:

http://www.gdlghdstj.org/Acceuill.html

The Mote

One of the comments that I received recently called on me to to "remove the mote from my own eye."

This refers to a passage from the Bible, (Matthew, Chapter 7) in which Jesus says:

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

I prefer the New International Version translation:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

It was not my intention to infer that I am without fault. In fact, I doubt that many of us can truly say that we are living up to our standards of Masonic behavior.

There is a difference however to making mistakes and changing course, and knowingly perpetuating falsehoods and deceptions.

If someone, through their actions, has demonstrated time and again that their word does not amount to much, and that they will always take the expedient course in pursuit of their goals, how then do we consider that person to be part of the Masonic community?

Talk is cheap. So is how long someone has been recognized as being a Mason. I have seen a lot of un-masonic behavior recently. It saddens me. If my behavior has caused a brother or sister to question their involvement in Freemasonry, then I sincerely apologize.

I will continue to seek Masonic light, to the best of my ability, and let those that pretend to be Masons follow their own paths.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover what the ethics and values of Freemasonry are.

It also doesn't take a rocket scientist to distinguish between those who try to live by those values, and those that don't.

Lodge New Isis - Orient of Los Angeles

I hope that everyone is enjoying their Holiday Season. As the New Year approaches, I am filled with gratitude for all that the past year has brought, and I look forward to many positive developments in the year ahead.

Many of you are aware that last summer I demitted from lodge Intrepid. Without going into great detail, or mentioning any names, Intrepid left the GOUSA over a dispute relating to constitutional issues that arose in that obedience.

When the individuals involved left the GOUSA, they also demitted from Lodge New Isis of the George Washington Union. As a result of this, many members of New Isis who had been close to these persons left the lodge as well and joined Intrepid, of which I was lodge secretary at the time.

Very few of these individuals bothered to formally demit from the GWU as is required by Masonic protocol. Over the following months it became apparent to me that practicing Freemasonry was not the main priority of the leadership, so after much reflection, I demitted and affiliated with the remaining members of New Isis so that I could concentrate on practicing Freemasonry and grow in Masonic light.

Since then, in an effort to gain legitimacy as a jurisdiction, Intrepid claims to have founded a "New Isis" lodge in San Francisco. The claim has also been made that the real Lodge New Isis "left" the GWU, which is nonsense, most of the previous members having never formally left the lodge in the first place.

One member of Intrepid recently relocated to San Francisco. I am not aware in the history of Freemasonry that a one man lodge can exist as a "duly constituted" lodge of Freemasons. I suppose that by claiming multiple lodge membership several people can claim to have several lodges, even when done at a distance.

Such claims are at best disingenuous, at worst, dishonest. I strongly believe in not airing disputes in public, but as a member of Lodge New Isis of the George Washington Union, a duly constituted lodge of an obedience chartered by the Grand Orient of France more than three decades ago, I am offended by the name of my lodge being purloined and used politically for purposes of deceiving others, both inside, and outside, the Masonic community.

That being said, Lodge New Isis is in the process of repairing the damage caused by the exodus of some of its previous members, and has a bright future as part of the Mainstream Liberal Masonic community in Los Angeles. Our Worshipful Master has been working very hard with members of other Liberal lodges in Los Angeles and we foresee growth, and serious Masonic work being accomplished in 2010.

I will be visiting Lodge Aletheia of the Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium again soon, as well as Loge Art et Lumiere of the Grand Orient of France in March. I cannot thank these brothers and sisters enough for all the support that they have given us at Lodge New Isis. That is what Freemasonry is all about.

Setbacks such as Lodge New Isis has gone through recently, are a great opportunity for us as Masons to engage in real work and polish our ashlars. It is a challenge, but one that I know we, as Freemasons, are up to.

I am hoping to attend the next annual Convent of the George Washington Union, as I was unable to attend the most recent, which was held in Montreal, Canada. New officers for the obedience were elected and many projects are in the works, including a greater effort to make our presence felt in the wider community.

