The Craftsmen Paradox
Back in graduate school, my field of study was Organizational Behavior & Development. I was not a Mason back then, but I often wish I were because our fraternity is a very interesting organization,...
View ArticleFriendship: It’s what’s for dinner
A guy stopped by my work who happens to be a brother in a small, struggling lodge. For the last two years, this brother has been a Steward, and has gone out of his way to make sure that there is dinner...
View ArticleThe Craftsmen’s Paradox – Redux
My post on the Masonic version of the Abilene Paradox — which I named the Craftsmen’s Paradox, since I’m the guy writing about it — generated a not-unsurprising amount of feedback on Facebook, Reddit,...
View ArticleThe Lodge Network
The Grand Lodge Annual Communication is coming up shortly — a little late this year, and hopefully not as contentious as the Semi-Annual session back in October. I expect to be attending the parties...
View ArticleBrotherly Love, Relief, or Truth?
One of the reasons that I look forward to going to the hospitality rooms the evening before Grand Lodge is that it’s like going to weddings and funerals: it’s a way to meet and reconnect with brothers...
View ArticleFreemachonry
Most of the old web boards where I used to hang out with Freemasons from around the globe have quietly gone dark, deserted, or have disappeared entirely, as threaded conversations have moved over to...
View ArticleSocial Masonry
The question came up with one of my friends on Facebook: “Is there too much Masonry on social media?” By that, he was asking if the dozens and dozens of similar Facebook groups, often with overlapping...
View ArticleMarriage, Memorial Day, and the Kobayashi-Maru
Originally posted on The Tao that can be told:In one of those trade-offs that all married people know about, I offered to do some grocery shopping while my wife went off with our daughter to do some...
View ArticleYou’ve Got Mail. Now answer it!
I think that rarely a month goes by in which the /r/freemasonry group on Reddit does not see a question like this: “I am very much interested in joining a local lodge but haven’t had much luck getting...
View ArticleThe Grey Area
Since everybody else is all gaga about some kind of proposed TV series about Freemasons that’s been going around lately, I figured I’d try my own hand at marketing a Freemason-themed movie based on the...
View ArticleDisciplined Behavior
Dateline: Wallingford, CT — A group of Jewish Freemasons, joined by a number of Muslim brothers, plus several other interested parties, met with the Grand Lodge of Connecticut to demand that lodges...
View ArticleMasons, not Gay-sons!
Dateline: Atlanta, GA — Westboro Baptist Church members are coming to the support of the GL of GA over their controversial decision to make both homosexuality and fornication Masonic offenses. As...
View ArticleA backwards glance
I started 2015 with every intention of getting at least one post a month up, and I actually did pretty well, only faltering in the last two months of the year. But I averaged more than one a month, so...
View ArticleMore Disciplined Behavior
Back in September 2015, the online Masonic community was up in arms over the edict (since then voted into the Masonic Code) of the then-Grand Master of Georgia, in which he declared: “Masonic Code...
View ArticleThe Neglected Temple
So here we are at just about the time that we have depleted the motivational energy needed to keep up with our New Year’s resolutions. The parking lot at the human cardio treadmill gym down the street...
View ArticleNews Item: “Tennessee Freemasons Oust Married Gay Couple, Threaten Supporters...
From Tennesee’s WKNO 9:00 am news article: “Tennessee Freemasons Oust Married Gay Couple, Threaten Supporters with Suspension” Readers will remember when we discussed this several weeks ago: Bro....
View ArticleTidings from the West
This evening, the news began to spread around the Masonic internet haunts about the message from M. David Perry, Grand Master of Masons in California. I received several from brothers who were proud,...
View ArticlePitchforks into ploughshares
Freemasons that have been online in the last few weeks have been discussing the news item that the Grand Lodge of Tennessee expelled two active members of the fraternity for the presumed violation of...
View ArticleShots fired! GL CA suspends recognition with GA and TN
From a Facebook post this morning: By letter of March 7, 2016, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California has suspended recognition of the Grand Lodges Georgia and Tennessee until the next...
View ArticleThe pot calling the kettle black: Part 1
Note: This is the first of a three-part article from a brother who wishes to remain anonymous. The online discussions of the past few weeks prompted him to write about his experiences, and what he...
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