This New Year will be one of sacrifice, hard work, and patience, but we will also experience the enjoyment of the rewards that come with such effort.

FIAT LUX ET LUX FIT

Seasons Greetings

I want to wish all of my readers a very joyous holiday season. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

The Masonic Apron

The item that is most readily recognized by society as the emblem of a Freemason is, without a doubt, the apron. While the most obvious origin of the apron is from the working attire of the Operative Stone Masons, over time much symbolism has become attached to it.

The earliest aprons were, understandably, based on those of the operative masons, and, in common with many other trades, were long enough to cover the workers front down to the knees. It was normally made of linen, though leather aprons were used as well, particularly in trades which necessitated greater protection for the wearer.

Our aprons are descended from those with bibs. It is the remnant of this protective part of the apron from which the flaps of our aprons derived.

Initially, the bib, or flap, was either worn up and buttoned to the coat, or was allowed to hang down. Often, it was even cut off by the early Freemasons and dispensed with. As the apron evolved in the 18th Century, the flap became a decorative aspect, and often was cut in a semi-circular shape. The lower part of the apron would be cut in a similar fashion.

Freemasons began to decorate their aprons with the symbols of the Craft and overtime these decorations became more and more elaborate

Today, the aprons used by Freemasons are more standardized, in part due to the mass manufacturing techniques that are employed.

Additionally, as the Grand Lodges became more organized, they began to require a degree of standardization regarding the aprons employed by their members.

Today’s aprons are smaller, and simpler than those used by our operative and speculative predecessors. They distinguish the Freemason, and to the initiate conveys great symbolic meaning. I treasure my apron as it identifies me as a Mason to my brothers and sisters, and also serves to remind me of the great responsibility that comes with ownership of it.

In the Scottish Rite first degree we are told that the apron symbolizes work. I understand this to mean the work that all Freemasons are required to engage in, to work on ourselves. This work that the apron symbolizes never ceases. Unless asleep, we are always engaged in the labor which we have voluntarily sought out and taken upon ourselves.

Many Masonic writers have attributed its white color to the concept of purity. As the apron was traditionally made from a lambskin, this has also been used to symbolize innocence. Lambs, like small children, have often been used to portray that state where one has not yet been stained by exposure to the darker side of life.

White is also the color of virginity in many cultures. The newly initiated Mason is a virgin to the work of the lodge. Despite the lifetime of work ahead in the shaping and polishing of the individual’s Ashlar, the Mason’s apron remains unsullied and white, symbolizing the purity of his, or her intentions.

The triangular flap has been equated to the Delta which is a central symbol in the lodge. The delta, or triangle, has been called the perfect geometric shape, and the three sides also bring to mind the symbolism of the number three and the use of three dots in the shape of a triangle in Masonic correspondence.

The square shape of the apron can be considered to represent the finished, or “perfect Ashlar” the completion of which is the Magnum Opus of Freemasonry. One author has also attributed the Four Cardinal Virtues to the four sides of the apron, namely, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice.

A square can also suggest Solidity. A solid foundation is essential to erecting any building. Our entire symbolism involves the building trade. Our working tools are those of the Operative Stone Masons. We as Speculative Masons labor together in lodge to build the Great Temple of Freemasonry. Without the solidity of a firm foundation are labors will be in vain.

As a symbol of being prepared for work, all Masons must be attired with the apron to be present in lodge. This relates to the gloves that are required as well. As warriors require their swords and shields to be capable of performing their duties, so must Freemasons be garbed in their aprons and gloves to able to begin their labors in the Temple.

We shape and polish our Rough Ashlars, so that we may participate in the great work of Freemasonry, which is the Progress of Humanity to the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe.

"War is a Racket"

When I was in Marine Corps boot camp, back in 1979, we had classes in Marine Corps history. One of the Marines often mentioned was Major General Smedley Butler. During his 34 year career with the Corps, General Butler was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the French National Order of Merit, the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, Seven campaign medals, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, and TWO Medals of Honor.

What was not mentioned however, was that General Butler, after his retirement, became an outspoken critic of war, especially the wars that he had served in.

In 1935 his book, "War is a Racket" was first published. A section of the book that is often quoted is:

"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

General Butler was a patriot who loved his country, but opposed the interventionism that he had been a party to during his service. He was against men being sacrificed in the interests of big business instead of the interests of the country. He was a frequent spokesman for the American League Against War and Fascism.

While I do not agree with everything that General Butler wrote, specifically his statements that we should not concern ourselves with what is going on in other countries, I do respect his stand against war on principle.

Too often wars are waged in the interests of the few, while the many suffer the consequences.

As a Freemason who believes in the brotherhood of humanity, I find the thought of killing others repugnant. Unless it is absolutely necessary in self-defense, I could not support unleashing such misery on my fellow creatures. War, in my opinion, should always be a last resort.

I would recommend reading his book, which is available free online at the following link:

http://www.warisaracket.com/

American Freemasonry Revisited

I posted a comment today regarding a previous post about the innovations in American Freemasonry. Since it ran rather long, I thought that I would use it as a regular post as well.

I happen to be in a Liberal Jurisdiction, but even Masonry as practiced by the UGLE is very different from American Freemasonry.

I think that English Masonry has more in common, in terms of practice, with the Grand Lodge of France, and even the Grand Orient of France, than with most American Jurisdictions.

I have not researched enough of the history to determine how all of these innovations arose.

While all Grand Lodges are independent and can practice Masonry with some differences, (as long as the Landmarks are not violated), it troubles me how much American Masonry has diverged from the practice of Masonry in Europe, (England, Scotland, Ireland included), and most of the world.

A big problem, in my view, is the plethora of so-called Masonic bodies that have arisen here.

These include: The Shriners, The Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, National Sojourners, Order of the Eastern Star, Order of the Amaranth, White Shrine of Jerusalem, Royal Order of Jesters, Rainbow Girls, Sciots, High Twelve, Jobs Daughters, Daughters of the Nile, De Molay, ad infinitum.

Obviously, in the minds of some Masons, Freemasonry was "lacking" something, or was not what they were really looking for in the first place.

Freemasonry, in my opinion, is complete in itself. Concordant bodies, such as the AASR, the York Rite, AMD, etc., are fine, as they simply elaborate the teachings of Freemasonry that are taught in the craft lodge. They offer parallel, rather than "higher" degrees of Freemasonry.

Maybe what many of these people were looking for was not Freemasonry. They should have joined the Odd-Fellows or Moose. They could find a "play-ground" in some other organization.

Another big problem in American Masonry has been to turn it frequently into a charity.

Freemasons are taught to be charitable in their lives, but the Order itself is not a charitable institution.

It is an organization that exists for fellowship, mutual aid, and personal growth. Freemasons work on improving themselves and, in the process, improve the society in which they live.

In European, or European concept lodges, business attire is the standard, philosophical papers are presented by members, discussions are held on Masonic topics, and minimum periods between degrees are up to a year.

Masonic education is not optional, but is a requirement, and the meetings are proceeded, or followed, by a meal, or refreshments, known as an Agape, or Festive Board.

Many U.S. lodge meetings consist of a "business meeting" to discuss the light bill, and the food consists of spaghetti on a paper plate, or hot dogs.

Why would men like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Benito Juarez, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Mozart, Winston Churchill, Salvadore Allende, Augusto Sandino, Franklin Roosevelt, Simon Bolivar, Andrew Jackson, Jose de San Martin, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, or Voltaire have wasted their time with an organization like that?


In the United States it has become all too often a social club and a charity, one, that it appears leaves so much to be desired that its members devote more of their time to the "fun" clubs associated (wrongly) with the Grand Lodges then to the work of the craft lodge. However, since Masonry is usually not being practiced in the lodge, it is hard to blame them.

You simply won't find this in the rest of the world, at least not to this degree.

November 2, 2009 7:45 PM